January 13, 2010 - I sure like it better when I get to talk smack!
Yo run gang,
I sure like it better when I get to talk smack, like Im an indestructible running machine Then there are days like today, where I do the toughest thing there is in running, I do something smart but embarrassing, I cut the run short because of some darn pain behind my knee, perhaps a bit of the old I.T. Band. Worse yet, Im running with a couple other runners who I talked into running a snowy trail in the dark and I leave them to return to my car, pack some snow on the leg, and head home. We all need to be put in our place, and the body has a way of doing better than anyone can. Ice and a few easy days and Ill be back out on the trail. This would not have been the case in the early run years; I would have hammered myself into a month off.
This is a good lead in to the product of the week; Ive decided its the KT tape. Just about any pain you are dealing with will respond to a good tape job. The KT tape comes with links to videos on how to tape just about any pain you have. On days you dont run, use the time to learn to run smarter and patch yourself up!
Randy Step, an obsessed runner on the mend
December 23, 2009 - Believe it or not, this obsessed runner has a treadmill.
Yo run gang,
Believe it or not, this obsessed runner has a treadmill but I only use it when the weather is so nasty that even I wont go out. Im happy to report; I have run on it once in 3 years and hope not to need it again this winter! Get out there!
The holiday week is busy but for most of us, the insanity is behind us and getting in the run just became a lot easier, especially on days off work! The best way to celebrate? In my case, with a very neglected Long run!
Enjoy every healthy day,
Randy Step, an obsessed runner heading out the door, today and everyday!
2010, Running Fit celebrates 25 years of commitment to Michigans Running Community!
25 years of running passion and we are as excited about what we do as when we ran our first 5K! We are also happy to report that despite the economy, Running Fit continues to invest in Michigan. In 2009, we moved, built up and updated the Novi and West Bloomfield locations along with the purchase and renovation of a building on the west side of Ann Arbor for our headquarters, warehouse and new retail store. In 2009 Running Fit the event company launched 2 new triathlons, 2 new Dances With Dirt trail runs and added Run Woodstock for a total of 23 annual events. Running Fit has been creating jobs hear in Michigan and in 2009 broke the 100 employee mark. Your commitment to Running Fit and the sport of running has made this happen. Thank you for running and investing in Michigan and making it possible for us to live out our dreams!
The crew at Running Fit, at your service and ready to fit you up in 2010!
December 16, 2009 - This run was worth the cost!
Yo run gang,
The holiday screws are tightening, with gifts to buy, parties, dinners and visitors in addition to the normal job and family requirements. Getting in the daily run feels like lying, cheating and stealing, that is, until you get out the door! Once into the rhythm of the run, breathing in the cold fresh air and breaking into an honest sweat with your senses alive and the smoke clearing from your mind, finally comes the realization that this run was worth the cost!
My wife and I cheated the weather last weekend and went south for a quick holiday visit to my folks and in-laws in Florida and to sneak into the Green Swamp for some warm weather mileage and to tweak the Dances With Dirt course for the February 13th race. Throw in a midwinter break and join the Dirt Crew for a trail half marathon, marathon, relay or ultra in the sun, you will be deserving! Give a present to yourself today, go to www.danceswithdirt.com and commit. Flights to Tampa are a deal and the new Hampton Inn in Dade city is great.
Eat, drink, run and be merry, in any order necessary it to get it done,
Randy Step, and obsessed runner, breaking all the rules of time management
December 9, 2009 - Forget long or fast, think, just get it in!
Yo run gang,
Tonight, snowy gusty winds cracking in the trees, pinning your clothes to the body and taking our breath away what I call a Rambo Run. As Ive said, December is no time to take your running seriously, just get out the door and keep some consistency. Forget long or fast, think, just get it in and take pride in the fact that you are not a wimp!
