Running the Chicago Marathon with Big Shoulders

Return Trip on the Half Marathon

Time helps ease the pain, or at least forget the pain.

My first encounter with this Greek tradition called the marathon was the Music City Marathon in Nashville back in April of 2004. It kicked my butt and didn’t even remember my name. That is why I prefer to stick to half that distance like the Cayman Islands Half Marathon.

Fast forward to 2015. A solid 11 years to forget what it’s like to run 26.2 miles.

My CIS colleague Robyn Lynn suckered me with a nice innocent smile and the offer to run a race with her. What race you might ask yourself. Well, it’s none other than the Chicago Marathon.

On a predicted brisk Chicago morning, I am going to repeat the thrill of running a marathon with 45,000 of my closest running friends.

Let’s step back a bit. Before I do anything in life, like brushing my teeth, going the bathroom, applying for a credit card, purchasing life insurance, I check in with the boss of the house.

1st Cayman Islands Marathon

When I asked the omnipotent wife Nadine about the race, she quickly retorted, “Yeah, you should do it, because you’re a grump when you don’t exercise. Also, you should run for a charity!”  

I figured it was time that I start thinking of others.  

I found the Big Shoulders Fund on the Chicago Marathon website.  “The mission of the Big Shoulders Fund is to provide support to the Catholic schools who serve the poor and disadvantaged in the neediest parts of inner-city Chicago.”  

Three friends of mine had worked with Big Shoulders Fund schools. I asked my University of Tulsa and Christian Brothers friends Morgan, Susan, and Rene, who also live in Chicago, if they had had any experience with the organization.  They said it was a great organization that did indeed help the Catholic schools of inner-city Chicago. I was sold.  

So, I am hoping to raise funds through my training and running of the Chicago Marathon, Cayman Islands Half Marathon, and the Mercuryman Triathlon to help support great people doing great work in Chicago. If you would like to support this in any way, donations can be made at https://bigshouldersfund.ejoinme.org/42917.  

For every person that makes a donation, I will send you a postcard from the Cayman Islands. Unless of course, you live there, and I will buy you a beer or a glass of wine.

So please help me raise money for the Big Shoulders Fund.

Also, if you would like to follow my progress during the Chicago Marathon, you can go Runner Tracking and type in bib number 6945.

Many thanks, John White

Source: John White’s Fundraising Campaign for Big Shoulders Fund

Chicago Marathon Training for Big Shoulders Fund