2019-02-06 - Running sucks.

Monday had me feeling tired and low after a long but rewarding Super Bowl Sunday, a day that started with a 4:30 a.m. alarm to help put on the Super 5K and ended with me on the couch, late in the evening, toasting Tom Brady and the Patriots. I headed out on my run into a very gray, 45ºF day with an icy rain on muddy, shoe-sucking, flooded trails. I got in what was, for me, 5 very tough miles.

On days like these, it takes what seems like a super human effort to drag ourselves out the door. But we head out anyway, knowing that we have chosen a difficult and extreme sport, in fact, a sport that is considered punishment in other sports. We get it, actually. It's the reason we run. I left the house in a bit of a depressed funk and returned feeling heroic. Yes, a hero only to myself, but a powerful lift in my spirits, more than any drug could match.
 
May we get out the door forever,
 
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who knows that running sucks, and that's fine by me.

P.S.: Shake off your own gray, 45ºF funk by setting a spring goal! The Martian Invasion of Races presented by Blue Care Network will inspire you to dream of your finish line moment, or that COSMIC GLITTER finisher's medal, as you head out the door each day. Commit, train, SUCCEED in the 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, 26K Combo or Full Marathon... you can even recruit your favorite young runners for the Kids' Marathon!

2019-01-31 - Sneak in some miles

After a couple of days of YIKES weather, It looks like we're in for a bit of a break this weekend.  I always say, run smart but don't let the weather get in the way of your run, dress for it and adjust the distance or course to make it safe. That said, when the weather, the schedule, or anything that makes the run go well is in your favor, sneak in some extra miles. Not only will you be adding some miles to the log you might have lost to bad days, but a bit of longer run, especially in winter, does wonders for our mood and self-esteem. The power of a good run can leave us with a smile that can lingers for days! Now for a shameless plug, how about joining us at the Super 5K on Sunday morning in Novi with predicted temps in the high 40's! Not only will you get a Super Pint glass and medal that will prove you earned your spot on the couch during the game, you also get a warm running beanie! Perhaps get in a mile warm up and a cool down to sneak in those precious extra miles!
 
When the going is good, keep going!
 
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who understands the old farmer who makes hay while the sun shines, but also gets the point of, when going through hell, keep on going!

P.S.: Time to start thinking about your spring goals! Put our favorite spring tradition on your calendar, Trail Marathon Weekend! This Michigan classic is now in its 33rd year! Join us April 27th and 28th in Pinckney, MI for 5 Miles, 13.1 Miles, 26.2 Miles or 50K! Wooden medals to all finishers and cozy patch beanies to all entrants!

2019-01-24 - Champions are made in winter

Outdoor winter running leaves us with incredible strength and balance. The heavy clothing and varied footing play into developing the ancillary muscles of the body that keep us from injury. These wicked runs will give us the armor we need to fight our way back to the higher mileage runs as the world thaws. The mental toughness needed to get out into the cold will give us the confidence to survive anything the spring long runs and races throw our way.  Bring it on! No matter how tough it gets out there, we will be tougher!

Run against the wind, then with it,                   
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, heading out with traction on my shoes and my gloved middle finger pointed at the weather!

P.S.: HUT, HUT! Join us before the big game on Sunday, February 3rd in Novi, MI as we gather in a game day atmosphere before dashing out to run or walk 3.1 miles at the SUPER 5K! Beanies to all entrants, medals and pint glasses to all finishers... AND YOU SHOULD SEE THE POST RACE SPREAD!

P.S.: Time to start thinking about your spring goals! There are 100 days until our favorite spring tradition - Trail Marathon Weekend! This Michigan classic is now in its 33rd year! Join us April 27th and 28th in Pinckney, MI for 5 Miles, 13.1 Miles, 26.2 Miles or 50K! Wooden medals to all finishers and cozy patch beanies to all entrants!

2019-01-17 - The off season for running

January, as I've said, is a time to not run too long or too hard. It's a time to get out the door consistently so we will be ready to ramp up as winter wanes. Throw in a fun winter road trip like heading to Traverse City for the Bigfoot Snowshoe race on Saturday, January 26th, when the hotel rates are low and the wine tasting lines are short. Snowshoe running is a bit more work than running... but there is no learning curve! You get to log 5K or 10K no matter how long it takes to stumble around to the finish line! Get in on this FUN day in the woods. Follow that up with the Super 5K, another chance to run easy and fun but still snag the finisher medal and glass to show you've earned your spot on the couch for the big game! End your fun off season with a pre-St. Patrick's Day celebration 5K or 1K at the Shamrocks and Shenanigans in Ann Arbor on March 10th. After that, no more Mr. Nice Guy! Time to ramp it up for spring and take our running and our goals to the next level.

for now, run, have fun, so we will be ready,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who for now, is happy to run for fun.

