Ten Day Race, 2006

What follows is a complete - and discursive - account of my experience in April/May 2006 competing in the Self-Transcendence Ten-day Race in New York - the highs the lows the prayers and ponderings of a man ten days on the path.

Introduction — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-09-25 05:10 PM

In April/May of 2006 I competed in the Self-Transcendence 10-day race in New York. The race was held in Corona Park, Flushing Meadows on a one mile loop.

Preface: ‘why?’ — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-09-25 05:10 PM

It is a good idea to know what you are doing. It is good to give some consideration as to why you are doing it as well.

Day One: 12 midday - 12 midnight — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-10-10 12:44 AM

When you set out on a long race it is important to be well rested, fresh and relaxed. Alternatively . . .

Day One: 3am - noon — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-10-09 11:39 PM

After 12 hours running, and a little under 3 hours sleep in my tent, I bounded eagerly out of bed at 3am for some more.

Day Two: 3 pm - 12 midnight — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-10-09 11:39 PM

I tried to fool myself; I tried to fool other people.

Day Two: 3am - noon — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-09-25 05:10 PM

Sometimes a biscuit or an apple offer more than one might expect.

Day Three: 3 pm - 12 midnight — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-09-25 05:10 PM

It was the prophet Isaiah who said, 'How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation'.

Day Three: 3am - noon — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-10-09 11:40 PM

Sometimes you win, sometimes you . . . don't.

Day Four: 3 pm - 12 midnight — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-10-09 11:40 PM

Sometimes when you are plodding along in a multi-day race you feel a bit like . . well, a camel actually.

Day Four: 3am - noon — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-09-25 05:10 PM

Gerard Manley Hopkins once wrote, 'nature is never spent; There lives the dearest freshness deep down things'. Sometimes you can't help but be overwhelmed with gratitude that it is indeed so.

Day Five: 3 pm - 12 midnight — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-09-25 05:10 PM

A lot of people suggested I take some painkillers . . .

Day Five: 3am - noon — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-10-10 12:44 AM

Often in ultra-running your biggest problem is not the distance, and not even your body, but rather your own mind.

Day Six: 3 pm - 12 midnight — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-10-10 12:44 AM

It was my observation that men and women approached the race differently.

Day Six: 3am - noon — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-10-10 12:44 AM

When you are small, which of God’s miracles is more miraculous than a sunflower?

Day Seven: 3 pm - midnight — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-10-10 12:44 AM

I once met a man who had met an alien.

Day Seven: 3am - noon — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-09-25 05:10 PM

Aesop lived in Samos, something over 25 centuries ago - but some things never change.

Day Eight: 3 pm - 12 midnight — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-10-10 12:44 AM

It says in the bible somewhere - 'And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions' . . .

Day Eight: 3am - noon — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-09-25 05:10 PM

There is a song that Sri Chinmoy wrote in 1993, the words go - 'A gratitude-heart is a master key. It can open any heart.'

Day Nine: 3 pm - 12 midnight — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-10-08 07:59 PM

I had planned out exactly how far I was going to run each hour of the 240-hour course of the race. It didn’t take me long to realise that once I had shinsplints, all those carefully concocted lists of numbers had to be discarded. It took me rather longer to realise that the whole underlying structure of my plan was flawed as well.

Day Nine: 3am - noon — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-10-08 08:01 PM

 

Day Ten: 3 pm - 12 midnight — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-10-08 07:56 PM

Multiday running is not - as the saying goes - all laugh and lunch. But it has its good points.

Day Ten: 3am - noon — by Barney McBryde — last modified 2006-10-08 07:54 PM

If you keep going . . . you finally get to the end.

Afterword — by Barnaby McBryde — last modified 2006-10-08 07:49 PM

 

Epilogue — by Barnaby McBryde — last modified 2006-10-08 07:48 PM

I flew once on a flight into Auckland, not cutting in from the eastern ocean but rather straight down the middle of the northern portion of the North Island.