Purpose
Modern life has made it easy to consume, outsource discovery, isolate, become distracted, and drift from real meaning and purpose.
People are more connected digitally than ever, yet many feel alone, anxious, unhealthy, and disconnected from real relationships. Surrounded by convenience, noise, screens, substances, uncertainty, and endless options, it can be hard to find discipline, purpose, service, community, and health.
Hammer On Run Club exists to fill some of those gaps through the simple vehicle of running and service to self and others.
“Running is the vehicle. Human potential is the mission.”
We are here to build stronger bodies, steadier minds, deeper character, engaged citizens, and a community that shows up for something beyond itself.
We run to strengthen ourselves and each other. We serve to leave things better than they are. We step into new ground to remember that life is still wide, demanding, and worth participating in.
This is why Hammer On Run Club exists.
Why Hammer On exists
“Sometimes you have to become the change you are hoping for.”
I learned that the hard way, late in life.
Nearing my mid-thirties, I found myself rudderless, pre-diabetic, managing a newly diagnosed iron disorder, overcoming a nasty viral eye infection, ending an eight-year relationship, facing back-to-back DUIs and the real possibility of jail time. Not to mention debt collection calls, a shrinking bank account and circle of true friends.
I could feel the rocks pulling me toward the bottom.
Asking for help is still hard for me. Back then, it felt almost impossible. I was looking for anything that might bust me out. Thankfully, I was still doing good work. I still had a steady job. I still had enough ground under me and family around me to take one step forward.
During that downward turn, while working at an ad agency in Memphis, I was fortunate to meet another Mike — a man who had done extraordinary things in endurance, including winning the legendary Badwater 135 in Death Valley.
One thing he did stayed with me: every birthday, he would run his age. At the time, I believe he was 46.
And then the question turned back on me: could I run mine?
That became the ignition switch. His example, along with Can’t Hurt Me, Inner Engineering, and Discipline Equals Freedom, gave me something I badly needed: a challenge, purpose, and proof that I could rebuild myself stronger.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
Proverbs 27:17
On my 39th birthday, my family dropped me off at the Philadelphia Museum of Art — the Rocky steps — and I ran 39 long miles back home. They cheered me in behind a yellow-tape finish line they had put up themselves.
That was the first day I ever ran a marathon. It was also the first day I crossed into ultramarathon distance. Running became my rock. A force multiplier.
Now, approaching 45 and 8 yrs sober, I find myself wiser, healthier, more grounded, stronger, more spiritually connected and more aware of what matters. And in uncertain times, I keep coming back to the same idea: sometimes you have to become the change you wish existed. Anyone can step up, organize, and lead.
Hammer On grew out of that. Running helped me rebuild a stronger more meaningful life. Now I want to build a community where people can strengthen themselves, form meaningful relationships, serve their neighbors, country and community, and continue exploring what is possible.
This club is not about me. I don’t have it all sorted. I’m still learning how to live a meaningful life. IT IS ABOUT what becomes possible when good people show up, do the work, and keep hammering on — together.
Hope to see you out on the trails and have the chance to serve alongside you.
Guiding principles
Simplify
Focus on what matters. Reduce the noise and distraction. Discard what no longer serves. Things can be complex but should not be complicated.
Solution
There will be pain, challenges and setbacks. Suffering is optional. Don't shrink in the face of fear. Don't complain more than you act. Raise your hand when you need it. Get creative and solution.
Endure
Adversity and challenges are part of the hero's path. Life is not a sprint. We build capacity and resolve slowly through dedicated practice, exploring what is beyond and helping others along.
Recover
Rest is not weakness. Recovery is critical part of the work. Proper rest and recover are the differences between success and the sidelines.
Fuel Well
Eat healthy, being mindful of what you put in the tank. Give your body and mind the energy they need to perform and prosper.
Be Present
Don't let the past and future dominate the now. Be genuine, listen and ask thoughtful questions. People remember how you made them feel.
Help Your Neighbor
The work is individual, but the ethic is shared. If you finish early, help someone else finish. Nobody left behind. Move beyond self.
Serve
Grow yourself, build a life. Help others grow, build a community. Support yourself, the person next to you and the community around you.
Step Into New Ground
Break the loop. Try something unfamiliar. Build new memories, new courage, and new proof that life can expand.
Hammer On
Continue showing up. Stay humble. Keep moving forward and keep it positive.