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One Runner's Story You've thought about it. Maybe you've even gotten to see the incredible excitement of The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon as nearly 40,000 runners wind their way through the Windy City's neighborhoods. It's an astonishing thing to watch. And if you weren't careful, it may have sparked something inside you, something that said, "Maybe... maybe I could do that." What moves a person from the list of dreamers to the list of doers? The answer to that question is as individual as we are. But one thing is certain. From the first uncertain strides, the first day out for a half-mile or 2 mile or 5 mile run, that spark grows. Consider how I began. In the late 1990s, I was into my forties and a whopping 265+ lbs. All through my youth and young adulthood, weight had never been an issue. On top of that, it turned out that my previously good cholesterol and healthy heart rate had worsened shockingly. A doctor, exasperated with me openly, snapped that "You ought to walk." Now maybe that wasn't nice, but it was effective. Chastised, I surprised both him and myself by beginning to do just that. First one mile, then 3, and by the time six months had passed, I was walking five miles a day and losing weight at a rapid clip. Then, one day on the Chicago Lakefront Bike Path where I walked, I suddenly had an overwhelming urge to begin running. I was dressed in blue jeans and a warm shirt, hardly the right gear for it, but off I went. Running turned out to be just like walking had been. Running a mile was a big deal to me at the beginning. But soon, a mile was no big deal at all. I was running three, then four miles, and that was doable. I still remember the first time I ran five miles -- some sort of switch was thrown in my head at that point. "How far could I run?" I wondered. About that time, The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon had been run. And my son, Trevor Wiitala (also a TeamCCO member this year!) began talking about wanting to run it the next year. His obsession caught fire in me as well. But still... 26.2 miles! That is sooooooo far! And I am far past my prime as an athlete, not quite a "geezer" yet but certainly not in the bloom of youth. My next target was ten miles. And all alone, one day in the late fall, I ran from Wilson Avenue to Michigan Avenue and back. Ten miles. I was absolutely elated. I went back to the doctor. My cholesterol had fallen off the edge -- it was more than good, it was great! And my heart rate had improved tremendously as well. Eventually I lost over EIGHTY pounds! My next goal was to run 14 miles -- the same distance my family drove between our childhood Montana farm and the small town of Fort Benton where we went to school. (A strange, but personally motivating, goal.) Again, I was able to run it. Now the marathon idea seemed serious. I actually understood that I was capable of running it. I looked up veteran marathoner and trainer Hal Higdon online. Unlike many, he seemed determined to offer much of his counsel free of charge to all comers. I promptly downloaded his "Intermediate I " training plan and began working toward a small spring marathon. In May of 2004, I ran my first marathon. And in the fall of that same year, I ran The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. I wasn't one of the fast runners -- in fact, I ran in over four and a half hours both times. But I was overjoyed. I had done something special, something one might even call beautiful. And I had regained a sense of health, regained a feeling that my body was mine instead of an alien object. This experience leads me to think that if I can run a marathon, anyone can. And what better motivator to start running than helping others in their distress? As a Christian, and as someone involved in a full-time community dedicated to serving the poor, I started TeamCCO as a way for my friends and I who run to add one more layer -- an other-centered layer -- of meaning to our pursuit. I'd like to also invite you to join us. Please do email me if you'd like more information about running the race set before us. (Delete the "REMOVETHIS" from the address when your email program's compose window opens.) Sincerely, (If you'd like to know more about me, see
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