Rain, Sun, Swans, and an Age Group Finish at the Sri Chinmoy 12hr Ultra
- Miriam Diaz-Gilbert
- Jun 15
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 21
The Sri Chinmoy 12-hr ultra on June 7, 2025 was my third ultra event in eight weeks following the Dawn to Dusk to Dawn 50K track ultra and the Old Six Day 72-hr track ultra. From April to race day on June 7, I logged over 270 race and training miles, mostly power walking miles.
My last eleven ultra events have taken place close to home with no need to travel and make hotel reservations. This Sr Chinmoy ultra was the first ultra that my husband Jon and I traveled to in a long time. We stayed at The West Nyack Hotel Friday night for the 8 am start Saturday morning at Rockland Lake State Park about two miles from the hotel. When we arrived, we set up our tent and I picked up my bib number.
As usual, I was prepared for the weather with the appropriate gear. And because I cannot eat food made with chemicals, Jon and I made the food I fueled on the course as I collected miles with meaning and purpose.
WEATHER
The forecast called for some rain most of the day. The 8 am start on the 2.95-mile loop was warm and humid under cloudy skies. I tied my coral lightweight rain jacket around my waist. It then drizzled on and off all day. The sun finally peeked through the clouds and patches of blue sky towards the end of the 12-hr event.
The rain came down the heaviest for about a mile after I logged 34.5 miles. There was some flooding on the street part of the paved loop. But my feet were ready for any amount of rain— my knee-high compression socks remained dry in my RandySun waterproof socks. I love these socks!
GEAR
I was prepared for the weather with gear to keep me going. My tank top kept me cool on this humid day. Compression capris and compression knee-highs prevented leg and feet cramps. My old Dirty German 50 swag running cap kept my head dry from the drizzle. I rotated two light rain jackets and my pink rain jacket as needed. They kept me dry.
In addition to my Asics Gel Nimbus 27, I also packed my Brooks Ghost 16, along with my Oofos, extra socks, and running shirts. I didn't need to change clothes, socks, or shoes.
And in the pouch around my waist I packed my Blistex, iPhone, and baggies of my dark chocolate chip loaf pieces for fuel during the laps and miles.
FOOD FOR FUEL AND HYDRATION
I cannot eat foods offered at aid stations. I don't know If they contain chemicals —preservatives, additives, food coloring, antibiotics, steroids, hormones, insecticides, and pesticides. Jon and I make my food fuel. (Here's why I can't have chemicals).
My fuel for this 12-hr ultra started with homemade dark chocolate covered protein bars.
Throughout the ultra, I fueled on my deliciously moist dark chocolate chip loaf pieces. It's so much better and healthier than the Entenmann's chocolate chip loaf loaded with chemicals I can't pronounce. I also fueled on grilled chicken pieces wrapped in my homemade sandwich bread.
Beginning at 1 pm, I added organic rice, beans, and chicken. I was so hungry. It tasted so good. I didn't stop to eat. I kept walking with my hydration bottle and a paper cup filled with rice, beans, and chicken pieces in my left hand, and a plastic spoon in my right. When the lap was over, Jon would fill up the cup again.
THE SOLITUDE OF COURSE
Unlike other paved loop ultra courses, the Sri Chinmoy is a very quiet course. For the first time since my last eleven ultra events, I did not chat with anyone, except for a little while with Trishul and Al. We talked a lot while circling laps at the Old Six Day 72-hr track ultra in April.
Also, unlike ultra events where music blares as runners and walkers cross the timing mat at the end of every lap, the only form of music entertainment at Sri Chinmoy was offered by the awesome Boogie Down Bronx Runners who cheered runners and walkers as we went by with about a quarter mile to end of the loop. They played great music and salsa.
The only other sound heard on the course was at the end of each lap. Human lap counters, and not a timing chip tied to our shoes, announced our names, miles, and laps over a microphone.
Other sounds on the course were the chirping of pretty birds flying by, and the sound of the friendly geese congregating on the course and adorning sections of the loop with their naturally molted feathers, and a few poop droppings.
But the most beautiful surprise and sight on the course at the edge of the lake was a family of swans. At first, I saw only the mother swan and her baby swans. I stopped to take a picture. A few laps later, as the sun peeked through the clouds for a couple of minutes, the father swan, mother swan, and their baby swans graced us all with their beautiful presence, and posed.
Another cute surprise was a little creature, perhaps a baby bird or owl, peeking out of a birdhouse.
THE FINISH
I was happy with my 44.22 miles (15 laps) in about 11 hours and 25 minutes, and a third place female finish at age 66 in the 60-69 age group. I placed 9/32 female and 28/84 overall. I power walked and maintained an average 15:42 minute pace. My fastest mile was 13:19. After sitting for five minutes on my pink chair and using the bathroom, my slowest mile was 23:23 in the pouring rain.
And more good news at the finish; Jon told me he had sold a few copies of my book. I was happy to sit down and sign a copy for a fellow runner in the 24-hr event.
Then we headed back to the hotel where I took a nice hot shower. And we devoured the sausage pizzas we made at home and packed, and enjoyed more rice, beans, and chicken. We chased them with homemade ginger ale — home brewed ginger root and ice cold seltzer.
ANOTHER ULTRA WITH PURPOSE AND MEANING
We all have our reasons for tackling an ultra. We're all on a personal journey.
All of my ultras have meaning and purpose, but this one especially so. The Sri Chinmoy 12 hour was my 40th ultra. It was a celebratory ultra. A year ago on June 3, 2024, I had a partial mastectomy. I am happy to say I am cancer free. I collected miles of gratitude.
I was also collecting healing miles for Elijah, a young husband and father, who is battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It has been a grueling journey.
And with prayers, I dedicated this run to my 99-year-old mother. She was in hospice after a fall the day before Memorial Day. While writing this race report, she took her last breath on June 13. She would have turned 100 in October. I am heartbroken. My family is heartbroken. May my beloved mother rest in peace. I always said she was made of steel. She was a fighter. And she was a fast walker. She walked everywhere. No doubt about it; I inherited her walking gene. And my athleticism comes from my 93-year-old father, who is still going strong. He was a pitcher on adult baseball teams for over 30 years until age 62.
I hope to walk and shuffle my feet at more ultras for many years to come. Last year, I power walked the Badger Palooza 12-hr backyard ultra around a vineyard and two lakes. I had so much fun. I'm looking forward to doing it again in October 2025. I hope to see you there.
And don't forget to run, walk, and shuffle with purpose and meaning at any age. Just keep moving.
Age is just a number. What matters is what you do with it.
©2025
I am the author of Come What May, I Want to Run: A Memoir of the Saving Grace of Ultrarunning in Overwhelming Times. The life lessons that my parents taught me as a young girl, that shaped me, and that carried over into my adult life, is one of many universal themes in my book. Order it from the Wipf and Stock Publishers, Amazon, Bookshop, and Barnes & Noble here. It's available in hardcover, paperback, e-book, and Kindle.
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