One Mile At A Time

AJW writes about the value of managing life and running with one step or mile at a time.

By on November 18, 2016 | Comments

AJW's TaproomA couple weekends ago, Shelly and I traveled 90 minutes north of our new home here in Staunton, Virginia to run the Battlefield Half Marathon in Winchester. In addition to seeking out a late-season lungbuster, we were also interested in getting a look into the Shenandoah Valley road-racing scene as we had heard that it was quite vibrant and fun.

For both of us the race went fine and after cooling down and bundling up, we headed out to the post-race gathering to enjoy the sunshine and take in the vibe. While there, Shelly told me about how she had seen a bunch of runners with cool shirts from a local running club emblazoned with the simple slogan “Live life one mile at a time” on the back. At the after-party we encountered no fewer than 30 of these shirts and couldn’t help but expand into a deep conversation about such a seemingly innocuous and simple phrase.

Here’s the thing, when you’ve been on this earth almost 50 years, that simple sentiment resonates with you. And, if you’re a runner, it resonates even more. How many of us, out on a run, have felt that deep-down visceral need to just go one mile more? How many of us, in our jobs, have found ourselves needing to trudge through that one more mile? And, how many of us, in life, with all of its foibles, can often do nothing more than just slog through another mile? The truth is, sometimes, maybe most times, it’s all we really need to do. And running teaches us how, each time we lace them up and head out the door.

Really, when all is said and done, we just need to live life one mile at a time. But that can be hard. As runners, many of us are planners, schemers, arrangers, and perhaps even manipulators. At our best we are dreamers and in our darker times we can be a bit narrow. However, we are hardwired to know that life goes on and we can make it go on a little bit better when we bust out that one more mile.

Those of us who’ve toiled at this for decades know, intrinsically, that the life worth living is ultimately that which we live one mile at a time. That life that stares us down and challenges us to do and be better. That life that questions who we are and what we do. That life that, eventually, says, just put one foot in front of the other and go. Because sometimes that’s all you can do and all that you are meant to do. When it all gets added up at the end, we know that one more mile will lead to one more and then one more and then one more. Eventually, we have to believe, that doing what we do best makes us our best.

Bottoms up!

AJW’s Beer of the Week

Bridge Brew Works Dun Glen DubbelThis week’s Beer of the Week comes from Bridge Brew Works in Fayetteville, West Virginia. Their Dun Glen Dubbel is a paean to those classic monastic Belgian dark beers we’ve grown to love. Even though this particular brew is dedicated to an entirely different sort, the coal baron of 19th century West Virginia, it nonetheless delivers.

Call for Comments (from Meghan)

  • Do you run or live by the one-step-at-a-time or one-mile-at-a-time motto?
  • If so, is this by the choice of trying to stay in the moment, by desperation in efforting to keep up, or for another reason?
  • What have you learned from biting off a run or some part of life in little, moment-to-moment chunks?
Andy Jones-Wilkins

Andy Jones-Wilkins is an educator by day and has been the author of AJW’s Taproom at iRunFar for over 11 years. A veteran of over 190 ultramarathons, including 38 100-mile races, Andy has run some of the most well-known ultras in the United States. Of particular note are his 10 finishes at the Western States 100, which included 7 times finishing in the top 10. Andy lives with his wife, Shelly, and Josey, the dog, and is the proud parent of three sons, Carson, Logan, and Tully.