Obsessed Runner Blog
2024.06.05- Why we run long
I remember being asked if racing the marathon was healthy. It was hard to admit but I did say, perhaps not for physical health but for so many other reasons. First off, the training and lifestyle is incredibly healthy, then, there is the tremendous psychological value in accomplishing hard to reach goals. This is the good stuff that will sustain us, along with the skills marathon training teaches us, preparing us for so many things in life. As for the race itself being healthy? I’m not talking about just covering 26 miles, but hammer down, max heart rate racing from start to finish. Is it physically healthy to do something that takes weeks to recover from, often having to inch back to the fitness we had when we lined up? I look at it as a risk reward question with physical risks on one side and life changing rewards on the other.
Put the hammer down today!
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, until they throw the dirt on.
2024.05.23 - The run is heating up!
Loving the warm days, diggin’ the heat! I know, I know, there are plenty of you that dread the hot humid runs. Yes, you can’t do much about dressing for heat, nude or close to it at best, and yes, heat comes with some danger and mileage may have to be limited … But dang, as far as the tendons, ligaments and muscles, the kinks smooth out and my range of motion seems unlimited. Not much time needed to loosen up, OK, a bit more time to cool down. I’m fortunate, I usually run near a lake and a post run plunge always adds to the joy.
Run smart, keep to the shade, hydrate, keep those electrolytes in balance, and enjoy the sultry, sweaty, flow, dig it!
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who loves the sights, smells and feel of the air on my sweaty skin on the all too few warm days.
2024.05.08 - Short, but powerful runs
When it comes to sneaking (getting) in a short run, especially in stressful times in life, a little goes a long way. A few minutes of peaceful escape can clear our heads and give us the energy needed to push forward. When it seems impossible to find 20 minutes, and we load ourselves with guilt for even thinking of escaping, this thought pattern should be a trigger for us to find that evacuation door and head out. An emergency run can give us all we need to take on the true emergencies of life. This needed run is anything but selfish. Without it, you may have little to give, and with it, you can give it the all you’ve gained.
Duck and run, now,
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, who as you know, writes this stuff to me, hoping to strike a chord.