Randys on Mars helping the Martians prepare for the Martian Invasion of Races so were running one of his past columns.

Yo run gang,

I love the peaceful solitude of a training run alone, my time to sort out the tangled world. I also like to run with friends, some for the conversation where pace and distance matter little and some for the motivation where pace and distance are maxed and challenged. Last but not least, I love to line up on race day and find out where I stand, mostly to compete with myself but yes, to see how my time compare to others and To duke it out!

Running is a personal sport; nobody else cares about our race times, our weekly mileage or our running pace. That said, nothing about lining up for a race should make us feel nervous or self conscious but for many of us, no matter how many times we toe the line, those feeling creep in. Once the race has started and we settle in, the jitters fade and the fun begins. I can understand how entering an event for the first time can be perceived as an almost insurmountable challenge for the beginning runner. We have all faced that hurtle. Those of us who finally leave our comfort zone and take the plunge find that the fears or preconceived ideas of racing were silly, holding us back from the full enjoyment of the sport. I once received this email that expresses it well.

For me as a beginning runner (and mature runner-51 years old). I also want to tell you how much I enjoyed the Meteor 5K. I walked a bit more than I wanted to but still got a lot of running in- I saw a few people doing what I was doing- that was very motivating too!! I am so glad these runs are open to everyone, runners and walkers no matter what level you are at

Spread the word! Share the gift of running and racing with friends, perhaps put them on our email list or just forward it on. For a good first time race, I suggest The Fit 5K, Wednesday evening April 28, 2010, perhaps the most low key event in the state, a great first race, a fun midweek diversion for us all! Enter at www.runfit5k.com.

Now, how about getting over that first time Triathlon hurdle? Yikes! No Yikes about it, dont become a dinosaur, check out the T-Rex Triathlon Sprint Series. The first event of the season is the Triceratops Tri, Wednesday June 23, 2010, another midweek, low key, fun event! Dust off the Schwinn Varsity and join us at www.runtrextri.com.

Get out and race! Randy Step an obsessed runner (And closet Triathlete) still spreading the word.