Obsessed Runner Blog
2018-04-04 - Running is an extreme sport
Yesterday, as I headed onto the trails in a freezing drizzle, after making a decision to run hard and short to stay warm rather than the longer miles I planned on getting in, I was again struck by how hard our sport really is. We are not the proverbial average Americans, we are tough as nails dedicated athletes. Sure, we do it at different levels of discipline, but even getting out 3 days a week for a few miles is hard work. Running is as extreme as sports gets. We continue to fight the good fight because we know that at the end of every run, we are glad we did it and it is always worth it. Our extreme sport gives us back far more than we put into it, every time. Our run not only improves our mental and physical health, but prepares us to take on the adversities of a complicated world. Bring it on!
Run into this crap head on,
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who is proud of all of you!
P.S. - BEER! Do I have your attention? Join us on Friday night, May 11, 2018 in Detroit, MI for the Hightail to Ale 5K, a keg party with a 5K warmup! What better way to celebrate being a running warrior all winter than with a PARTY... and BEER!
P.S. - WINE! Are you sensing a theme here? Join us as we hit the rolling back roads in Jackson, MI on August 18, 2018 for Running Between the Vines. This high class 5K, 5 Mile and Half Marathon will take you to a finish in the vineyards that includes, music, cheese and chocolate paired perfectly with... WINE!
2018-03-28 - A runback to 1918
I was reminded again what a wonderful adventure it is to find a new trail or historic neighborhood to run in when our Martian Invasion of Races team met last night in Dearborn. I arrived with time to get in an hour of running and found my way on the trails behind the Fair Lane Manor, the home of Henry Ford and Clara from 1915 until their deaths in 1947 and 1950. As I ran around stone gazebos, gardens and ponds on the sprawling estate, I imagined the Fords walking these same paths behind their new home, perhaps a hundred years ago to the day, on a similarly cold, bright spring afternoon.
Never stop exploring on the run. Great finds will keep getting us out the door!
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner looking over a satellite map of Dearborn to see just where the heck I ran.
P.S. - Speaking of great finds, join me for the Martian Invasion of Races on April 14, 2018 to explore the streets and neighborhoods of Dearborn, MI! Try 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, 26K, Full Marathon or Kids' Marathon!
P.S. - BEAT THE PRICE INCREASE! Join us as we hit the rolling back roads in Jackson, MI on August 18, 2018 for Running Between the Vines. This high class 5K, 5 Mile and Half Marathon will take you to a finish in the vineyards that includes, music, cheese and chocolate paired perfectly with... WINE! Prices go up at 11:59PM on March 31st, REGISTER NOW!
There are no bad runs
Some running days are diamonds, others, not so much. I've run marathons where the miles seemed effortless and the final miles were my fastest. I've also headed out for runs that were a herculean effort from the start, each mile requiring me to use every mental and physical tool in the book to keep from walking, or for that matter, quitting altogether. The fast marathon looks good in the result listing and the satisfaction of doing a lot of things right, and things going right is for sure rewarding. On the flip side, that miserable run I gutted through gave me a good look at what I am made of, who I am and who I might be. I felt more deserving of a medal at the end of that slow, miserable run than at many of the finish lines I've crossed. I'm no saying I hope for more tough runs but I am saying BRING IT ON! I've been there and know I am ready for the good fight.
Every run is an adventure, every run is a gift,
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who understands there really aren't any bad runs
P.S. - Join me for the Martian Invasion of Races on April 14, 2018 in Dearborn, MI! Try 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, 26K, Full Marathon or Kids' Marathon!
P.S. - Registration is NOW OPEN for the OBERUN 5K in Ypsilanti, MI on Friday night, July 20, 2018. We can't think of a better way to celebrate summer than a 5K dash to a Bell's Beer Garden serving up cold Oberon! Pair this summer favorite with a bottle opener finisher's medal, a finisher's pint glass, a sweet shirt and we'll even throw in a night of yard games to top it all off!