Author Description

Though first bitten by the running bug as an antsy twelve-year-old, it was only in his mid-fifties that Ben Wiley's "second running career," flourished on the unpredictable terrain and abundant soils of his home state of Arkansas ("The Natural State.") As he tackles the popular Arkansas Grand Prix, a series of races spread across the state ranging from a mile to a marathon, Ben discovers much more than the associated health benefits of running-he finds redemption for past disappointments and validation for successes he didn't always feel worthy of. Growing An Arkansas Runner offers a senior runner's straightforward and approachable take on the act of running-from mental preparation to good sportsmanship-that an aspiring or beginning runner can embrace on their own journey to that (sometimes) elusive, "runner's high."