Thanksgiving is, without a doubt, my favorite holiday. Taking a day to pause and take time away from the daily grind to share a delicious homemade meal with family and friends has always filled me with gratitude. And this year, as my entire family gathers at my son’s house in Durango, Colorado, for my granddaughter Kelly Jo’s first Thanksgiving, I am particularly thankful.
›Looking back over the past year since we last gathered, I am especially grateful for my physical health, the opportunities I’ve had and challenges I’ve faced, and my communities, both near and far.
Physical Health
Back in 2023, shortly after relocating back to Arizona, I underwent two significant hip replacement surgeries. I had my left hip replaced in February and my right hip replaced in October. At the time, I was hopeful of a return to running, but it certainly wasn’t a given. My recovery progressed throughout 2024, and I have been blessed with complete physical health over the past year. Undoubtedly, the surgeries caused me to lose a step — or six — but for the most part, I have been able to run consistently throughout the year. At the time of this writing, my annual mileage sits at 2,750, giving me a pretty good chance of finishing the year with just over 3,000 miles.
AJW on his way to finishing the 2025 Cocodona 250 Mile. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Opportunities and Challenges
At the end of 2023, while recovering from the aforementioned hip surgeries, I left my 34-year career in education to embark on a new career engrossed in the world of running. At the time, I was hoping to cobble together a living through coaching, writing, podcasting, and working part-time in a local running shop. As luck would have it, at the end of 2024, I was offered a full-time job managing the Sole Sports Tempe running shop, and have been doing so for just under a year. I’m also continuing with my coaching, podcasting, and writing. While this certainly was not part of the long-term plan, I am grateful to everyone who has supported me in these new endeavors over the past year. It’s been both incredibly challenging and justifiably rewarding.
Community
Any of us who have been around the trail running and ultrarunning world for any period of time understands the strong sense of community that the sport engenders. Here in Arizona, the trail running community is particularly vibrant, thanks in part to the incredible work of Aravaipa Running, as well as a handful of other, lesser-known leaders in the community. The people I have met and the relationships I have forged are some of the most meaningful in my life. Additionally, my work in the writing and podcasting space has allowed me to expand my community worldwide, and I am so incredibly grateful for all the people who support my work here at iRunFar and with my podcast, Crack a Brew with AJW.
The author at mile seven of the 2024 Mogollon Monster 42k. Photo: Aravaipa Running
With all of this gratitude, it is a wonder to think of what may lie ahead between now and Thanksgiving in 2026. What I do know is I look forward to another year of running pain-free, enjoying the opportunities of writing, podcasting, and coaching, and continuing to embrace the community that makes our sport so uniquely special.
Bottoms up!
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s Beer of the Week comes from Alewerks Brewing Company in Williamsburg, Virginia. Pumpkin Latte is a delicious spiced amber ale brewed with rich coffee. On first blush, it literally tastes like pumpkin pie in a bottle. It is slightly sweet with a touch of caramel and has a deep, rich hue that goes great with any of your Thanksgiving specialties.
Call for Comments
- What are you thankful for in the past year?
- How has running enriched your life in the past 12 months?
