It is early September 2021, and I am struggling with whether or not I feel comfortable ‘leading’ group singing this year at the Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race (a 52-day annual event).
For 14 of the Race’s 25 annual editions, we stood on the sidewalk and projected —as forcefully as we could— volume and enthusiasm. Our group grew larger and larger, 14 years ago we were a dozen or so, by 2019 we averaged 40 singers. The larger group was inspiring in so many, many ways — but this year it felt almost irresponsible. Since the race is being held in Autumn rather than Summer, the school is in full session meaning we’d literally be in the faces of hundreds of people passing by.
In the end, I decided that I was not comfortable taking on that responsibility. This caused me to endure some inner anguish about what drove me to that decision. Wisdom or fear? A week into the Race, I am hoping the runners do not mind our absence as much as I am missing them and the morning singing.
The Race is moving swiftly forward — every day I check in via Utpal’s blog (https://perfectionjourney.org). Even when I went daily to the Race, I learned so much and got so much inspiration from Utpal’s interviews with the runners. I find his videos and photos so fascinating. The overhead filming of the race course to the closeup photos of little flowers found along the path shows how — despite the course being in a ‘concrete jungle’ — the founder, Sri Chinmoy, was able to see the potential and even beauty of this Race. Apparently… you just need to have the correct vision and perspective! 😀
Every day I also check the main webpage (3100.srichinmoyraces.org) where I read Sahishnu’s “latest updates”, his professional synopsis of the previous day. Then I watch Rupantar’s early morning video. The site even has live camera streaming at the base camp — a 100-foot or so section of the 1/2-mile Race Course (0.5488 mile to be exact) where the counters take lap times and where the food & rest stations are. In case you cannot believe the runners can put in such consistent, intense focus throughout the full 18-hours-a-day, you can see it for yourselves! On this webpage are each runner’s mileage statistics (the ‘live camera’ also gives a view of the mileage board which is updated frequently during the day).
And then I check Jowan’s photos (SriChinmoyUltraPhotos). Jowan often shows different times of the day/night that Utpal’s early morning photos don’t capture.
