Obsessed Runner Blog
2023.01.04 - The run defined
Like so many things that defy definition … The run is like a good friend, a lover, perhaps an alluring temptress, for sure it is just as vexing. Some days, our run can be elegant, and our form together is graceful, a moving work of art, pretty cool. We may hurt financially but the run can be opulent, luxurious, priceless, dare I say, out of our league, and something the sedentary world would envy, ha! Some runs are luminous, like a fine performance, hard to describe and only for us to experience. And of course, runs are addictive, always brining us back for more. Like a hot date, the run can be incorrigible, the temptress I mentioned, out of our control and unmanageable, but we put the hammer down and follow, straight to hell if that’s where we are lead, suckers ... Unlike much of life, our run can be capricious, impulsive, unpredictable, and spontaneous, we head out without forethought or planning and the next think we know is we are miles from home, following a new trail with no sense of direction, time, or anything sensible, dig it! Some runs are vibrant, coursing with energy that we feed on. This seems to happen on days we head out thinking we are in for a painful slog, and instead, find ourselves unstoppable! Some runs are just plain unworldly, ethereal, giving us glimpses of something beyond, or, a line I love, above the astral plane … And this happens just because we got our butt out the door? Woah! What are we sitting here for???
And just to think, the run chose us! Don’t say no!
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, and after writing this, I am again reminded why! That said, did you notice I did not mention, that some days the run just sucks?
2022.12.28 - Cold Miles Count Double
The weather has been challenging to say the least. Single digit temps along with blowing and drifting snow turn the run into an expedition. After donning what will soon be a wet, full load of laundry, I headed out to see how far I would make it. The roads have become trails and the effort just to move forward seems heroic. For sure these miles should count double, perhaps they could make a double effort, double your miles feature for the running apps? I didn’t run far, but got out there. That said, it is a million percent better to get in a short run than none. An interesting thought, we pretty much wear the same shoes and socks no matter how hot or cold it is, I guess our feet are more like wild animals compared to our other body parts. That said, I have been putting handwarmers on top my feet, taping them down, then sliding into my shoes. Yes, I know they make toe warmers but the bulk box of handwarmers was cheap!
Always an adventure, always worth the effort,
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, who messaged my running friend on Christmas to say I was going to chicken out on the run and ride the Peloton, she said she was going to chicken out and drink mimosas!
2022.12.21 - Run Dirt
We live in a world that separates us from the earth, the dirt. Make 2023 the year to get back to the land and set your soul free. I have running friends who avoid the trails. They either worry about tripping on uneven ground or that they run road races only and feel they should train on roads. At times I feel like a fuller brush Christian as I preach the trail message.
When running or walking along playfully like Peter Rabbit, we develop the ancillary muscles that go underdeveloped when running or walking on a flat surface with a narrow range of muscles going through the exact range of motion over and over. This often leads to overuse injuries because once tired, our body goes to these ancillary muscles to keep stable, and for the road runner, they may not be there. Trails increase our proprioception, that is, our body's ability to sense its location, its movement, it allows us to take that next step without thinking where to place our foot. Use it or loose it. Trail running not only teaches the mind and body to flow over rough terrain, it helps us flow through life with a grace and efficiency that is often taken away by an aging, overly careful, or sedentary life.
Flow wild and free forever!
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed trail runner who along with the Dirt Crew at RF Events, has created a year long calendar of trail events to escape the man-made world for bit. We will run, walk, hike and frolic together in nature! Check out The GOAT Trail Series that kicks off with Trail Weekend!