BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) – If you’ve been contemplating a return to a life of fitness, but just can’t seem to get moving, consider yourself out of excuses. Meet three guys who have overcome obstacles few of us have confronted. All three are running in the March 30 Bakersfield Marathon, in different distance divisions.  Jim Miller is an experienced marathoner, but he is running in the shortest race, the six-kilometer event. James Sproul is running in the 13-mile event, the half-marathon.  Javier Cruz is running the full 26.2 mile race – the 105th marathon of his life. They’re all about fitness, perseverance, camaraderie and community. “I want to live a long time,” said Cruz. “Not only that, I want to motivate others.” He seems to get as much out of talking about running as the running itself. “I run for pleasure,” Cruz said. “I don’t run because I have to. I’m very happy and I'm very at peace.” He has overcome much. At the age of 6 his lower body was crushed by a boulder and the doctor told his mother he would not walk again. He checked that box long ago.  Two years ago, he lost a kidney to cancer. “But that didn’t stop me,” he said. “I still came back 25 days later and I ran that Bakersfield half marathon.” With staples in his side? “With staples in my side,” Cruz confirmed. Dr. James Sproul, a semi-retired physician, also knows something about running with some missing parts. “I’m running with one leg and so I have a blade,” Sproul said. “And that helps.” His lower right leg was amputated 20 years ago; it had failed to heal after he suffered a freak impaction fracture. Four years ago, the Challenged Athletes Foundation helped him purchase his blade prosthetic, an aid that is neither cheap nor covered by insurance. “My daughter was preparing for a  marathon, the Rock ‘n’ Roll in San Diego,” Sproul said, “and she kept bugging me, saying, ‘Dad, you know, you like to run. Get a running blade.’ And it took about four months of bugging me, and finally I did.” Now he exhibits some of the same Piped Piper qualities as Cruz. “Get up and do it,” he said. “You can do it. Let’s run together. Start out slow.” Jim Miller, who has run in seven marathons, is saving himself for a 100-mile race in Santa Barbara County in May – so he’ll stick with the Bakersfield 6k on March 30. He too is missing a part – his thyroid gland, taken by cancer eight years ago. “I had never run, (not) since high school,” Miller said. “And then I found I could not go to the mailbox and back. I’d have to rest when I got to the mailbox because of the cancer. And so then I made a deal with God. If I could get my health back, I’d run. And so that’s how it started. I’m afraid if I stop running God's gonna call those cards in, so I just keep on running.” All three men agree: One of the best aspects of their dedication to running is its social and meditative aspects. “Running has got me friends from around the world,” Miller said, “and mentally it is phenomenal. If I have business issues that are bothering me, I solve them while I’m running.” And you thought distance running was all about sweating and fighting off cramps. Well, there’s some of that too. But it’s unanimous among those three guys: it’s all worth it. ...read more read less