Early winter is also a time to play in the snow for a bit of cross training. Snowshoes and cross country skis are a staple of most runners garages. The Bigfoot snowshoe race is January 23, a fun winter road trip to the north, go to www.runsnow.com. The week before that on January 16, is the Frosty Freestyle Cross Country Ski Race. Southeast Michigans biggest, best, and only cross country ski race! The 15K and 5K Frosty will be held at Huron Meadows Metropark just south of Brighton, MI. www.NordicSkiRacer.com/frosty
I know December is busy but at 6:30 PM next Monday, December 14th, you are all invited to a Boston Marathon Training Orientation meeting. No charge and open to anyone. For those of you headed to Boston, this will be a place to hook up with a like minded, like paced, training group to get you through winter. For those of you who just dream of running Boston some day, it will be a motivational evening of good stories and great information. Ill be there telling the kind of Boston stories you would expect from this obsessed runner and perhaps a few bad jokes. Come dressed to stretch and lay around on the floor, maybe Ill bring a beer or two. The meeting will be at our Ann Arbor Headquarters store, 5700 Jackson Rd, just off the I-94 Zeeb Rd. Exit
I write a few times a year for the Outdoor Athlete Magazine, its a free to pick up publication you can get at any Running Fit and pretty much any bike shop or run shop in Michigan. In the current issue I address barefoot running. If you can put up with my midweek writing, you might find it interesting.
Just get out the door,
Randy Step, an obsessed runner hoping to catch a 50 MPH downwind gust on the run tonight!
December 2, 2009 - Your run will be rockin'
Yo run gang,
I just love winter running! The extra cushion from a light crunch of snow under my shoes, the sparkling frost that forms on my hat, the Yak Tracks I wrap around my shoes to give me a no slip macho feeling as I run recklessly across ice patches, mastering the environment. Ok, the truth is, winter is here and you might as well love it or leave it, no matter what you really think about winter So, I just love this long, cold, dark Michigan winter! The new tech clothing has made it easier to enjoy winter runs. If you are new to winter running, you will be surprised how few items you need to run through any conditions. (Shameless plug: With the sale on, see below, its a great time to layer up!) The goal now is to stay consistent and run and adapt to the weather as it changes so that when spring hits, your running will be rockin!
Run Snow!
Randy Step, an obsessed runner ready to attack the winter!
November 23, 2009 - Tis the season!
Yo run gang,
Tis the season! This time of year is like no other, the daily run is under constant assault from parties, family gatherings, work, to do lists, crappy weather and short days. It will take a planned counter attack to hold your ground and get (Squeeze) the run in. Have an extra set of running gear in you car and under your desk, be prepared to shoot out the door whenever an opening strikes. Pull over while stuck in traffic, pull on the stuff and get in some miles. If an appointment gets canceled, get in a run before anyone has time to grab your hour. Forget about taking showers and primp time, forget about waiting to get home to a better run route, remember, those who are picky go without! Long blocks of time are at a premium; go for shorter and faster runs to satisfy the need for fatigue! Keep the faith, it wont be easy but nothing good ever is. We know that after a run, we are more productive and attentive workers and family members so the goal is noble not selfish.
Get out and run!
Randy Step, an obsessed runner who changes his clothes in his car more often than in his house
November 18, 2009 - Time to "Jiggle the fat"!
Yo run gang,
By now we should have all made friends with darkness. Ill be heading to the trails tonight looking like the Vegas strip with my GoMotion chest mount light attached to a backpack and my 4 LED Princeton Tech head lamp. In our simple sport, its fun to have a few toys to play with!
Its time to jiggle the fat (I believe that is the technical holiday season running terminology)! The sure way to avoid the party weight gain is to be training for something. Commit to a long spring race now, as you know, busy people do everything, the rest do Nothing, so, dont miss a single party or single training run! Martian Marathon, Half Marathon and 10k are April 10th, not to mention the fun races along the way to keep you consistent. Next week, kick off the training with the Detroit Turkey Trot 10K, www.theparade.org/turkeytrot follow it up Dec 5th at The Holiday Hustle 5k, www.runholiday5k.com then, www.runsuperbowl.com.
Run, but dont miss the fun,
Randy Step, an obsessed runner on his way out the door
November 11, 2009 - My partner Steve and I are in Austin, Texas.
Yo run gang,
My partner Steve and I are in Austin, Texas today at The Running Event, the convention for running specialty stores. A convention unlike any other. Picture a convention that includes daily runs and a Shoe and sock bar, a place where you can stop in anytime and grab any shoe and socks by any manufacturer and go out and run in them. This morning we raced 5K, the field included several Olympians and a whos who of sponsored athletes and running celebrities, perhaps one of the fastest races in the country on a Wednesday morning! Yes our jobs can be a lot of fun and yes, were lucky to live and love what we do. That said, our goal here is to return to Michigan with the latest and greatest running products and information to share with you and make your running life the best it can be. Tonight we are off to the awards banquet where last year we won the Umbuntu Award, an award many of you have seen as it toured the stores. We were just informed that we were again voted one of the top 50 running stores in the US (Out of around 500 stores). I think they told us just in case we decided to skip the dinner and go out for a run Would we do that?
