When I decided to get my health and fitness in order, I took up running because it was the easiest way to make a change – easier than improving my diet, that is. Since then, I’ve come a long way, and one group in Springfield has helped me achieve something I thought impossible.
The Half Wits X2 running group is a diverse collection of local runners who get together every Saturday morning starting in January to train for the Lincoln Memorial Half Marathon (April 3, 2010) and the Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon. When I ran with them last year, the group was known as the Springfield Halfwits, focused solely on the Lincoln half. The horizon has since broadened, and the new addition is being greeted with much enthusiasm at the Half Wits’ new blog. Check it out at http://spfldhwx2.blogspot.com/.
The full marathon training starts Jan. 2 with an eight-mile jaunt, while the half marathon training starts Jan. 16 with five miles. Both runs will likely begin at the customary time of 7 a.m.
 If you’re interested in group running around Springfield, check out the Half Wits’ sponsor organization, the Springfield Road Runners Club. You’ll never meet a more inviting and encouraging group of weekend athletes.
Merry Christmas, IT readers!
This article appears in Dec 17-23, 2009.
