2013-04-17 - We run as one
Yo run gang,
April 17, 2013
I've always known running can give us a bit of an escape from our feelings of anger, sadness, and frustration as we deal with the troubles of this world, but since the bombings in Boston, the run seems to have taken on a new sense of purpose and meaning. Every step feels like a dedication to those who suffered. Just heading out the door is like thumbing our nose at terrorists that are out to change our way of life and limit our freedoms. From the social media posts I read, everyone will be trying to qualify for Boston just to be there and show the terrorists that they have wasted their time.
We welcome home and congratulate all the Boston Runner's, especially the 22 members of the Running Fit 501 team and Running Fit staff members: Lori (Novi Manager), Aaron Kosel (HQ) , Swim Coach Leslie Braun and Tom Artushin (West Bloomfield).
To celebrate your return, and to run in solidarity for Boston, Running Fit will be hosting "Runners For Boston" unity 4.15 Mile run/walk on Wednesday, April 24th at 6:30pm. Meet at Kensington Metro Park, East Boat Launch. "Runners for Boston" is an event bringing the community of runners and supporters of runners together to show support for those affected in Boston on Monday, April 15th. On the run, participants are invited to wear past/present Boston Marathon gear, gear sporting the iconic blue & yellow Boston colors or your favorite race shirt for the occasion.
Run as one,
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed American runner.
2012-04-11 - Pre-Race Jitters, YIKES!
Yo run gang,
YIKES! It's the feeling I get when race day draws near, for every race, no matter how important or insignificant the event is to me. Even after all these years, the nervous jitters attack! Many of you will be experiencing the same feelings this weekend as you line up for one of the events at the Martian Invasion on Saturday or the Big House Big Heart on Sunday.
The reality is that your race is personal, you are the only one who cares about the outcome so the feelings we are having should only be from our concerns, no, the world is not watching and no one else really cares. Our training is done or not done, we are either healthy or on the mend with hope and our strategy is pretty much set so being nervous is unproductive stress. I find that reminding myself of the reality of the situation reduces my race anxiety from YIKES! to ... yikes and maybe reading this will do the same for you.
Yikes,
Randy Step, an obsessed runner who continues to make strides against irrational pre race feelings ... More work to do.
PS: Check out martianmarathon.com and bighousebigheart.com, it's too late to enter online but both events offer late registration at their great pre race expos along with great shopping deals! Just think of all the stress you missed by not entering until now!
Run forever, --Randy Step, an obsessed runner
P.S. Yikes! Just a couple of days until the Martian Invasion of Races, Saturday April 14!
I'll be working the finish line area, come and say hi .... Better yet, click the volunteer link below and join me! We'll also be setting up all day Thursday and Friday so you can volunteer, then run! Thank you for giving back to the sport that gives us so much!
Martian Marathon - April 14 - Volunteer Now!
PS: Another Awesome Volunteer Opportunity! The Trail Races - April 27, 28
PS: Great LOCAL events this month
PS: Endless Pool time at Running Fit Jackson Rd, Ann Arbor
Triathlon season is in sight! Time to dive in, 80 degrees, the feel of open water and a workout you can't get in a standard pool! Spring rates, $10 for 30 minutes - $15 for 60 minutes - $30 for 4 x 30 minutes package price - $50 for 4 x 60 minutes package price.
Info and Registration
2012-04-04 - Never give up!
Yo run gang,We strive for the complete fitness lifestyle, eating healthy, getting in the scheduled runs, workouts, core work, sleep, and getting in the personal best shape of our lives ... The reality for many of us are far too many days with work and family issues that get out of control,
leaving us with no time for the workout, skipping meals, skipping sleep and worse yet, we may follow it up with and overindulgent night out that we trick ourselves into thinking we deserve as the answer to stress reduction or some such nonsense, when we know the reality is ... a deeper hole.
Fitness, like freedom, takes constant vigilance and hard work, a lifelong battle with victories and setbacks but always worth every ounce of energy we put forth. Never ever give up, each hard won fitness victory is sweet, and worth a lifetime of struggle. We start again today!
Run forever,
--Randy Step, an obsessed runner
P.S. Yikes! Just over one week until the Martian Invasion of Races, Saturday April 14!
I'll be working the finish line area, come and say hi .... Better yet, click the volunteer link below and join me! We'll also be setting up all day Thursday and Friday so you can volunteer, then run! Thank you for giving back to the sport that gives us so much!
