Smile, or You're Doing it Wrong

A Journey from Rock Bottom to Redemption

Ultrarunner Andy Glaze has spent years moving through landscapes that test the limits of the human body—hundred-mile races, multi-day marathons, mountains and deserts that demanded everything. But the toughest endurance challenge Andy faced wasn’t found in any of those miles, it was in rebuilding a life shattered by addiction, institutional abuse, and a childhood full of chaos. This is the unfiltered story of how a kid fell hard but got back up even harder.

From a wilderness rehab program where kids hiked for days without food, to a “therapeutic” boarding school run by predators, Glaze survived places that were meant to break people. But this isn’t just a story about the wreckage. It’s about what comes after.

Firefighting. Fatherhood. Finding peace on trails where every step hurts like hell but heals something deeper. Because the difference between a life ruled by fear and a life guided by possibility comes down to one simple act: taking the first step.

This memoir is about endurance in its rawest form: the endurance to keep moving forward even when it feels impossible, to rebuild a life one step at a time, and to discover that sometimes the only way through the darkness is to keep going—and smile, or you’re doing it wrong.

©2025 Andrew Glaze (P)2025 Andrew Glaze

Raw and Inspiring

Awesome life story and lessons on commitment and driving to become better. Smile or you’re doing it wrong.

Amazing journey!

Loved hearing what Andy prevailed through on his journey to becoming an ultra runner … so many good life nuggets …

The raw realness and honest truth

Andy you have truly inspired me. I was a former college athlete and my life took a downward spiral after an injury. I got up to 450 pounds and was scared I was going to die and no be around for my kids. Your content and this book are one of the things that keep me putting in miles. Keep smiling

Incredible story

Inspirational, raw, and relatable. As an Ultrarunner myself, I was captivated by Andy’s story and found myself actually understanding my own journey into ultra on a whole different level. I liked him before but after hearing his story I had a whole new appreciation and respect.

Inspiring!!

I could relate to so much of what he was saying in the book about how movement is medicine. I was smiling throughout to hear someone say similar things I’ve felt, and it was great to hear honesty about hard topics .