Cybercolumn by Berry D. Simpson: Transcendence

Posted: 4/13/07

CYBER COLUMN:
Transcendence

By Berry D. Simpson

I was reading an article in a recent issue of Runner’s World about the ultimate long-distance running race—the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race.

It lasts 51 days during the summer heat. The course consists of a 0.5488-mile concrete loop that circles Thomas Edison High School in Queens, New York. Last summer, there were 15 athletes from 10 countries who took part in this race, each competitor running between 60 and 70 miles every day. And what’s more—in case you think something so unbelievable could never be repeated—2006 was the 10th annual running of this race.

I have learned to be careful with magazine articles like this, because when Cyndi, my loving wife, sees me reading them, or worse, hears me quoting my favorite parts to her, she gets worried that I might want to enter the race. And, in fact, a part of me is drawn to ultra-endurance events like this—where athletic skill is trumped by strength of will and patience and stubbornness. The actual part of me that is drawn to long distances is my brain, surprisingly enough; unfortunately, my body has consistently found ways to stay injured so that I haven’t sent in my entry. So if you see Cyndi, tell her its OK. I’m not going after a 3,100 mile race.

The question a race such as this presents is simple: Why? Why would someone enter a race so long? Apparently, they do it for spiritual reasons more than for physical reasons. Runners apparently see themselves as pilgrims on a spiritual retreat rather than mere ultra-marathoners. The race director was quoted as saying: “It’s all about self-transcendence, about looking inside, determining what you’re capable of, and going significantly beyond that. It’s about finding a peace and using that to accomplish amazing things.”

Well, maybe so. At a peaceful 10 minutes-per-mile pace, the competitors would have at least 517 hours of reflection time. That’s pretty transcendent in itself.

I’m reminded there’s a peace that passes all understanding, that guards our hearts and minds, but it doesn’t come from running 3,100 miles or from self-transcendence or even from going significantly beyond our capabilities. It comes from God.

However, in spite of the spiritual nature of the Sri Chinmoy Race, it is still a race, not a retreat. They keep track of laps and split times, and there is a winner. Wolfgang Schwerk from Germany won last year’s race. He completed the 3,100 miles in 41 days, 8 hours, 16 minutes, and 29 seconds—an average of 75.1 miles every day. And what’s more, after briefly responding to his victory celebration, he went back onto the course for another 13 laps to reach an even 5,000 kilometers. I guess he felt better, enlightenment-wise, in round metric numbers.

The thing is, I can understand how someone might try something like this race, hoping for transcendence, whether searching for the god within or the God of the universe. Some of my own best communion times with God have come while I’m running or walking or hiking. Could it be the reason this race seems so over-the-top is because I’m simply not hungry enough? If the disciples of Sri Chinmoy are willing to do that to find themselves, why won’t I do that to find God?

Well, for one thing, if I’m going to cover 3,100 miles on foot in search of God, I’d rather do in on the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail. I’m not sure my knees could take almost 6,000 half-mile laps on concrete. And I think occasional changes in scenery help when looking for God.

As it turns out, God is easier to find than all that. In fact, he wants us to find him. According to the Bible story of the Wayward Son and Loving Father, God watches for us to turn in his direction and comes running toward us when we do. He makes himself available, findable. But close communion with God requires time and focus and intent on our part, and the 15 athletes in the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race have challenged me to pursue God with a bit more diligence.

Berry Simpson, a Sunday school teacher at First Baptist Church in Midland, is a petroleum engineer, writer, runner and member of the city council in Midland. You can contact him through e-mail at berry@stonefoot.org.