Martian Marathon - April 14 - Volunteer Now!
PS: Another Awesome Volunteer Opportunity! The Trail Races - April 27, 28
PS: Great LOCAL events this month
PS: Endless Pool time at Running Fit Jackson Rd, Ann Arbor
Triathlon season is in sight! Time to dive in, 80 degrees, the feel of open water and a workout you can't get in a standard pool! Spring rates, $10 for 30 minutes - $15 for 60 minutes - $30 for 4 x 30 minutes package price - $50 for 4 x 60 minutes package price.
Info and Registration
2012-03-28 - Diamond Days
Yo run gang,
As runners we learn the body is as strong as it is fragile, it can be trained and conditioned to run 26 miles and it can shrivel up and die from an invisible germ or cancer. The body is complicated, life is complicated ... Enjoy every healthy day and never take it for granted. Get out and run and enjoy, knowing how good it was and how good it can be will give us the strength to crawl and fight our way back when the dark days hit.
20 years ago, just after setting P.R's for just about every running and triathlon distance, my aortic heart valve stuck open, sending me into congestive heart failure. The valve was damaged by an infection I fought in childhood, damage that was unknown to me
until it failed. I had major reconstructive heart surgery, including some human transplant tissue, followed by some serious down time but eventually worked my way back to marathon shape. From the dark days I gained a greater appreciation of the diamond days ... like today! It's time to shut this computer down and head to the woods to hammer!
Do what you can do,
--Randy Step, an obsessed runner or obsessed rehab, PT, kind of patient, depending on what life decides to throw at me on any given day.
PS: Some great LOCAL events next month
PS: Volunteer Opportunities Abound!
Volunteer for any Running Fit event - get stuff!
Martian Marathon - April 14 - Volunteer Now!
PS: We're looking for part time help at our west Bloomfield store.
E-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your resume.
2012-03-21 - Too Much, Too Soon
Yo run gang,
Just a heads up, last year, this same week was the dead of winter and on April 25th, 2008, it snowed 6" at our Trail Race weekend! So, get out there now, get consistent and roll right on through any bad weather days ahead without missing a beat!
Finishing a race on the 50 yard line of the University of Michigan's Big House is pretty amazing. More amazing still is being able to land the use of this hallowed field to put on a run ... whatever date the University says it has to be. That said, this year's date for the Big House Big Heart 5K and 10K run is April 15, 2012, yes, the day after the Martian Invasion of Races, a tough decision, two great events, one weekend. I'll be at both, join me if you can! BigHouseBigHeart.com , MartianMarathon.com .
It's easy to run too much, too soon, especially when spring hits, remember, the body adapts slowly to the new work load, so run every other day or alternate long & short days and don't increase total mileage by more than 10% per week, dang.
Run smart, run injury free,
--Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner needs to practice what he preaches, dang
PS: Some great LOCAL events next month
PS: Volunteer Opportunities Abound!
Volunteer for any Running Fit event - get stuff!
Martian Marathon - April 14 - Volunteer Now!
PS: We're looking for part time help at our west Bloomfield store.
E-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your resume.
2012-03-14 - Run Local!
The coldest winter in years followed by the mildest, perhaps we're being rewarded? All in all, I love Michigan, its seasons, great lakes, the running community and the hundreds of great running events available to us. Michigan makes it easy to commit to "Run Local"!
As for running local, what I call the "spring race season", started last weekend with the St. Pat's races. Sunday was a glorious day for Detroit's Cork Town event and for the Conner O'Neils & Running Fit Shamrocks and Shenanigans race in Ann Arbor. Thanks to those of you who ran in Ann Arbor, Running Fit will be writing a check to Mott's Children's Hospital for over $40,000! Grass root local events have a tremendous positive impact by creating healthy, active and fun days for us to come together as
a community. In addition, a small amount from each entry fee
from thousands of runners along with the donations of sponsors add up at these events, making serious contributions to important causes possible.
Fire up the family, get out the calendar and make some healthy weekend, activity choices, a bit of planning now will keep you motivated and excited for the running season ahead. You can start by scheduling the time this Sunday, March 18th for the Running Fit Triathlon expo. An informative,
Run, smile, give and share,
--Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, looking forward to writing a check to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society after the Martian Invasion of Races and Fit 5K next month... and a few thousand dollar check for the upkeep of the trails in Michigan's State Parks after the Running Fit Trail Race weekend, and... The year is young!
