March 3, 2025
Greetings from beyond the miles,
Some years ago, I was asked speak to a group of runners, a large collection of experienced trainers, gathered together to learn and share strategies about helping others achieve more. When I chose what message to share that day, I had no idea it would become something else, evolve into a conversation that had been bubbling up inside me. It was a remarkable day, one that stayed with me.
I realized recently that I needed to tap into some of the ideas from that experience. Which made me think I might not be alone in this need, and so it brings me to write to you. Here I will offer six ideas to consider before you step into your day and deal with whatever waits for you.
Don’t judge the run by the first mile.
Whether it is a quick training run or a 100-mile ultramarathon, it helps to remember that a lot can change in the time in front of you. You loosen up, you get a second wind, you meet a friend, the anxiety passes. Maybe you feel stiff or tired in the first mile or two, but it isn’t a firm predictor of what’s coming. And then, almost magically, you are a different runner, fluid and powerful.
Just because you spill coffee on your shirt on the way to work doesn’t translate to chaos ahead. Your first month at school, or your new job, isn’t now the template for the rest of your experience. You get to create that path. What you see in the beginning is just the beginning, and the potential is far greater than the initial step. Be patient, because the possibilities are vast.
I’ll pair this with another nugget that has helped me enormously. Never underestimate the day.
Trust your training.
Everything you have done to prepare for this day, whatever it holds, is going to show up in some way. For runners it is piling up miles, eating, resting, stretching and a hundred disciplines that make running possible. These things matter, you earn them, and when you acknowledge that truth it makes you more powerful.
All you have experienced is now contributing to what you are today. You have done the work, prepared, sacrificed, created strategy, and learned from your mistakes. You are smart, resilient, adaptable, and the proof is in the stack of days that brought you to this one. When you think about it, you really are pretty spectacular. Maybe unstoppable.
We are better together.
Running is a singular effort, whether a casual workout or competing for hardware. But what I have seen countless times is a remarkable connection between strangers, sometimes only for moments, that can change the dynamic of the run.
Don’t take it for granted. When we are isolated, when we are lonely, it is easier to feel lost, to give in when the hard things come. We need each other, for ideas for strength for laughter and love, and we are at our best when we are there for other people.
Run the mile you’re in.
When things get tough in a marathon it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by what has happened and what might happen. Maybe you got off to a slow start, or maybe the enormity of what is yet to be done suddenly hits you. You can’t change the miles you’ve already run, and the miles to come are still in the potential. All that you can have any effect on is this mile, the one you’re in. In fact, start by focusing on the next mailbox, or the next corner, or maybe your next breath. It is surprising how this simple thing can settle you.
It's easy advice to ignore. Be in this moment, in this experience, don’t get all twisted in what led to now, or worry about what is ahead. Don’t be intimidated by the challenge of eternity when your real task is to deal with this moment. Take the step right in front of you.
Choose the voice to listen to.
Maybe I’m the only one this happens to, but in every important experience I’ve had, it’s been up to me to decide what conversation I will have with myself. The quality of the outcome depends on which dialogue I accept. I might listen to one voice that tells me what is possible, what to reach for, or I may choose another, the one that limits me, that complains and compares and makes excuses and gives up.
Just being aware that there is a choice is a beginning. Our self-talk goes on all the time, and if we are intentional about which voice we listen to, it can lead us to a more satisfying life, even with the trials we face. In long distance running, when the body begins to suffer, to give signs it wants to quit, the voices become most distinct. Sometimes choosing the one that believes in you makes all the difference.
Celebrate every victory.
Not just the personal records, not just the fastest mile or the longest race, but all that you make happen in your day. Even the smallest achievement can lead to something meaningful and lasting, so all of it is worth noting and smiling about.
Most runners thrive on feedback from the clock and the spectators and their peers, but there is also an ongoing celebration that really matters. The amazing thing about being a runner is that it peels back a lot of the distractions of life and presents you with reasons to celebrate being alive, in almost every breath. We are all miracles, and too often we ignore that truth.
These are just some of the ideas that have stayed with me from that magical day, now almost six years ago, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have them within reach. I have been thinking about the spinning melee of the world, and my own little challenges, and frankly I needed to have a little talk with myself. And you. Oh, and there’s one more thing I told my running friends that day:
There is no finish line.
For me, running is not an event or a medal or a time, it is a way of living. It asks of me things I might not have otherwise considered. The results have not always been pretty or comfortable, but they have been fulfilling, and they have given me the courage to do more, to try more. One of the most powerful lessons I carry from running a marathon is: “If I can do this, what else might I do?”
The human experience is marked with many milestones and achievements, and we should celebrate them. But keep in mind, our purpose is not only to accomplish things, but to build rich, satisfying lives, filled with chances to express our best selves. Life is not limited to a race or a season or a decade.
Crossing the finish line is a momentary thing, and as precious as it is, it is as fleeting. It is a moment of tangible excellence, certainly worth experiencing, but as my friend George once said: “Excellence is not something attained and put in a trophy case. It is not sought after, achieved and, thereafter, a steady state. It is a momentary phenomenon, a rare conjunction of body, mind, and spirit at one's peak. Should I come to that peak I cannot stay there. I must start each day at the bottom and climb to the top. And then beyond that peak to another and yet another.”
Hope this finds you running your life,
David
Copyright © 2025 David Smith
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