I run because life is survived one mile at a time...

Life is not for the faint of heart. It's rife with hills, valleys, and bumps in the road. It's a journey of epic proportions any way you slice it.

Sometimes, I wonder how I've made it this far. I still have a long way to go. This journey is so long.

There are heartbreaks looming on the horizon. Fortunately, there are moments of bliss and ecstasy out there as well. Thinking about how much is left to be done can be overwhelming.

I don't know how I'm going to pull it all off. My heart races thinking of all that lies ahead. I wonder if I'm tough enough to finish.

Some call life a marathon. But, life is much more than 26.2 miles. There is no set number of miles one covers in life.

The finish line is rarely visible. It lurks in the shadows waiting to end things for us. We have no real say in when or how things end in this race.

The only way I know how to approach life is the same way I approach conquering 26.2 miles. I don't think of the entirety of the distance. It's too much.

I simply focus on the mile that is immediately in front of me. I knock it off and move on to the next one. The miles add up.

Each mile conquered is a victory. Each mile left behind is a reminder that I can endure another one. The miles accumulate.

Fatigue sets in. Muscles ache. The mind starts to ruminate on the enormity of the task. I quickly exorcise these thoughts and get back to the rule of one.

Run the mile in front of you. Just complete one. Then, complete another.

Stay present. Stay in the moment. What is directly in front of you is where your focus needs to be. What lies beyond will be dealt with when it arrives.

I can't see what lies ahead, so there's little point in sweating it. I take a deep breath, exhale, and tackle what is in front of me. Nothing I have encountered thus far has stopped me. I can handle the next mile.

Slowly, but surely, the journey becomes less daunting. It's a journey that can only be completed one mile at a time. It's the only way to survive it.

I run because life is survived one mile at a time...