Monday August 16, 2004

Every so often on this journey, people pat me on the back and say something like, "Wow, you're an amazing person. You must be in such great shape and have such tremendous will power," et cetera, et cetera.

Well, naturally, I agree with them. But - my response is usually something like "It's not such a big deal." That makes me sound humble.

Today I met Essi Garrett, a woman who makes my "20 miles a day walk" seem like a stroll through an English tea garden. Essie runs 35 miles a day - yes, that's 35 miles a day! - on a month long pilgrimage from Denver to Chicago.

It's one of Essie's annual long-distance runs for various charities. Essie and her companion, Clinton, usually sleep by the roadside and eat whatever they can grab. It makes Travis and I feel like we're in the lap of luxury because we sleep in beds and even eat out sometimes.

Essie is on the road at 3 am and keeps at it till she's reached her goal - no matter how long it takes. Oh, did I mention she injured (twisted) her leg, so she's on crutches?

Essie will end her trip in the Windy City at the Oprah Show. I don't know when it will run, but if you get a chance, tune in because what Essie's doing really is a big deal!

And, by the way, she's quite a person, too. I'll write about her this week.

[You can find out more about Essie at her website: EssieRun.org]

The following is courtesy: news9.com Denver CO

"Colorado runner Essie Garrett is setting out again on a long, hard journey to make a difference. Garrett, now 60, left the state capitol in Denver Tuesday morning for a month long, 1,079 mile run to Chicago.

This time, she's running to raise money and awareness for the Colorado Aids Project, the Emily Griffith Opportunity School and the Sacred Heart House.

She explained why she's doing it. "Because I don't have millions of dollars to give, running is the best way to raise money and awareness for these charities," Garrett said. "Running is the easy part. It's the kids that are my inspiration."

Garrett is a member of the Colorado Sportswoman Hall of Fame, and over the last 25 years, she's run over 23,000 miles and raised millions of dollars for charities. Her journey will take her through 50 cities and she'll average about 35 miles a day. Garrett hopes to be in the audience of the Oprah Winfrey show at the conclusion of her journey on September 10th."