Hap Cawood’s The Miler: How the
Track Shaped
One Youth’s Life

By Tom Fort

JJ decided he wanted to run the half and the mile for his Harlan, KY high school. Small problem, Harlan didn’t have a track team. Nevertheless, the football coach said that he could enter JJ in the District meet and, if he qualified, the Regional and State meets. So JJ became the Harlan track team.

The Miler is the tale of JJ’s adventures through his youth and high school, the music and culture of the ’50s in small town, rural America before integration. JJ worked out mostly by himself. However, sometimes he ran with the local colored team who also used Harlan’s track. They were mostly sprinters so JJ developed some speed to go with his endurance.

JJ recounts the adventures that he and his buddies had--their loves won and loves lost--as they advanced through grade school and high school. The author includes diary entries by JJ’s sister, Sarah, at the end of most chapters, which gives readers another view of the story.

JJ recounts his vision of a Cherokee runner he sees in the hills around Harlan. Miss Mira, the dance teacher, has also seen the Cherokee in her visions. Later on, readers learn more about the Cherokee who carried the mail by running between the small towns around Harlan.

JJ enters the District meet his junior year. You’ll have to read the book to see how he did. The most engrossing part of the book is the recounting of his races. Once the races began, I couldn’t put the book down. “The mind locks into the rhythm, fixed ahead, legs wheeling the ground beneath into a blur, power moving out and pain moving in against the high of the chase.”

During the summer, Miss Mira offers to coach JJ for his senior year. Miss Mira brings focus, visualization, internalization, concentration, and a lot of hard work to JJ’s training; not to mention her healing hands.

Again, JJ is entered in the District meet his senior year and you will have to read the book to see how he did. For more samples of the author’s words go to www.TheMiler.com.

The book is available from Amazon.com.