"Each step forward has a sacred meaning of its own"   Sri Chinmoy

Runners are Smilers 2 Mile Race - Jamaica High School Loop, Queens - 23 August 2025

It was only the 2 miler, the race I've run more than any other, but I was apprehensive ahead of this one. After months of rehab I was back up to steady jogging over a few miles but had precious little speedwork behind me coming into Celebrations.I'd managed a few half-mile intervals in the middle of longer runs, with the efforts at around 6.45-7.00 per mile and the jogging anywhere from 9 to 12 minute pace. That was not really decenty preparation though and my troublesome right calf remained a little tight. Should I do the 2 miler and risk not even being able to show up for Sports Day 2 days later? Or, even worse, would I be risking my target event of the year, the 45 mile Across Wales Walk? I decided not to let fear or nerves hold me back, but to warm up well and stretch a bit and just go for it. Only a year ago I would have been aiming for something between 12 and 13 minutes but the months of hiking, riding and only more recently starting to run had seen my speed ebb away. I was hoping for something just under 14.

Early in the morning at Aspiration Ground I went to meditate, starting at around 5.35am in the dark. I spent quite a while trying to concentrate and clear my mind, not something I usually have to do at this sacred place where the atmosphere seems to meditate for you normally. Eventually, the mind relented and, with quite a crowd gathered on the bleachers for 6am meditation, I started to get somewhere. I can't decribe it adequately in words, but it was one of those meditations I rarely experience anywhere else. As I came back down I felt the nagging tightness in my calf melt away. This hadn't been the focus of my meditation, but it seemed to be having a healing effect. I walked away, surprised to see that I'd sat for an hour (it felt like less than half that time) and I was already fighting with doubts, but underneath the mental scepticism I had a pretty good feeling about running and didn't expect the old injury to flare up.

I headed out very early for the race, which had an official start time of 8am and an unofficial one of 8.08 as per usual. I warmed up slowly, getting over 20 minutes of jogging into my legs before trying a few strides and high-knees (not so high these days but still worth doing). A joyful crew gathered at the start and soon Anugata appeared to deliver the race prayer and get us started. I lined up about 3 rows back.

From the off I felt like I was moving well, looser than expected. I knew it wasn't going to be a fast time, but I felt confident early on that the 14 minute barrier wouldn't be a problem. I held my own on the first lap, taking a direct line on the road up the hill and across past the corner of Goose Pond Park before hopping back on to the sidwalk for the surreal section, where bright morning sunlight strobes intensely through the railings. I was getting overtaken on the up-slope back past the start and then caught people up a little as we came down the other side towards what I still remember as Utpal's corner. He wasn't there on this occasion so there was no shout-out of the one mile split. The clock at the start had me at around 6.50, so that was well on target.

Into lap 2 I again took the road where I could, kept my stride short on the hill, kept my effort just a shade below maximum. It was stil hard-going, seeing as I hadn't done anything like a 2 mile interval session for many months. The lap gradually unwound and I stepped over the line in 13.35, well pleased that my calf hadn't troubled me and the time was better than it could have been. Still a half minute per mile that I need to find from somewhere, but if I can stop the injuries recurring for a while at least, that should come. As always this was an amazing race, with the incredible atmosphere and a really pure running consciousness.

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