Auto cruise control

tik tak tik tak tik tak tik tak............................
That's not the clock's work but the rhythmic sound of my foot taping into which I got lost during my run today. Normally I run a long run ( a distance you would probably not run daily for fear of injury) during the weekends. Today's run was really great as I got into the auto cruise 10 minutes into the run i.e, I was looking around the campus absorbing the scenery while my legs were doing the hard work without complaining. This is essential during such long runs, as one need's to forget the working of the wheel of time to be able to confidently finish the run. This auto cruise is also very enjoyable and only when you come out of it,you realise you have had a good time so far. My long runs have gradually become more comfortable and the recovery from it has also become quicker.
Today for example, I dindn't feel the slightest discomfort till I hit 8kms (40 mins). Here, my knees started aching and I had to slow down, but this phase didn't last long as after 10 minutes I was running faster than my normal speed, feeling great. I finished my 16km run in 1:23:15.
During my run today, I saw a lot of walkers, both recreational and the serious ones, and maybe one or two runners. I wondered as to how the body could seemingly adapt to the demands posed by running (increased oxygen intake and shocks due to the constant pounding (more so when I run on the asphalt)) and if there was any limit to the distance one could run at a stretch. Two people, Dean Karnazes and Pam Reed , pros in ultra running, have already run 260 miles and 300 miles respectively non-stop and ofcourse without taking a nap!!!!.
The saying 'It's all in the mind', seems very applicable to this endurance sport of long distance running. There is a sect of monks on a hill close to kyoto, Japan, called 'Marathon Monks', who have to cover 40 kms a day, 100 days a year for 7 years to qualify as a monk there, failing which they commit suicide. The tough qualifier also has a 7 day period where, the monks have to sit erect in a cave(ensured by two people who watch the person), without water or food..an incredible feat by itself.
I f a person comes out succesful through this ruthless test, he is considered to have achieved god-hood, and is given that acknowledgement by the king there. Only 46 people have completed this 1000 day challenge, started in the year 1885.
When I read this article, http://www.runpunxsyrun.org/marathonmonks.html, I thought how tiny our ambitions are in life and how much we could achieve if only we were to put in the necessary effort and time.