P.S.: Time to start thinking about your spring goals! There are 100 days until our favorite spring tradition - Trail Marathon Weekend! This Michigan classic is now in its 33rd year! Join us April 27th and 28th in Pinckney, MI for 5 Miles, 13.1 Miles, 26.2 Miles or 50K! Wooden medals to all finishers and cozy patch beanies to all entrants!

2019-01-10 - Fat to 50 miles

The resolutions are in full swing and as you know... I'm a fan! My son in law has certainly jumped right past the couch to 5K program and signed up for the 50 Mile Ultra at Run Woodstock. He calls his goal, from fat to 50 miles. I Love it! Yes, joining a family like mine that has gone ALL IN on the running gig was sure to have influenced his plan and commitment. That said, I believe many of us would benefit from committing to a goal that would turn our so called "normal life" on it's head. Consider signing up to run farther than you could possibly imagine running. Only after you commit and start your journey will you find that your self-imposed limits were nonsense and that you are truly amazing.
 
Get out the door and start your personal journey,
 
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who knows it's never too late to go all in.

P.S.: Time to sit down with the 2019 RF Events calendar and make those crazy goals! We've got distances from 1 Mile to 100 miles and it is NEVER too late to try the perceived "impossible!" Check it out HERE, start making your list... and get your butt out the door!

P.S.: Speaking of the Run Woodstock 50 Mile... consider joining us in 2019 for 3 days of peace, music and running. Set your soles free on the trails of Pinckney, MI from September 6-8th and try a 5 Mile, Half Marathon, Full Marathon, 50K, 50 Mile, 100K or 100 Mile! There are still a handful of campsites left so snag one before they're gone and make a whole weekend of it.

2019-01-03 - Be Prepared... to Run!

On the winter run, it's not unusual for the temp to start off at 20 degrees, go up to a sunny 40, then get cloudy, windy and down to 15, all in the same hour... yikes! A lightweight, great-fitting running backpack can be our thermostat, taking stuff off, stashing it, and pulling it back out when needed. Having extra warm clothes in winter can give us a sense of security, especially if something happens and we have to stop or walk. Pack like a Boy Scout; include your phone, T.P., GU or sport bars, water, cash, snow traction devices and whatever else will give you the confidence to head out the door!

You are a self-sufficient athlete off on an adventure, dig it!
 
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who likes to be prepared. Happy New Year!

P.S.: Time to sit down with the 2019 RF Events calendar and plan your year! We've got distances from 1 Mile to 100 miles and there are so many amazing venues and trails to be visited! Check it out HERE, start making your list... and checking it twice! The more you run, the more you'll earn! Our Run More, Earn More program gives you back $20 for every $150 you spend on race entries... just sayin'!

P.S.: Shake up your winter fitness with a Northern Michigan adventure! Join us on January 26 for a romp through the woods at Bigfoot Showshoe Race 5K & 10K in Traverse City. Beginners and serious 'shoers welcome! The deadline to add lightweight hoodie and/or cozy beanie during registration is January 7!

2018-12-20 - Realistic Resolutions

It's still a couple weeks off but NOW is the time to commit to some New Year's resolutions. Yes, people fail at resolutions all the time but then again, many make changes that stick. I'm a believer in realistic tweaks, working to be a better version of ourselves. As for running, an example would be to start a new streak, committing to never run less than 3 days a week. This would be a good commitment for the runner who already runs 3 to 4 days but blows off a week now and then without an acceptable excuse (there are no acceptable excuses! Ha.) After, let's say... 6 months of not missing 3 days, a week has started bad and you have 3 days left and will need to run all 3. The streak you have going will be powerful motivation to make it happen. Getting the 3 runs in will raise your self-esteem and will motivate you get in your runs early so this does not happen again. Picture this streak going on for 3 years and imagine the power of it! This is one idea for a streak, perhaps it could be minimum miles for the daily run or minimum miles for the week, whatever seems realistic and motivational to you. Consider small tweaks in other areas of life like your charitable giving, reductions in bad habits, thoughtfulness to friends or skills you have wanted to learn but have procrastinated on.

