Arlington Heights woman loses 171 pounds on her journey to Chicago Marathon

Michele Malo had to get to work for an important morning meeting, but as she struggled to get out of bed, her back went out.

At 310 pounds and only 28 years old, Malo had to crawl to the bathroom and call her boss.

“Not because I was sick. I basically had to call in heavy because my back went out from carrying so much weight,” Malo said. “Not only was I horrified and embarrassed, but I couldn't believe what I had done to myself.”

Fifteen years later, the Arlington Heights woman has completely changed her life, her career and her health as she gets ready to join 40,000 other runners for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday. The only thing Malo is missing is the 171 pounds she lost on her journey to the starting line.

Not long after that early morning wake-up call, Malo decided to have gastric bypass surgery.

”I had to do something to save my own life,” she says.

While the surgery helped take the weight off, inconsistent eating and exercise habits paired with a busy life working as a corporate marketing executive in the food industry led to about 85 pounds slowly creeping back on over the years.

“Five pounds here, 10 pounds there. Anyone who says surgery is an easy way out is wrong,” Malo said.

That's when Malo decided to give running a try.

Her first 5K race was during Frontier Days in Arlington Heights about 10 years ago. She was the last to cross the finish line, in a time of about an hour and 10 minutes.

“I was the one in the back with the sweep vehicle. But all I knew was I wanted to finish it,” she said.

That's the same attitude Malo has about the 26.2 miles she will run Sunday.

“I will be upright and smiling when I cross the finish line, and that's all that matters,” she said.

She doesn't mind that she will be in the last group at the start of the marathon on Sunday.

“I don't worry about time, but that I'm doing it and I'm lapping everybody who is on the couch,” she said.

It has been a long road just to get to the starting line for Malo, who had signed up for the Chicago Marathon three times in the past.

The first time was soon after her surgery when she still weighed 310 pounds. She underestimated the difficulty of training and its impact on her knees.

The second time, work and life got in the way of the rigorous training it takes to get ready for a marathon. The third time was last year, when Malo was ready to race, but tore her knee in four places during a fun run.

“Of course I had to sign up again. This is my elusive unicorn,” she said. She already wears a necklace with the number 26.2 around her neck to symbolize her goal. “I'm going to do this.”

Malo does her training runs at Busse Woods in Elk Grove Village, or in Chicago with Chicago Endurance Sports. She also attends CrossFit classes.

“I feel like it's taken a village to get me to the start line,” she said. “It truly is a journey.”

When she finally crosses the finish line, no matter how long it takes, Malo expects to share an emotional moment surrounded by her husband and friends who have been cheering for her all along.

“Then I'll have a well-earned beer,” she laughed.

After crossing the marathon off her to-do list, Malo won't be slowing down anytime soon. She hopes to continue lifting weights, complete 50 half marathons in 50 states and maybe do a half Ironman triathlon.

And she hopes to keep growing her personal training business, which she started five years ago after leaving the corporate world to pursue her passion for health full-time.

Positive attitude is a big part of her success, and something that radiates from her new running shoes up to her purple-tinted curly hair, restrained during runs by a headband that reads, “Yes, you can.”

“The more I run, the bigger my hair gets,” she said.

Last week, Malo added a strand of hot pink to her hair because she is running the marathon to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation in honor of her grandmother, a breast cancer survivor, and a close friend who recently lost her battle with the disease.

Malo said if her 28-year-old self could see her now, she wouldn't believe it.

“I only thought I would be running if someone was chasing me, no joke,” she said. “This whole running thing blows my mind a little bit. I'm actually very proud of myself and that's something that's hard for me to say.”

Back then Malo could barely walk a block without being out of breath and feeling a burning pain in her knees.

“I just thought this is how my life is going to be,” she said. “But this is proof that it doesn't have to be that way. You can do it, I can do it.”

At 43, Malo said she is the happiest and strongest she's ever been, but she still keeps her size 28 pants as a reminder of where she once was.

“Not just the physical, but the mental of how I felt. I felt like I wasn't worthy and nobody should ever feel that way,” Malo said. “The best advice I would give to folks is don't ever give up.”