Miles for Milestones (The Friday Ficks S5 E44)

Dr. George Sheehan, the legendary runner and writer, once said, “Not to yield says it all. The enduring, the surviving, does not stop with age. We may even grow more skillful at it as the years pass. So do not envy youth.”

I thought of those words last week when I hit a milestone of my own - eligibility for Social Security. That’s a polite way of saying I turned 62. Instead of hosting a pity party, I decided to celebrate the way endurance geeks usually celebrate - by going long.

So, I rode 62 miles. One mile for every year I’ve been fortunate enough to be alive.

It was a glorious New England fall morning to ride, the kind that makes you grateful to be vertical and outside.

Each mile represented a milestone on my journey - moments of joy and loss, triumph and gratitude. Mile 17: off to college. Mile 24: passed the bar. Mile 30: married. Mile 31: first marathon. Miles 36 and 41: daughters born. Mile 45: lost my dad. Mile 50: lost my mom. Mile 57: pivoted from lawyering.

And mile 62? The strongest one yet.

Stronger because I refused to yield.

Stronger because I rode just 14 weeks after hip replacement surgery.

Stronger because life, like any long ride, has its peaks and valleys - and the only way to reach the finish is to keep pedaling.

As Kenny Chesney sings, “What good is livin’ a life you’ve been given if all you do is stand in one place?”

Don’t stand in one place. And don’t envy youth. Celebrate your own miles and milestones - and keep moving forward.

Own the day. Own the weekend.

Carl