October 1, 2008 - Fall, time to reap the benefits of the years training!

Yo Run Gang,

Fall, time to reap the benefits of the years training and crank in a fall race unless you are like me, coming off a summer drought (sidelined by injury). Luckily, I got in a late crop that seems to be coming in nicely (healed and back training!), no personal records this fall, no hay in the barn, but Im hungry for next year, and thats a good thing!

As Ive said in the past, the market might crash or soar but getting out the door for the days miles is one of the rocks you can steady this life on, a recession proof passion. In the lean years, we might not be able to afford to fly to Hawaii to run the marathon but we can lace em up and head out the door for head clearing trip to nirvana, with no $4 per gallon gas needed. A simple sport worth so much more than the sum of its parts, the ultimate investment.

Run with the bulls,
Randy Step, an obsessed runner

" at 57, I had decided to become and athlete. Putting the intensity and involvement that I once felt for the life of a physician into the life of the distance runner My fitness program was never a fitness program. It was a campaign, a revolution, a conversion. I was determined to find myself. And, in the process, found my body and the soul that went with it." Dr. George Sheehan (This Obsessed Runners favorite philosopher)

June 25, 2008 - Don't ya just love it when you find running shoes that love you back?

Yo Run Gang,

I love to get the summer long runs out of the way midweek as weekends tend to be busy. There is something empowering about a stupidly early weekday long run, after which, I go through the day felling mellow and on top of the world, nothing can bother me!

Don't ya just love it when you find running shoes that love you back! Currently, I'm having an affair with my Brooks Cascadia trail shoes; from fit to function, I can't find a negative thing about them. I'm not in the same groove with my road shoes right now and I think that's enforcing the love of the shoes that are working.

If you are a dirt lover, or if you are ready to give a race on the wild side a try, join us at the Legend Trail Run on August 2nd, 2008. 5 or 10 miles billed as kind of a "Grim Crim". The Legend Trail Run at Sleepy Hollow State Park is just north of Lansing, perhaps an hour and a half drive from the Detroit Metro area and well worth the trip. Follow the run up with a splash in the lake and picnic at the beach. Go to runlegend.com and grab a spot! An interesting tidbit, Bobby Crim, past speaker of the house who's name graces the Crim Festival of Races, has ran at the Legend and won his 70 something age group!

Finishing the Big House Big Heart 5K on the field at Michigan Stadium was way cool, far more exciting than I had expected. Join us at The Big House, 12:30 PM on Sunday September 28, 2008. Sign up now and save a few bucks, go to Bighousebigheart.com and commit! (Worlds Longest 5K?) I will once again offer pre race routes to make your total mileage at the event a 10K or Half Marathon; we had a blast doing this last year. On the website, click on "Make it a 10K, or more!". The race day obsessed runner plan will soon be updated for this year.

Get up and run,
Randy Step, and admitted obsessed runner