Tim Wills - The Ultra Mile: The Joy, Freedom, and Opportunities of Running

The Freedom of Running

The Definition of Run

W ould you believe me if I told you the word run will soon officially have the most meanings of any word in the dictionary? The Oxford English Dictionary will recognize run as having a total of 645 meanings. It occurred to me that if one word has so many meanings, perhaps it couldnt hurt for it to have one more. This isnt a random fact but something that brings a peculiar memory to mind. This story is ironic, to say the least, and dates back to my elementary-school years.

I was in an after-school care program, and had to complete homework before going outside to play with the other kids. I vividly remember lying to my teacher, telling him I had finished my homework for his permission to head outside. I gambled he wouldnt ask for verification, but he did and I lost. Not having my homework completed brought me a light punishment for dishonesty, and I was forced to handwrite the definition of run, as he explained it was one of the longest definitions in the dictionary. This moment was a brief glimpse of the lifestyle I would come to love, the very one that would become so engrained within me.

The irony lies in the fact that roughly thirty years later, this publication contains my unique meaning or definition of run . I cannot see what is more fitting for a running book than what this very word means to me. So, I write this book to describe the many miles run on foot. Each step taken and every mile run has sculpted my character into who Ive become. In a very bizarre way, I continue to write the definition of run and exactly what that word means to me.

What Defines a Runner?

There are many definitions and meanings of the word run, so its perfectly understandable to ask what defines a runner. Luckily for everyone, myself included, there isnt distinct criteria that defines a runner. It can be as subjective and unique as the number of runners that exist. It isnt a specific distance, or even a distinct pace, that classifies someone as a runner. It is more a self-declaration that you are a runner when you intrinsically agree with the statement. Whether you want to complete your first official race, or you occasionally go for a casual jog, its your call on when you consider yourself a runner.

To this day, I can recollect defining moments when I began to view myself as a runner. My wife, Catherine, who was my girlfriend at the time, was training for the Miami Half-Marathon with her friends and a local running club. She invited me to join her one Saturday morning, and mentioned they were running seven miles that day. I thought to myself, Ive never run seven miles before . I agreed, although I dont remember how obvious my reluctance was. In any case, we showed up to run with her group of friends. That didnt go quite as planned, at least not for me.

I had researched on the Internet that, when it came to running long distances, it was recommended that I run slowly . Well I didnt want to screw that up, so I ran slowly and wasnt able to keep up with my girlfriend or her friends or anyone in the group for that matter. After a long and painful seven miles, I strolled back to the group dead last. Everyone was enjoying refreshments and rehydrating. I could hear the groups chatter and laughter. I had struggled to return at all. The run was challenging and, as the miles went on, I began to doubt that I could complete it entirely. Nonetheless, I made it, regardless of how bad I looked when I strolled up to reunite with the group.

I began running a few times per week on my own and meeting up with the group on Saturdays for a long run. The end of January rolled around and we all met at the starting line of the Miami Half-Marathon. Catherine and I ran together, and I will never forget how joyous it was to cross that finish line. When we finished that race, I remember specifically stating that next year I wanted to run the full marathon. I had absolutely no clue how to train for one, and didnt know much at all about running for that matter. However, I was determined from that point forward. More than ten years have passed since that first official finish, and I have not missed a Miami Marathon or Half Marathon since. Aside from that, I am still on a quest to see just what is the furthest distance I can possibly run.

What defines me as a runner today is different than my initial recollections and defining moments. My desire to grow with the sport of running persists. Its evolution from how it began to what it has become goes well beyond initial expectations. Running has found its way deep within me. The sport quickly shifted from an initial interest to more of a long-lasting lifestyle.

The Lifestyle of Running

The sport of running hasnt ever been a hobby of mine or a means of maintaining my fitness levels. It literally became my lifestyle, and it happened as quickly as I can remember. Just as someone whose lifestyle includes traveling the world might ask themselves, Where do I want to travel next? that is what it is like for me as a runner. Each and every year I plan what races I am going to run, devise a training plan, and get to work. Excitement stems not only from the previous goals accomplished, but the thoughts of setting new ones and continuing to develop as a runner. I train roughly four to six months for a race, and follow that with a break for recuperation purposes. That break may be weeks or it may be a month. I allot myself time for mental and physical recovery, and then repeat the process of training.