2014-04-09 - D.N.F.
The hardest part of our sport is not running, especially when we are forced with the choice when a pain comes up during a run on one of these glorious spring days, or harder yet, during a race. The acronym DNF may stand for "Did Not Finish" but when we make the hard choice it becomes "Did Nothing Stupid". Many of us have ran into or through pain to finish what we planned, only to miss days, weeks or even months of the daily run, our daily bread, due to injury, dang. The choice to stop is always brutal, to stop feels like wimping out and brings with it the feeling of failure, especially when we find ourselves back out on the roads and running, pain free and healthy the next day or in just a few days, But the choice to run into pain is rarely a good choice, one that most likely will leave us feeling stupid, bull headed and full of guilt for what often feels like an eternity.
I bring this up as many of us are toeing the line in the early spring races after a brutal winter, a winter where we did not get in the training we had planned to have got in up to this point, and with goals in our heads that are not based in reality. For those of you who make the hard choice to "Do Nothing Stupid", do it knowing I will be proud of you!
May you make the right choice,
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, who knows there is a good chance I will have some hard choices this spring.
PS: Some hopeful news, if pain strikes, there are some great new medical products on the shelves at Running Fit, from foam rollers and compression sleeves to specific products for your specific pain, all kinds of cool stuff that can get you back out there training much sooner than without them. Even more importantly, Running Fit has a staff of passionate runners who can, unfortunately for them, understand your pain but fortunately for you, will direct you to the right product and explain how to use it!
PS: The Martian Invasion of Races takes place on Planet Earth, April 12th, join the Running Fit crew for a morning of personal fulfillment, volunteer opportunities are still available here.
2014-04-03 - Your Run IS Your Own
Written on the Temple of Apollo are the words, "Know yourself, so you may live the life peculiar to you, the one and only life you were born to live." I have a yoga DVD by Brian Kest where he states, "There are no health benefits to being stronger than someone else, we all have different life experiences, different bodies, different minds, how can we compare? ... Don't be dominated by ego, find something that is tangible ... "
Running is wonderfully personal, it allows us to spend quality time with ourselves and discover who we are. We alone know the effort we are putting into our runs and when the pace is easy or hard. Our personal records really are personal, they come from the bodies we were born with and the way we choose to train them. Yes, we can read and listen to coaches and others about how to train but it comes down to what works for us and feels right, and fits into our complicated lives. When we follow our own path and accomplish our personal goals, it means more to us than any outside praise ever could. If your goal is to run a 5k in 36 minutes and youi meet that goal, the personal pride you get may show in your radiant smile. The first place runner in the same 5K may have ran 15 minutes but was hoping to run 14, perhaps happy to win and smiling, but not a smile as bright as yours ... but who is comparing!
Your run is your own,
Randy Step, and admitted obsessed runner, who just finished the Ann Arbor Half Marathon in the middle of the pack ... and based on how life and running has been lately, on top of the world!
PS: The Martian Invasion of Races takes place on Planet Earth, April 12th. Join the Running Fit crew for a morning of personal fulfillment as you reach your early season goal in either the 5K, 10K , half marathon or full! Enter at martianmarathon.com. For a different feeling of fulfillment, volunteer opportunities are also available here.
PS: What's New at Running Fit?
Spring Apparel is rolling in and we have a couple of smaller boutique brands that we think our customers will love!
Tasc- All natural, chemical free Bamboo fibers offer an alternative to traditional performance apparel. Check out why they use Bamboo here
Lija- An exclusive ladies only line of tanks, shirts,skirts, jackets, and capris. These pieces are fashion forward with high performance features.They were recently featured in "Women's Fitness Magazine." Learn more
Lija and Tasc currently available at Running Fit locations in West Bloomfield, Northville, Downtown Traverse City, and Ann Arbor on Washtenaw.