Obsessed Runner Blog
2023.08.24 - Lions, tigers, bears and running
I run in Florida where I jump over alligators and swim with sharks. I run trails in Michigan where I often run past snakes on the trail basking in the sun. We all have fears, founded or unfounded, regarding certain creatures we encounter due to our outdoor lifestyle. That said, the most aggressive and common attacks that should make us nervous are from bugs! More people get sick and die from mosquito bites than all other animals combined, not to mention the havoc ticks and other parasites can cause as they are out to suck our blood. Call this a bit of a public service announcement kind of midweek runmail. Use bug spray as religiously as you use sunscreen, it could save your life, yikes!
Run safe, run protected,
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who along with my wife, have fought a couple bug born illnesses this year and I can assure you they suck!
2023.08.09 - I vote to run
Who would have guessed that running could have gotten any better, but in such a divided country, running is amazingly nonpartisan, a breath of fresh air! During a long race, I often start up a conversation with a stranger and we can discuss our goals, our training, our upcoming running plans, and our setbacks without even finding out what way they might lean, or not lean politically. One thing for sure is, that if they lined up and are running the same event and about the same pace as me, we are kindred spirits on a physical, and perhaps a mystical, level. Dig it.
Run left, right, straight, and not so straight, but just make sure you get your butt out there!
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner looking forward to setting my soul free with you all at http://runwoodstock.com/, just a month away! Grab a campsite quick, only 20 mystical spots left above the Astral Plane!
2023.08.03 - Run, run, run
Time-based runs around a loop of 2 to 2.5 miles are gaining popularity again. Events usually offer 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 hour runs. These are especially great for the slower runner or walker who wants to complete, say, the marathon distance, but worry about cut off times, which at most marathons are 6 to 7 hours. By entering a 12-hour event, you can go at your own pace without worry. With a couple mile loop, there is no need to carry anything with you. There is usually one aid station with all kinds of nutrition and beverage choices and you also have the option to set up your own spot on the course with whatever you bring, like a chair, change of shoes, whatever. 12 and 24-hour events offer a great way to go after a personal best for the longest you have ever ran in a day. Loop events become quite social, meeting people at your pace and putting in loops together is the norm, a fun way to accomplish big time goals! RF Events puts on 2 such events, Island Time in May, and the upcoming, Hootenanny Endurance Run 4, 8 and 12 hour event October 21st in Gregory, MI. A great event to set up and camp on the course for the weekend. Join me!
Plan, then do, epic stuff!
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who loves a run that allow me to fit in a nap in the middle of it!