Give it some thought on today's run. When you get back, write down your list, pick the most realistic ones and ... Commit!

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runners who has made many successful tweaks over the years, and yes, has failed at times. That said, I consider not trying as a total failure.

PS: Time to sit down with the 2019 RF Events Calendar and plan your year! We've got distances from 1 Mile to 100 miles and there are so many amazing venues and trails to be visited! Check it out HERE, start making your list... and checking it twice! The more you run, the more you'll earn! Our Run More, Earn More program gives you back $20 for every $150 you spend on race entries... just sayin'!

2018-12-12 - Short run absolution

As far as daylight hours, the next couple weeks will be the hardest to deal with, giving us about 8 measly hours of light. The winter solstice starts on the 21st but the reality is the sun kind of stalls for a couple weeks on either side of solstice before we inch into the longer days. Even as an obsessed runner I believe the short days give us absolution for short runs! In two months, say Feb 12th, we'll have about an hour and a half more light than today, 20% more light, deserving of a 20% increase in weekly mileage, I'll up that another 25% by March 12th as the sun starts to do its job! More new math BS? Perhaps, but an excuse for a plan none the less!
 
Run short, sweet and perhaps in the dark, but get out there and run!

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who just looked into why the daily average temperature drops after the shortest day of the year, the start of winter, something that seemed to make no sense to me. It seems the earth's thermal mass takes a while to cool down after summer. I'll be darned ... And cold.

PS: Time to sit down with the 2019 RF Events calendar and plan your year! We've got distances from 1 Mile to 100 miles and there are so many amazing venues and trails to be visited! Check it out HERE, start making your list... and checking it twice!

2018-2-05 - I will run outside!

Yep, it's winter, the real deal. Between the weather and the busy holiday season it takes serious commitment to get out that door. Repeat after me, " I can run outside consistently this winter, I will run outside consistently!" OK, we are committed! This is not to say you will not put in a few treadmill miles if that's part of your jam, but that you will get out that door at least a couple times a week. One of the aspects of the run that makes it fulfilling is that it gets us outside. Our run gives us a chance to escape from our man-made caves and away from the air that we re-breathe with each other, and into the natural wonderful world. Perhaps it will be a morning run into the sunrise with the light crunch of snow underfoot and the self-generated steam of our breath twisting about, or a run anytime of the day or night when we get the chance to be out to feel the weather on our face that slaps us awake and lets us know we are fully alive and living life in full color.

Dig it!

We will run outside,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who is rooting for you!

PS: HO, HO, GO! Last chance for the lowest price on the Holiday Hustle! Register by NOON tomorrow! Naughty or nice, walker or runner, come breathe in the December night air, burn a few holiday calories and give back to others! The Holiday Hustle on December 8, 2018 is a festive dash around Dexter that will get you in the holiday spirit. Knit beanies to all entrants and medals to all finishers. REGISTER NOW!

2018-11-28 - Your run is under attack

The big holiday guns are firing with full force: work parties, family gatherings, shopping that needs to get done, decorating to do and the last minute invitations to lunch and dinner coming in like drone attacks! It's time to dig into our arsenal of secret weapons. Break out the headlamps, reflective vest, flashlight and once the last person in the house is asleep, flee into the night and use up one of those 3 mile runs ... the shower may sound suspicious, shhhhhh. Have your running gear at hand at all times and keep an eye out for the opportunity to escape at a moment's notice! At the next holiday gathering, you'll  know you have won the war when we see that you are the one who is relaxed, refreshed, smiling and patient in the frantic, party crowd, showing no wounds. And they will wonder how you did it... Ha!

Run, party and smile,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who is OK with seeing a lot of single digit mile runs this month!

PS: HO, HO, GO! Naughty or nice, walker or runner, come breathe in the December night air, burn a few holiday calories and give back to others! The Holiday Hustle on December 8, 2018 is a festive dash around Dexter that will get you in the holiday spirit. Knit beanies to all entrants and medals to all finishers. REGISTER NOW!

PS: 2019 is near! Get a jump on planning your running year by checking out the RF Events 2019 Calendar! Open events include: Bigfoot Snowshoe Race - Traverse City, MI - January 26, Super 5K - Novi, MI - February 3, Shamrocks & Shenanigans - Ann Arbor, MI - March 10 Martian Invasion of Races - Dearborn, MI - April 13, and Run Woodstock - Pinckney, MI - September 6, 7 & 8... and keep those eyes peeled for more races opening soon!