A LONG TIME AGO-BEFORE HE'D FREEBASED OPIOIDS or robbed his best friend or checked himself into rehab for the sixth time Ammons had dreams of a future involving running.
Ammons can only shrug when asked to pinpoint the lowest point in a life filled with them. He spent a decade careening along the rock bottom, mired in what he now calls "the worst possible self-hate."
Mitch Ammons knows his story could have ended like the stories of so many buddies from his darkest years with an obituary. Instead, the longtime addict changed course in a manner that is, without hyperbole, beyond belief.
It's tough to fully grasp the scale of this turnaround until you see Ammons run-to see him metronomically cruise 4:50 miles for more than an hour or to watch him push himself to the brink of consciousness in an interval session at sunrise. Then you can absorb the way he embraces suffering-relishing the revelation of what his body can do while immersing himself in pain that must feel like a cosmic body rub compared to waking up every morning in opiate withdrawal.
People who love to run know that the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other can yield life-changing consequences. It doesn't matter if you're running toward something or from something the activity can bring you redemption and community and purpose and confidence and inner peace. It can strengthen your quads and your mental resolve.
Mitch Ammons knows these things with more clarity than most of us will ever experience. Seven years ago, he was a newbie jogger who'd not run hard since the 11th grade. He couldn't trot a half mile without collapsing. And before that, he spent a decade drowning in a sea of toxicity-smoking, injecting, drinking, popping, and otherwise ingest>ing every controlled substance you can think of and quite likely a couple more than that.
Denne historien er fra Issue 02, 2024-utgaven av Runner's World US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra Issue 02, 2024-utgaven av Runner's World US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
TO RUN 26.2 IS TO FEEL ALIVE
THE SUN IS rising from the east, and the waves of the Pacific crash below to the west.
LEAVE IT UP TO A PIECE OF PAPER TO TEACH YOU TO RUN EASY
BEFORE I FELL for running, I thought the hardest thing about the sport was the fast stuff: the speedwork, the sprints, and the intervals.
FIND YOUR RUNNING COMMUNITY, ONLINE OR IN PERSON
I SIGNED UP for my first marathon while sobbing in the back of a rideshare, on my way to the airport to fly to my uncle's funeral.
AT THE FERTILITY CLINIC, MY PAST CAUGHT UP WITH ME
I SAT IN the fertility doctor's office white walls, bare wooden desk, opaque window-alone.
A RUNNER'S GUIDE to sleep
Nike rocked the running world in 2018 when it released the Vaporfly 4%, claiming that the shoe could boost a runner's efficiency by that amount.
Twenty-One Years Ago, He Incarcerated Was for Life. Last Year, He Ran the NYC Marathon a Radically Changed Man.
Rahsaan Thomas rounded a corner.
CAN YOUR GARMIN WATCH REPLACE A COACH?
Artificial Intelligence continues to rapidly creep into seemingly every facet of our daily lives. While no amount of computer learning will ever be able to do the actual running for you, there are aspects, like coaching, where AI could have a meaningful impact. In every debate about Al, the conversation almost always includes this question: Is it better than what humans can accomplish? In the case of running, would Coach AI be better than, say, Ed Eyestone, a two-time Olympian and coach of Conner Mantz and Clayton Young, the top two men at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February?
HOW TO (NOT) COMPETE WITH YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER
Our first race together was a 5K Color Run. I'm not sure why we signed up, because neither of us was a runner, but in May 2016, my boyfriend of three years, Jonathan, and I showed up to run around the parking lot at Citi Field. It was fun, but I didn't think it would amount to anything.
THIS KITCHEN GADGET IS AN UNHERALDED TRAINING TOOL
Not only would the rice cooker help me meal-prep and pile on the carbs, but it was a badge of honor, a commitment to serious training.
REASONS TO RACE BEYOND CHASING A TIME GOAL
It's the determination, joy, and pride I see shine on everyone-a unique light that seems to illuminate most when running races-that brings more meaning to the miles.
