Today's run was, to say the least, difficult. From the first step to the last, including the 3 times I had to walk a bit to catch my breath, it took all I had to keep moving forward. The planned 8 miles ended at 5.8. The pace was pathetic, the effort to accomplish so little on the other hand, felt heroic, far more so than the finish of some marathons I have run. This painful struggle will no doubt be the highlight of my day. Only those who run can possibly understand why I'm wearing a smile.

Savor the pain, you worked hard to feel this bad,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, feeling fulfilled by my morning run, and happy not to be going through this life in a couch potato haze.

PS: Come play in the woods with us on August 6, 2016! The Legend 5 Mile and Half Marathon at Sleepy Hollow State Park in Laingsburg, MI takes you through 2600 acres of hardwood forest, prairie grassland, and around several Michigan lakes. NEW for 2016, medals for ALL distances! The Legend continues, enter if you dare!

PS: Join us in Jackson, MI on August 13th for Michigan's most beautiful half marathon! Running Between the vines is a high class run with a high class finish party! Shirts and wine tasting (with snack food pairings!) to all entrants, finisher's medals and glasses to all finishers! RUNVINES.COM