The 3100 Mile Race started on September 13, 2020, in Austria!

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Although the official start of the traditional 3100 Mile Race in New York, which was scheduled for June 2020, did not take place, the organizers hoped that the race could be held at another time, possibly in a different location, but still this year. Several European and American cities have been suggested…

And in early September, it became known that the authorities of the Austrian Salzburg had given the go-ahead to hold the longest race in the world Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race, from September 13 to November 3, 2020.

The athletes actually did not have time to prepare and strategically plan their vacation – five people went to the start, who turned out to be not under the pressure of other projects and who had the opportunity to come to the start in Austria.

All my active runner friends from Russia and Ukraine were unable to participate due to Austrian entry restrictions. As always, this is a whole complex of circumstances and connections (which is usually called “divine play”) – we have what we have.

Five bravest runners started in Salzburg on September 13:

  • Nirbhasa Magee, 41 (IRL), living in Reykjavik, Iceland – 3 finishes, ranked 22nd
  • Ananda-Lahari Zuscin, 45, Kosice Slovakia – 6 finishes, ranked 25th
  • Ushika Muckenhumer, 52, Salzburg, Austria – 1 finish, ranked 30th
  • Andrea Marcato, 38 (ITA), living in Zurich, Switzeland – first time runner, two times over 1000km in 10 day race
  • Milan Javornicky, 46, Celakocice, CZE  – first time runner, 569 miles in ten day race

The racecourse was chosen in a picturesque place along the river – the lap is certified, the length is 1.04367 km (slightly more than our original 0.883 m in New York). Athletes need to complete 4,781 laps to finish 3,100 miles. The daily routine remains the same: the common start is at 6:00, the lap is open until 24:00. Runners rest from midnight to 6 am. There is a 52-day deadline to cover the distance.

Let’s wish them good luck!

Stay connected – let’s follow the news of the race together.

Trophy prize in the 7.5 km Oceanman swim

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September 5, 2020, I finished in the Oceanman swim for 7.5 km in Odessa together with my wife!

In the middle of the summer, when almost all running starts were canceled, the inspiration came to join my wife, who was preparing for a 10 km swim after a not so successful start in Cherkasy across the Dnipro river. I then figured – there should be enough time to prepare for 2 months. And training began 5 days a week in the pool.

It took me a month to pick up speed, strengthen arms, and even out the balance. In August, I already confidently kept the pace of 2 min / 100 m during long swims of 4-5-6 km. I noticed from my past training sessions for a swim across Zurich Lake, with an emphasis on swimming, the shoulders and arms are strengthened, the legs are weakened) Correspondingly, the body balance in the water improves – the legs sink less and the body position is closer to the horizontal line. Our maximum swim was 8 km, and in that week we swam 26 km in total.
Now about the start itself in Odessa.

The distance was supposed to be 10 km, but due to difficult weather conditions, the organizers reduced it to 7.5 km on the day of the start. It seems the waves, wind, and rain intensified with each lap) The sea was stormy by 3 points.

We swam three laps of 2.5 km each. One stretch directly against the wind and waves with burunches was something! Despite having already swum  10 km in Miami and 26 km on Zurich Lake, conditions in the Black Sea were the most challenging.

But everything went very cool! Immensely happy! Swam in 3:04 (pace 2: 27/100 m or 2.4 km / h), Irina – in 3:20. She was attacked by seasickness, as in Cherkasy. The pills she had stocked up didn’t work very well …

Although I did not expect much from the organization (according to the stories of the participants of past starts), practically everything turned out to be ok. Of course, I would put more buoys for a reference point, otherwise, there were only four large buoys in the corners on the 2.5 km lap in the sea with waves. And even they were not always visible because of the waves! Plus the 5 km swim (they had two laps, and we had three) started when many of the 7.5 km swimmers finished the first lap. I got into the cyclone of the mess)

I was ready to swim another lap to a full ten! Sped up at the end. Although when I got out of the water, I realized that I did my best and was tired.

Super positive drive! Several times I caught myself thinking that I got the flow and made friends with the sea)

Another self-transcendence! As a result, we also won prizes in our age category 50-59 (Irina – the first, I – the third) and perfectly presented the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team.

The fullness of life is in motion!

