Just a few years again, when my spouse Shelly and I drove out to Arizona from our earlier residence in Pennsylvania to begin our new lives within the desert, I assumed it might be our final transfer for an extended whereas. In any case, Shelly had an amazing distant job with Bucknell College, I used to be settling right into a second profession in running-related pursuits, and each of us actually get pleasure from Arizona as a house.
I developed an incredible working group within the space and obtained to take part in lots of memorable occasions, together with the 2025 Cocodona 250 Mile, the low-key 2025 Circle of Hell Run, a number of editions of the Hotfoot Hamster timed occasion, and the 2024 Javelina 100 Mile. However alas, as has been the case so many occasions in our lives, we now have as soon as once more discovered that there are not any certain issues in life. We’re on the transfer once more.
AJW heading into Sedona, Arizona, at mile 162 on the third day of 2025 Cocodona 250 Mile. Pictures: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Final week, after a comparatively fast interview course of, Shelly began a brand new job as Director of Scholarship Presents at Oregon State College in Corvallis, Oregon, and consequently, we are actually within the technique of shifting there. Shifting is nothing new to us, as my three-decade profession in training has led us to relocate a number of occasions from Arizona, California, Idaho, Virginia, Arkansas, and Pennsylvania. Moreover, a transfer to Oregon will not be altogether stunning, because the state is acquainted to us. Shelly’s mom and brother reside there, as does our youngest son, Tully. Nonetheless, packing up and leaving a spot, particularly a spot one loves a lot, will not be straightforward.
Residence Is The place We Run
Through the years, the stress and pressure of shifting have been tempered by means of working. In every place we’ve moved, working has allowed me to regulate to my environment and discover a residence in a brand new place, even whereas eager for the outdated one. The teachings discovered alongside the best way have given me the power and expertise to adapt — each to life and working — in methods I could not have carried out in any other case.
AJW having fun with his 500-meter laps on the 2024 Hotfoot Hamster. Picture courtesy of Andy Jones-Wilkins.
In California, the expansive rolling hills of the East Bay and the hovering redwoods within the trails above Oakland gave me perspective and confirmed me how really large the world is. Surviving the chilly, darkish winters of Idaho hardened my resolve and gave me an opportunity to withstand difficult situations with hope quite than frustration. In Virginia, the traditional, stately Appalachian Mountains supplied me with a day by day reminder of how quick life really is and the way necessary it’s to savor every single day. And whereas right here in Arizona, working within the sizzling, dry Sonoran Desert served to simplify my life and allowed me to attempt to get pleasure from each second.
As I sit on the precipice of this subsequent transfer to Oregon, I have no idea what classes are ready for me on the market within the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Whereas I do know the working group is vibrant and the forested trails are plentiful, the unknown and thriller of a brand new place is concurrently thrilling and nerve-racking. What I do know is that there’ll come a day after I lastly settle into my new life in Corvallis, when I’ll get up within the predawn mild, lace up my trainers, and head out for a run. Whereas working, I’ll remember to open myself as much as all my new residence has to supply and let working by means of area do what it has all the time carried out by offering me sustenance and revelation, in addition to a lesson or two from which I can proceed to develop and evolve as a runner and as an individual.
AJW working the nighttime part of the 2024 Javelina 100 Mile. Picture courtesy of Andy Jones-Wilkins.
Bottoms up!
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s Beer of the Week comes from Dust Highway Brewing in Philomath, Oregon. MX-Type Vienna Lager is a singular Vienna lager brewed in a Mexican fashion. Crisp and barely candy, MX-Type blends the most effective of each worlds to provide a splendidly refreshing and drinkable beer to be loved nearly any time.
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