Our lifestyle and these awards would not be available without you, our loyal customers and friends. A following note from the shoe donation program, Soles 4 Souls about last Fridays visit to our Ann Arbor Store, is a perfect example of how cool you, the runners in Michigan, all are!
Thank you so much for allowing us to visit your store and your continued support of Soles4Souls! Hope you enjoyed Allan and Sylvania they loved you all! See report below!
Hello: Michigan runners are great! We were swamped with people bringing shoes while we were at Running Fit. Everyone was super friendly and so enthusiastic about S4S. So many said I checked you out on the web before bringing these shoes. So evidently the web site is doing a good job conveying our message. We collected about 350 pairs of shoes. A steady stream of customers to a fairly small store. They just kept on coming! The Running Fit staff was so professional and willing to help us in any way. Theyve donated thousands of shoes in the past and hope to continue. A great group of people. Wish every retailer could be like this. Silvana
Run forever,
Randy Step, an obsessed runner who ran 5K in a cowboy hat today, because I did not want to look like a tourist!
November 4, 2009 - I love funky weather to play in!
Yo run gang,
As you know, I love funky weather to play in! Saturday morning, my wife and I left the warmth of our cottage and ran out into a pounding 30 something degree rain. The 40 mph gusts cracking at the trees overhead, the muddy trails under foot and the spooky daytime darkness in the woods made for the perfect Halloween run and left us deserving of candy! OK, the reality, we questioned heading out, waffled a while due to the wicked day, then reluctantly decided it would be our only chance to run. We overdressed and headed out, running short but got-R-done. The moral of the story: Yes, not until we were out the door did we get into the sprit, once outside, we laughed at ourselves and splashed along like happy campers, finishing totally fulfilled. Notice how I keep repeating the important themes, proving once again that even an obsessed runner needs to trick himself out the door for the treat. Click here for more tricks to get you out the door!
Yes, we spammed you with some junk mail about the Soles4Souls tour bus coming to our Ann Arbor West store at 5700 Jackson Rd, 4-6 PM Friday, but Im throwing out one more reminder! Check out the bus, check out our new digs, donate some shoes and well give you a $10 off shoe coupon for your next pair!
Just say Go!
Randy Step, an obsessed runner, always finding excuses not to run but running anyway
October 28, 2009 - Now is the time to just get in miles and enjoy the running.
Yo run gang,
I love the fall running race season, the nervous excitement and the big goals being reached but I also enjoy the break from what I call the more serious races as we go into winter. Now is the time to just get in miles and enjoy the running. Sure, with winter comes some fun party races but nothing to stress out about. The Turkey Day Races, The Holiday Hustle December 5th (www.runholiday5k.com), The Super 5K on Super Bowl Sunday (www.runsuperbowl.com), and my favorite road trip race, The Bigfoot Snowshoe 5 & 10K, (www.runsnow.com). This winter, stay consistent, get out the door and enjoy every healthy day.
Running Fit is offering one last holiday version of Running 101, class for the new runner, or for those who want to come back and run again. For you or a friend, this class would make a great gift! With the coming of winter, this group will give your running the momentum to get you to spring! The success rate for becoming a life long runner goes way up with the support offered and Running 101 teaches the tricks to get out the door and stay motivated along with form, friends and fun! The class will celebrate graduation as they The Holiday Hustle 5K together, how cool is that! Rumor has it they are calling it the Training to Hustle program and they have a fun shirt that says so! For you or a friend, this 101 would make a great gift! Click here to register online!
There are free weekly group runs out of each Running Fit store. Come and meet new training partners as we attack the winter miles together, click here for days and times. You can also join me 5:30 PM every Wednesday for a headlamp trail run. Meet in the middle of the Spring Mill Pond parking lot at Island Lake Recreation Area.
Enough said, get out and run,
Randy Step, an obsessed runner on my way to Island Lake!
