2012-08-08 - Proud
Yo run gang,
Why do we take our bodies to the limit, to the point that we insult our senses, even to a state of panic? I bet just asking ourselves these questions is cathartic, I'm sure that as we contemplate why, a plethora of responses shakes loose and start to flow ... Passion! Obsession! Nirvana! The chance to feel complete, living life in full color and on the crumbling edge ... Knowing that even a crash won't shake the fulfillment of the moment that we have created for ourselves. Amen.
I ran into my American hero last week, Bob Ranta, pounding out the miles at Island Lake Recreation Area, 80 years young, a great dad, husband, Ironman triathlete and for as long as I've known him, a sober alcoholic, a man who traded up in the obsession game! Bob worked into his 70's so he could afford the toys of his trade, running shoes, fast bikes, wetsuits and race entry fees. God blessed you Bob!
Go USA!
Randy Step, an unashamed, obsessed, American runner, proud to the point of tears of every athlete in London!
PS: Run Woodstock is just a month away, please don't miss this chance to trip to a bygone age of peace, love, music and sweat! Enjoy classic rock, running and healing. Walk, run, rock ... rest! At Run Woodstock you can find whatever your body and mind needs, commit now at runwoodstock.com. Be it your first 5k, or for you fall marathon maniacs looking for the perfect long mileage weekend, Run Woodstock is the answer. Peace out.
2012-08-01 - Your precious time
For those of us who don't normally watch TV, it sure is odd to be sitting in front of one watching the fittest people in the world compete in the Summer Olympics at sports we know little or nothing about, but here we are, and loving it!
For many of us runners, our sport is mostly personal, we follow our own progress, training and personal records, not the athletes at the top of the game, but here we are during the Olympic year, learning their names, the hardships and training they have gone through to be on the world stage, and cheering them on like personal friends.
Time is precious during the games; polish your time management skills and get the run in. I won't take any more of your precious time!
Run, watch, learn, run,
Randy Step, an obsessed runner who can't wait for the distance running to begin!
2012-07-25 - Time off, Dang.
Yo run gang,
The hardest thing as a runner? Taking time off from running, dang. I've been running pain free since November, a good streak for me, this week, a bit of calf pain has me sidelined. I'm taking the time to ice, self massage with "The Stick" and catch up on my running reading.
As you know, a week off could save you from a month off and sometimes a month off can save you from a year off. My calf seems OK riding the bike so no suicide watch will be necessary, I say this as a reminder to have some diversity in your aerobic portfolio.
Run smart,
Randy Step, an obsessed runner on hold ...
PS: Shameless plug for "The Stick", available at Running Fit. The self-massage products are a very efficient use of time ... but are addictive!
PS: If self help seems to not improve your pain or if the diagnosis has you stumped, consider a visit to The Running Institute for a free evaluation. They are located at Running Fit, Ann Arbor West on Jackson Rd. 734-926-4710.
2012-07-18 - Busy, busy...
Yo run gang,
A busy running life here at Running Fit, with the Sold Out Pterodactyl Triathlon tonight and our mega Art Fair Sale at the downtown Ann Arbor store starting today. Northville Running Fit will be moving next door to the vacant Golfsmith store space, soon to be our biggest store that will also include "The Running Institute", a physical therapy and training facility to help get you back on the road when setbacks hit! Truly a one stop runners shop!
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Enjoy every healthy day,
Randy Step, an obsessed runner keeping it short and sweet today so you can "Get out and run!"
PS: This Sunday, July 21st, consider the Road Runner Classic 8K (5 miles) and 1 mile, Maybury State Park, Northville, a fun course with a mix of road and trail. The race benefits the friends of Maybury State Park. Enter at northvilleroadrunners.org.
PS: For some serious trail fun August 4th, put "The Legend Trail Run" on your calendar. 5 miles, 10 miles and 13.1 miles of single-track, Sleepy Hollow State Park, just north of Lansing, about and hour and a half from Metro Detroit. Enter at runlegend.com
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2012-07-11 - Schedule? What Schedule?
Yo run gang,
It's a beautiful morning for a run ... and I'm taking the day off, dang, it's hard to run smart. Yesterday I had twinges of pain all over the place on the run, my body telling me to take a day off, the schedule saying otherwise. Schedules will get you in trouble ALL the time, never consider a schedule the authority, they are just a guide to help you make progress, lots of knowledge and science goes into them but they are a static view of a dynamic venture.
It might even be good to get off schedule a bit, right from the beginning, just to let it know who's really calling the shots!
Run like you know you should,
Randy Step, An obsessed runner ... who sometimes remembers that a day off might save myself from a week or a month off!
