Obsessed Runner Blog
2018-07-18 - You can do it anywhere
Baby goat here, jumping in to spout some midweek motivation.
As runners we are blessed with the ability to practice our sport just about anywhere. There are a million excuses out there, but one I'll rarely accept is "I can't get the run in HERE." Tomorrow I have an early flight and a busy day, and I've already planned to get my daily miles in at the airport while I wait to board. Last weekend at work I couldn't leave the area for a while but you better believe I did laps around the parking lot! Deathly afraid of deer flies and afraid to run on the dirt road like I am? Try running laps around your yard or pace the driveway! You can get the miles in ANYWHERE so leave this excuse at the door and get out there... wherever!
Baby Goat, an admittedly not quite as obsessed runner... who rarely uses WHERE as an excuse.
PS - Have you been keeping up with the scoop on the Dances With Dirt Hell Relay in September. Grab 4 friends and enter a 5 person team HERE. I promise you a day of full color, fully alive running in the natural world, a day you will cherish in your memories forever. Yes, you will get your butt kicked running 3 legs of about 4 miles each through pure Hell brought to you by Mother Nature and you will wake the next day licking your wounds with a permanent smile and a feeling of loss, wishing every day could be like DWD day.
PS: Set your SOLE free at Run Woodstock, 3 days of PEACE, MUSIC & TRAIL RUNNING on September 7, 8 & 9, 2018 in Pinckney, MI! If you're planning to run LOOONGGG this September the 100 Mile and 100K races are 90% full so hop off that tie dyed fence! Don't worry, we wont make you go 100... There's a distance and activity for everyone: live music, fun runs, hikes, yoga, tie-dye and more included with your paid race entry or weekend pass.
2018-07-11 - Is our running insane?
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." This quote, that some attribute to Albert Einstein, can be applied to the way many of us runners train for events, or how we run in general. Many of us are creatures of habit, even if they are bad habits. (I use the term "many" because I'm guessing I'm not the only one. J) It's like asking, "Why do I run so slow?" and not making changes to our running that might make us fast. I have the bad habit of running most of my miles around the same pace and often on the same course. Yes, I may up my mileage at times but not often do I change the tempo. That said, many running injuries come from overuse, that is, doing the same thing over and over-not to mention, the same thing over and over may contribute to boredom. Perhaps by looking at our daily run as an experiment, planning a mix of pace, hills and distance, we might not only become faster and less injury prone but we might light a new fire of excitement, too! My plan: hammer every other mile tomorrow. My plan for the next day? I'm not sure but I'm excited to make the plan!
Run off the dust,
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who feels he has nothing to lose, only to gain.
PS: Set your SOLE free at Run Woodstock, 3 days of PEACE, MUSIC & TRAIL RUNNING on September 7, 8 & 9, 2018 in Pinckney, MI! If you're planning to run LOOONGGG this September the 100 Mile and 100K races are 90% full so hop off that tie dyed fence! Don't worry, we wont make you go 100... There's a distance and activity for everyone: live music, fun runs, hikes, yoga, tie-dye and more included with your paid race entry or weekend pass.
2018-07-05 - Hot runs count double!
I admit, I'm obsessed with miles. Miles ran today, total miles for the week, for the year... Yes, a pretty flawed obsession when it comes to getting out there for a brutal 3 miles in hot, humid conditions or a trail run with bad footing and thousands of feet of climb or running into an endless 20MPH headwind. Distance is often the least relevant aspect of a run. But time, distance and speed are all our GPS watches and phone apps track. OK, feet climbed may be in there but the point is that it's hard to put a number on hard work. That said, we personally know the incredible effort we are putting out to get in these wicked miles so it's up to us to give ourselves credit. Let's call the effort we put in for a mile on a great route on a great day the baseline... Then, we go in to our Strava account and we override the numbers without an ounce of guilt! Yep, today's 3 just became 6. Six miles you can be proud of!
Run safe out there,
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed distance runner... Who can determine how long a 3 mile run really is!
PS: Want to run the Chicago Marathon for a great cause? We are huge fans of the ChadTough Foundation, fighting pediatric brain cancer. For a minimum fundraising amount of $1884, you get to help save lives and... get an entry to the Chicago Marathon! Check out the complete info here. If you are already entered in Chicago and want to join the team, there is also info for you!
PS - It is a rare year where several teams have dropped out of the legendary Dances With Dirt Hell Relay in September. Grab 4 friends and enter a 5 person team HERE. I promise you a day of full color, fully alive running in the natural world, a day you will cherish in your memories forever. Yes, you will get your butt kicked running 3 legs of about 4 miles each through pure Hell brought to you by Mother Nature and you will wake the next day licking your wounds with a permanent smile and a feeling of loss, wishing every day could be like DWD day.