By Lewis W. Diuguid, The Kansas City Star, Mo. Sep. 13--INDIANAPOLIS -- Some early-bird colleagues implored m|e to give up my morning ritual of coffee with a newspaper to join them on an inaugural fitness challenge.

Aug. 16--A passer-by at the park notices the group of exercisers in a circle on the scorched grass, shirts soaked with sweat, hammering out another set of sit-ups. She has to ask: "Don't they see the shade over there?" See it? They lust after it.