2012-07-04 - Careful out there; there's more than the heat
Yo run gang,
There are risks and benefits that come with the adventure of our active lifestyles, we experience euphoric highs when we reach our goals due to our commitment and the lowest of lows when our hard work fails us, feelings those living in a couch potato haze will never know ... We wouldn't want it any other way. Adventure, from the Latin "adventura", when the outcome is uncertain, is the at the root of our passion and keeps the fire lit.
We take risks when we head out to train, some we can control by being aware of the world around us and others that we can't. Wearing reflective clothing, running against traffic, not wearing headphones, heading to a traffic free shaded trail or park can reduces the risks but are not always options to get the run done. For us multisport athletes the risks increase on the bike and swimming in open water, again we control what we can but we can't control others. The cold, hard reality of the risks hit last week when we lost a good friend and supporter of all we do at Running Fit. Mary Burrows of Dexter was struck by a car and killed on a training ride. We will miss you Mary.
As you head out to train ... Please be careful out there,
Randy Step, an obsessed runner who hopes Mary's death will remind us all to run as smart as we can.
PS: If you love Running Fit, please let the world know by going to this link! http://running.competitor.com/50-best-running-stores. Thank you!
2012-06-20 - Careful ouit there
Diggin' the heat! As you know, I love extremes, truly the spice of life, give me a humid 95 degree or 10 below zero 3 mile run and I'll trade them for any blah, blah, 50 degree 10 mile run! A short run in extreme conditions is such great bang for the buck, an efficient use of time that leaves us not only wasted, but fulfilled, raising our self esteem and that darn feeling of smug satisfaction we get over the rest of the world that stays inside re-breathing stale heated or cooled air.
All that said ... running in the heat is the most dangerous condition you will face as a runner. Heat kills, take a run in the heat seriously. Run short, run in shade, and run hydrated by more than just water and ideally, finish where you can jump in a lake or stand under a cold hose. Stop and walk if you feel strange.
Run smart,
Randy Step, and obsessed runner who is watching the weather channel and planning for today's run!
2012-06-13 - It's deja vu all over again
Every running first is welded into our minds in detail, the first time we consciously set out to go for a run, the first running event we entered, the first time we ran farther or raced farther than ever before ... I find these first time memories popping up from time to time, usually while on the run when some feeling, sight or whatever takes me back.
I was giving this some conscious thought on the run yesterday while I was running the 10K course for this Saturday's Canton Liberty Festival Run for the first time. For sure there will be many running their first 5K or 10K this weekend and I was thinking how the course would look and be remembered by them, the pre race nerves, the surface of the road, the weather, the look of the neighborhood, etc. Doing this brought a flood of running memories to me, a cathartic feeling not quite explainable. It struck me that each run we go on connects us to every run we've ever been on and even future runs we have planned, connected both physically through the training effect and mentally with our thoughts and feelings. Dang this is a cool sport!
May your run be a magical mystery trip to the center of your mind,
--Randy Step, an obsessed runner diggin' the dj vu...
2012-06-06 - The world will run as one
For us who have been lucky enough to embrace running as a lifestyle, every day is National Running Day, for the rest of the world, it's today! When I hear John Lennon's song, "Imagine", I can't help but imagining a world where everyone is a runner ... Maybe someday they'll join us, and the world will run as one. For now, let's get out there and set the example, better yet, invite a non runner out for a walk/run and share the gift.
The Canton Liberty Run 5K & 10K is Saturday June 16th, we really need you to join us as we set the record for the most people dressed as a monument, not to mention, we bought 1,600 costumes and based on entries we will only have 1,300 entrants ... We need you! You don't need to run in the costume, just to wear it for 10 minutes as we gather together and look silly! (But yes, we'd love to have you run in it!). Enter today at cantonlibertyrun.com, pretty please!
Run for Liberty,
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, getting ready to go out and celebrate today with a run with the world!
2012-05-30 - Benefits
The benefits we get from the daily run are more than enough to ask from our sport. The additional enjoyment we get from competing in races is like icing on the cake! What more could we possibly want? How about a meet and greet with an icon of our sport like 4 time Boston and New York City marathon winner Bill Rodgers? Join us this Friday at Running Fit, Ann Arbor West, 5700 Jackson Rd. where Bill Rodgers, who I call the "Peter Pan" of running, will be on hand from 11 AM - 12:30 PM!
More reasons to come on Friday? We'll be having a store wide sale to celebrate the Dexter To Ann Arbor run weekend (Perhaps have Bill sign your new shoes!) Also, author John Farrah (and my dentist) will be signing his new book "Let's pick it up a bit", a memoir, a philosophical look at running and a training guide! You can learn a lot from a guy who was born in Bethlehem, schooled in Nazareth, and has ran over 120 marathons! Come join the fun.
Enjoy it all,
--Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, for so many reasons!
