361: The 3100 Mile Foot Race with Sanjay Rawal

When you think of a spiritual seeker, you probably conjure up images of shaved heads, orange robes, dark meditation halls, and gongs. But sitting in silence is not the only way to mediate. You can also run around in circles 12-14 hours a day, pushing your body and mental resolve to their limit. Every year, a dozen or so seekers show up in Queens, New York, to run around an unremarkable city block until they hit 59 miles. They do this for 52 days straight, 3100 miles total. This extreme race has been happening since 1997, and many runners are repeat participants. Our guest on this week’s show directed a film profiling this race and the global phenomenon of running as a spiritual practice. Listen & Learn: How average people, older people, and non-athletes are completing this race How ultra-running can be mostly a mental challenge How transcendence is the goal and a necessity for this type of race How humans are truly born to run Why a spiritual guru founded this race Links & Resources: 3100: Run & Become Race ABOUT OUR GUEST Sanjay is a runner and documentary filmmaker whose films include Ocean Monk, Challenging Impossibility and Food Chains. His most recent film, 3100: Run and Become, details the world’s most elusive and elite multi-day foot race around one utterly unremarkable half-mile urban sidewalk block in Queens, New York. The race demands competitors to complete at least 59 miles a day for 52 straight days. Nutritional Tip of the Week: Eggs & Cholesterol Got Questions? Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question Or write to us: [email protected] Like the Show? Leave us a Review on iTunes