Run the Mile You’re In by Ryan Hall {review}

“I’m not saying that the big decisions shouldn’t be carefully considered, but I’ve learned that we also shouldn’t dismiss the small ones because these decisions can subtly change the trajectory of our lives.”
Ryan Hall, Run the Mile You’re In – page 15

Run the Mile You’re In: Finding God in Every Step by Ryan Hall is a story about running while staying grounded in God, chasing your dreams but trusting God with the process, and growing in faith and character one failure or success at a time. In twenty-six short chapters, Hall tells his story from his beginning as a thirteen year old kid wanting to run around a lake, to the end of his running career. It’s an inspiring journey that Hall uses to point out how God was leading him forward each step of the way.

This book is not just for runners. As a runner I was inspired by his perseverance and just plain interested in some of the details of his running history and achievements. But I’m not fast enough to consider that kind of commitment. I see this book as being useful and relatable for any christian with a proclivity for high-achieving, big goals, or a determination to succeed. Hall’s felt relatable from a christian perspective in general, but especially from the perspective of a driven, goal-oriented christian trying to juggle achievements, failure and successes in a faith-filled but day to day way. It’s about following God and how God is present in our lives, whether we are runners or not.

Because God is there in all our frustrations, achievements, or plain boring days. It’s never a simple story of finding or just waking up to the fact. It’s series after series of dailiness, living, and just taking the next step in faith.

Here are a few quotes I underlined while I was reading:

“I believe that He wants to show us what we were created for more than we want to find it, so He is going to reveal to us that purpose. Our job is simply to watch for it and act on it.” p21
“Once we cease to be impressed by the size of our challenges, our ability to overcome them grows exponentially.” p27
In regards to Philippians 4:8 – “I find it interesting to note what is excluded from Paul’s comments. He doesn’t tell us to dwell on the criticisms of peers. He doesn’t tell us to dwell on all he things that are going wrong in our lives. He doesn’t encourage us to beat ourselves up over what we imagine others think of us. Reading Paul’s words encourages me to pull my mind away from all the chatter and negativity around me and set my mind on good, true, and hope-filled things.” p48
“This stronghold of the burden to perform well took a long time to be broken. It wasn’t broken until I understood that in reality, I had already won, not because of anything I had done but because of what Jesus had already done for me.” p216
“I like to imagine how Jesus would have competed in athletics, and this is what I am most struck by: He would be free. Yes, I also believe He would be able to push Himself harder than anyone ever has, but He wouldn’t push Himself because He had to. He would push Himself because He was so motivated by His love for us and His love for the Father. Because He lacks nothing, He would be free to risk everything.” p217