Obsessed Runner Blog
2014-01-22 - Sign Up and Run
All we need is to squeak through January with some minimum amount of running and we'll be ready to start what I call "the running season" next month. We have one last shot at a winter race where fun is the goal and time and place take a back seat. Join me Sunday, February 2 and take on the Super 5K in Novi before watching the Broncos take on the Sea Hawks. Like a Turkey Trot, The Super Bowl 5K is a big party run before a day of tailgate food and a well deserved spot on the couch. The 5K finisher's pint glass can be put immediately to use! We have a big heated indoor space to stay warm before and to hustle into after. Invite your non-wimp friends and enter at runsuperbowl.com. Did I mention an amazing finisher's medal? Don't want to run? We are still looking for volunteers! HUT, HUT, VOLUNTEER!
Planning out your event year will keep you motivated and on track. Entering an event and signing on the bottom line is a contract to yourself, you are committing to train and will be ready when race day arrives. Notice how I repeat the important stuff! And yes, I suggest the events put on by Running Fit because the passion our crew has for running is directed into every detail of what we do. We understand your commitment to training and that you have put your trust in us by putting down your, hard to come by, discretionary dollars, to enter our events and shop in our stores and we aim to deliver. See runningfit.com/calendar.
Commit, train, and succeed,
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner ... Who admits to just squeaking by with the minimal mileage I need to get to February!
PS: There is a distance for everyone at The Martian Invasion of races lands in Dearborn, MI on April 14th, offering 5K, 10K, 13.1 and 26.2 and a great expo, it's the perfect target for all of us! Commit now at martianmarathon.com!
PS: Join us Tuesday January 28 at Running Fit Northille for a Lecture series from Extreme Ultramarathoner Dr. Taner Damci as he shares his experiences racing around the globe. RSVP here
2013-11-13 - You are a Runner!
On Sunday I spent a couple hours shopping at Running Fit. It's a busy life and even though I'm surrounded by the store most days, the time it takes to browse, shop and relax needs to be put on the schedule to get to it. As I listened to the banter on the floor between the customers and staff I heard some wonderful accounts by new runners describing the feelings experienced when they realize that they really, are a runner! A common theme: "I worked up to running a mile and it was no fun and a lot of work, I finally ran 2 miles without walking and collapsed thinking my goal of running a 5K would never happen. I've kept at it and yesterday I actually ran 4 miles! Now running a mile no longer scares me, it's nothing! I am so excited to line up for the 5K and I deserve good shoes!" The moral of the story, if you need inspiration, just hang out in a running store and listen!
Back to shopping ... My Smartwool socks have treated me well but a few holey pairs need to go, I grab 4 new pairs of the same style and color as before, why mess with success. And although I think of myself as being a bit of shoe hound, the reality is that my current stash does not include a pair with under 150 miles on them, I guess it's a good sign ... I grab a pair of Brooks Cascadias for the trails and a pair of my current go to road shoe: the Mizuno Elixir ... that I find has changed names and lost some weight, it's now the Wave Sayonara. Actually, I kind of like when a shoe I like has an update, it makes me feel adventurous and not the creature of habit, that in reality, I may be. Lastly, I grab a 30 split Timex watch ... to replace the 2nd one I've lost this year. I leave the store excited, inspired and ... ready to run ... but first I needed to find my car keys ...
You'll never forget the moment you realize, you are a runner!
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner ... who remembers my first 2 mile run and the feeling of excitement for the sport, one that continues to grow after all these years.
2013-11-20 - Run, because you can
Run, because you can - Novenber 20, 2013
I am a fan of the line: "this is not a dress rehearsal." Every day is precious and what really makes this true is that this very day might be our last. Yes, we may be training for a goal event, saving money for some future purchase or working on some elaborate long term project ... But this stuff all depends on what tomorrow brings. We know that it's important that we take time each day and live in the moment, it takes effort, but the effort is always rewarded.
Our run fits this live in the moment requirement pretty well. That said, no matter how passionate we are about our daily run, it still takes an effort to leave all those projects behind and get ourselves out the door each day. When we finish our run, we realize how important the run was to our lives and we are always happy we ran. So why in the heck don't we have that same feeling and realization as we contemplate getting out for our run? We do get out the door and we do run ... but not often is it easy. This continues to baffle me, but it is what it is.
Get out and run,
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner ... who still needs a reminder of why.