Stutisheel and Alakananda

Secret of Youth

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I never thought that I would be asked the question about the secret of youth )

And the situation was such that the young team of the company that I lead (average age is 26 years) was shocked that I turned 50. They found out that by the fact that on my birthday I ran 50 km. And when I appeared in the office, they surrounded me and bombarded me with questions about how I was so well preserved )

I was happy to share the drive of my life.

I have two secrets: sports and meditation.

The fact that sport has become an integral part of my life I owe to my parents. Camping, kayaking, and then the ski racing – all this built a wonderful foundation for my passion for ultra-long distances. I like to be in shape and catch a flow on long runs, bikes and swims. That is why I say that the fullness of life is in motion.

Since ’91, meditation has entered my life. It is not just about calming your mind, visualization, affirmation, and so forth. This is the original purpose of meditation as a tool in self-knowledge, self-discovery. But also – as access to the Source of inexhaustible energy, motivation and a way to solve the most diverse problems of life. From overcoming ultra-long distances to solving non-standard situations in management.

The secret is in energy. When we are full of energy, we are dynamic and we use time to do many things — we don’t complain, we don’t feel pain — we fly and are full of joy. In contrast, when we experience lack of energy – even our long-forgotten injuries make themselves felt, all our weaknesses come to the fore as if they are ruling us – we complain about life, lose faith in ourselves and blame others for our failures.

Let me share a few things about the secret of energy. I’ll start from the “side of the sun” – with a story that happened during the 3100-mile race in 2014 when I set my personal best by finishing the race in 48 days + 03:57:19

At the end of the race, super doctor Kausal from Italy came to help us. Besides the fact that he is an excellent Ayurvedic doctor, a homeopath and – he is well versed in classical Western medicine. So, at the next express reception, Kausal runs his hands over my body, finds the blocking points, starts working, and suddenly says: you know, you are now in an amazing state. Everything is harmonious with you: you receive and transfer all the energy that comes from above into the physical. This energy, these vibrations that live in you – they are not only of a high order, but they are also healing!

So, when the Power comes from above, when you are full of energy when you have high vibrations, it fills life with deep joy, gives an impulse to dreams and new ideas and breathes new life into the physical body. In other words, every time we experience deep or high meditations, every time we manage to draw Energy from Above or through infinite Grace, joy, delight, bliss come upon us – each time it incredibly nourishes the physical body, straightens wrinkles, gives stamina, renews our cells. This is the secret.

But still the question remains – how to achieve this state? Through meditation – obviously yes. Through sports, catching the silence of the mind during long races, plunging into a flow of energy, attracting Grace from Above with your aspiration-cry – definitely yes. But there is one more thing.

The joy that we sometimes experience in mundane life from a successful purchase, from a salary day, from a delicious dinner and so on – cannot be compared with the inner happiness that we experience pleasing our soul. In other words, if we perform actions that are sanctioned by our soul and please it, our soul gives us an experience of joy that easily surpasses all our “earthly” joys together. Somewhere in the depths of the heart, we know what will please our soul. To sharpen this feeling and understanding, we invoke an ancient art of meditation.

It happened to me after the completion of various projects aimed at the progress of people: the first Peace Run in Western Ukraine, the “Song of the Soul” concert in the October Palace, the signing of the declaration “Ukraine – Sri Chinmoy Peace Nation”, the installation of the Sri Chinmoy Statue in Kyiv, the finish in 3100-mile race…

Summarizing:

He who is happy is young.
One who is full of energy is preserving youth.
He who knows how to please his soul – flies.

  • Stutisheel 50 years
  • Stutisheel and Alakananda
  • Stutisheel's Oleg Lebedev 50th Birthday

Esoteric Project Management Presentation

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On April 20th, Stutisheel presented his Esoteric Project Management approach at the Researchers Meet Innovators conference at the Kiev-Mohyla Academy. Stutisheel spoke to students from several Ukrainian universities who gathered at the conference.

Traditionally, he raised topics like setting goals, gaining a vision of the project, and mind management. He also offered practical exercises to calm the mind, breathing techniques, and talked about building plans from the final picture and living through the event in meditation.

The meeting ended with questions and answers, as well as the signing of his books Esoteric Project Management, Run. Journey. Become The 3100-Mile footrace of a lifetime.