PS: Some great LOCAL events next month
PS: Volunteer Opportunities Abound!
Volunteer for any Running Fit event - get stuff!
DWD Green Swamp Dirt Crew - March 24 - Volunteer now!
Martian Marathon - April 14 - Volunteer Now!
2012-02-29 - Not so obsessed...
Running Fit owners Steve Angerman and Randy Step, 25 years in business together and still running!
And now a word from Steve...
Yo run gang,
I was an obsessed runner once. Now I think I am just obsessed. I am obsessed about my family, my work, my health, even the Kansas City Chiefs. My son will tell you I obsess over his homework. But I no longer obsess over my running. Running has been part of my life so long I forget to obsess about it. Now it is like my faith, just a part of the fabric of who I am. The fact is after 40 years of running I have been rewarded with the ability to truly love the experience. Period. The run does not need my obsession.
While my training logs are thinner and my weekly mileage has slipped like interest rates, there is definitely no recession in my passion for the sport. I cherish running trails in the early morning when it happens. I like being one of the last people to leave after working all day at the Trail Marathon. I love watching high school cross country. I still find satisfaction in the competition of the occasional race and I embrace the challenge of working towards new goals. But I am not obsessed.
So as a not-so-obsessed runner I encourage you to keep the thread of running in your life. Even if the miles are not accumulating on your odometer, stay in tune with the sport. Jump in a low key local road race (shameless plug number one: Shamrocks & Shenanigans 5K) and feel the agony and joy of hitting the finish line even if it is several minutes slower than your PR. Or volunteer at a race (shameless plug number two: Shamrocks & Shenanigans 5K) or just go out and watch a road race or a high school track meet and cheer and witness up close the energy and emotion in each runners efforts. Stay connected.
So there, in the tradition of the Obsessed Runner I threw in my plugs for the Shamrocks & Shenanigans 5k next weekend in downtown Ann Arbor. Guilty. This race was founded by Conor O'Neils and truly is a great fundraiser for Mott Children's Hospital. Last year alone the race raised over $40,000 for Mott's Save-A-Heart program which allows babies who are born with heart defects to have an opportunity to grow up and become obsessed about their passion. And I hope that passion is running. Come to think of it, I guess I am still obsessed about running, just not my own.
Thanks for reading and next week we promise the Obsessed Runner will return with his usual motivation, wit, and shameless plugs.
Full disclosure: I am the race director for Shamrocks & Shenanigans. My wife was a pediatric nurse for over 30 years at Mott, a majority of those working in the Thoracic ICU. She currently works in the new Cardiovascular Center.
Heard at our house: Dad sells shoes; Mom saves lives.
--Steve Angerman, a not-so-obsessed runner who saves lives in his own way.
PS: Endless Pool time at Running Fit Jackson Rd, Ann Arbor
You can't beat this deal! Your own pool, your own lane, 80 degrees and the feel of open water and a workout you can't get in a standard pool! To get you addicted we are offering these amazing rates. Book now, filling fast!
$10 for 30 minutes - $15 for 60 minutes - $30 for 4 x 30 minutes package price - $50 for 4 x 60 minutes package price.
Info & Registration
PS: Registration is now open for the Canton Liberty Fest Run!
Celebrate our freedom at the Liberty Festival 5K, 10K and one mile on June 16, and be a part of something ... BIG!
More Info & Registration
PS: Volunteer Opportunities Abound!
Volunteer for any Running Fit event - get stuff!
Shamrocks & Shenanigans - March 11 - Volunteer Now!
DWD Green Swamp Dirt Crew - March 24 - Volunteer now!
Martian Marathon - April 14 - Volunteer Now!
2012-02-22 - Commitment!
Planning out your event year will keep you motivated and on track. Entering an event and signing on the bottom line is a contract to yourself, you are committing to train and be ready when race day arrives. Notice how I repeat the important stuff! And yes, I suggest the events put on by Running Fit because the passion our crew has for running is directed into every detail of what we do. We understand your commitment to training and that you have put your trust in us by putting down your, hard to come by, disscretionary dollars, to enter our events and shop in our stores.
If a Triathlon is on your race list, especially if you are a first-timer, register now for Running Fit's triathlon Kick-off Expo on March 18th. No admission fee! Limit, 200.
