2015-11-04 - Run uninhibited!
Runners are creatures of habit. We often run the same routes at the same pace with the same equipment and often with the same mindset for every run. Habits can add to our consistency but they can also limit our enjoyment of the sport in ways we will never know, until we break out of our comfortable ways. One habit I've broken is running past interesting stuff like great architecture or natural wonders, without stopping to really check them out. I was running every run like a race where the clock never stops, worried about recording my pace per mile or whatever. I now stop, perhaps post to social media or just mentally take in the pearls that now make each run more special and valuable to me. And yes, it sure makes my pace look bad on the run application on my phone and I'm kind of proud of myself for no longer caring ... And understanding that nobody else does either, duh.2015-10-28 - Why run in this crap?
As I look out at this gray, rainy, windy day I realize I'll need to strengthen my resolve to enjoy running through the cold months, especially November, when it is often frigid, wet and blah. How's that for an inspirational start to the midweek? Heading out the door on a day that looks just awful is never easy but once the heart rate steadies and we get in the mantra of our footfalls, the simple beauty of the natural world shines through, from the pattern of rain on the puddles to the wild swirl of wind in the trees, we pound on. The reality is that running is an extreme sport, a tough and challenging sport that never lets up, a sport not for the faint of heart ... And for these same reasons, running is our lifeblood, it gives us self-confidence, we find strength in ourselves we might have missed with a less daunting choice to direct our passion. We become the strong, determined, dedicated people our sport requires us to be, making us the ones who can get things done. Through running, we learn to see past the seemingly impossible problems of the world, making us the ones who might find the solutions that will change the world for the better.
Get out there,
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, who wrote this to get myself out the door today.
PS: Join me in Traverse city on November 14th for what is sure to be a cold and challenging run through the majestic beauty of the north woods. Bring it on. http://runvasa.com/
PS: We at RF Events have planned your 2016 running year so you don't even have to think, just run and enjoy these amazing races. http://rfevents.com/images/2016Calendar.pdf