Obsessed Runner Blog
2022.08.10- To run or not to run
To run or not to run, when fighting some kind of cold or sickness, that seems to be the question. My very unscientific thought on this is that if the sickness leaves you feeling as wiped out as if you'd just finished a long run, no matter what the schedule calls for, it's better to give the body a rest. That said, might there be be some value in a short run that has you get your heart rate up a bit, enough to break a sweat but not enough to add to your fatigue? Perhaps getting the metabolism going enough to help move the cold along? That is the route I follow but again, it’s not based in science, just my gut feeling. Then again, if you feel like you’re in a hole, I would think digging the hole deeper will make it harder to crawl out.
Run as smart as you can,
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who obsesses over this kind of dilemma.
2022.07.27 - The Guilty Run
As I’ve mentioned, I write this midweek run mail mostly to myself, addressing the current concerns of my running, hopefully striking a chord with you. So lately, I find myself heading out on my runs with a feeling of guilt. My to do list is endless and with the economy in a bad state, going for a run while the world seems to be burning has me feeling that I’m stepping away from the fire rather than fighting it. I know, I know, skipping the run will cause another kind of guilt that will keep me from attacking the other problems with a clear focus. (Can you guess I went to a Catholic school?) So, the run is not running off and ignoring the fire, the run is more like going to get a hose to put out the fire. The run is my tool, it will bring me closer to the solution to the problem, not and escape. The run will clear my head and give me the focus and energy that I did not have before I headed out that door.
Got a problem, get your butt out the door, problem solved!
Randy Step, an admitted runner who needed that little talk.
2022.7.20 - Don't miss the best runners in the world
The Track and Field World Championships are taking place in Eugene, Oregon as I write this. Eugene is the running capital of the USA, where every track meet at University of Oregon’s Hayward Field is a sellout, season tickets are priceless, and the football team plays a distant second fiddle to running. Got to love Oregon! A highlight, 3 American women placed in the top 10 for the marathon, all running low 2:20’s with Sara Hall leading the way in 5th place overall in 2:22:10. If you have not been following the meet, perhaps check out a replay of a distance event on YouTube to be inspired, like the women’s marathon or the men’s 10K where American Grant Fisher placed 4th in 27:28. As runners, we can relate to the best in the world on some level. What they are doing is what we do, that is, to train, to race, and to challenge ourselves. We are not armchair athletes, we do it, we get it! Enjoy!
Got to remember to respect the heat and humidity, it slapped me around pretty good today. Ouch. Run smarter than me,
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, and a runner, just like you!