We'll have triathlon vendors, triathlon club representatives and a transition demonstration race between 6 elite triathletes that will follow up with a Q & A. Coach Christi the Swimmer will be on hand to answer questions and show off the endless pool studio. And yes, an optional bike ride and/or run! More Info & Registration
Now is also the time to get to runtrextri.com and enter the fun and challenging 3 race, mid week, sprint series that will sell out!
With this mild winter, many of us will be ready to run longer events earlier. The Martian Invasion of races lands in Dearborn, MI on April 14th, offering 5K, 10K, 13.1 and 26.2 and a great expo, it's the perfect target for all of us! Commit now at martianmarathon.com!
Commit, train, race,
--Randy Step, an obsessed runner who is blessed to be a part of the Running Fit team where we get to share our passion with you!
PS: Endless Pool time at Running Fit Jackson Rd, Ann Arbor
You can't beat this deal! Your own pool, your own lane, 80 degrees and the feel of open water and a workout you can't get in a standard pool! To get you addicted we are offering these amazing rates. Book now, filling fast!
$10 for 30 minutes - $15 for 60 minutes - $30 for 4 x 30 minutes package price - $50 for 4 x 60 minutes package price.
Info & Registration
PS: Registration is now open for the Canton Liberty Fest Run!
Celebrate our freedom at the Liberty Festival 5K, 10K and one mile on June 16, and be a part of something ... BIG!
More Info & Registration
PS: Volunteer Opportunities Abound!
Volunteer for any Running Fit event - get stuff!
Shamrocks & Shenanigans - March 11 - Volunteer Now!
Martian Marathon - April 14 - Volunteer Now!
2012-02-15 - Tricks
Yo run gang
Even an obsessed runner needs tricks to get out the door...
I love running, but there are many days that I find it hard to get out the door, how can that be? It is because day to day life is an "almost" inescapable trap. The effort needed to step out beyond work, laundry, bills, cooking, cleaning, newspapers, shopping and the sludge of daily existence is huge. Throw in bad weather, colds and flu, pain and injury and even with my priorities in line, it gets even trickier. I have been running pretty much every day for 30 something years. I am often asked, "How do you find the time or motivation to do it?" It's not magic but let me pass along a few tricks I use.
#1. Keep a log. This can be the most important weapon in your athletic arsenal. Simple numbers in a log can be tremendous motivation. The log is essential for success.
#2. Lie to yourself. On the days the numbers in the log don't stir your soul, this is the time to lie to your body. Promise it that you just want to go out for a 10 minute jog and that if it still wants to go home and lay on the couch after that you will let it. Once out the door, the run is licked!
#3. Visit a Running Store. This suggestion might sound like sales pitch ... Because it is! Stop by a running store at least once a month to pick up a new running magazine, book or some race applications. It helps to visit an environment that supports your effort
#4. Find a training partner. Knowing some poor soul is out there waiting for you at 6 AM will force you out of bed and out the door
#5. Read about running. Motivational Running books and magazines can also get you out the door. The trick, pick up a running magazine or book and after a few pages the guilt will set in, you will soon be back in the training mind set.
Run like you have to,
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who is happy every time he runs, but not always happy to run.
PS: Registration is now open for the Canton Liberty Fest Run!
Celebrate our freedom at the Liberty Festival 5K, 10K and one mile on June 16, and be a part of something ... BIG!
More InfoPS: Volunteer Opportunities Abound!
Volunteer for any Running Fit event - get stuff!
Shamrocks & Shenanigans - March 11 - Volunteer Now!
Martian Marathon - April 14 - Volunteer Now!
2012-02-08 - All I Really Need To Know
How does that go? ... All I really need to know I learned by running a marathon!
I learned long term goal planning, time management and what is meant by delayed gratification. I learned about my body, how to eat healthy and get enough rest. I learned anger management (in the late miles), how to deal with success and how to deal with failure. I learned who I was and who I could be. Yes, somewhat clich, but running a marathon will change your life forever, I suggest you move it up on the bucket list if you haven't already.
Running Fit offers Running 101, a class for the beginning runner. So it only made sense to offer a 500 level class when you talk half marathon and marathon distance! Check out Running Fit 501, all other credit hours you have earned will pale in comparison. runningfit501.com
Run, Race, Learn,
--Randy Step, an obsessed runner on the road in search of a ... doctorial degree in running!
