RandyStep.com - Obsessed Runner

2018-05-23 - The run will always take you back

swamp run Baby Goat jumping in here today to get your butt out the door!

There will ALWAYS be an excuse to not get out the door. For me, the last few months brought strep throat, a couple minor injuries, and long weeks at work. My training suffered, and after a few weeks of 'slump'... the excuse turned to FEAR! I was afraid when I finally put the shoes back on and got out there the run wouldn't take me back. I eventually sucked it up, laced up, grabbed some girlfriends and got out there. Not only did the run take me back, but it gifted me with a rave run. They haven't all been that great, but I'm back out the door and the fear is gone!

Don't be afraid that the run wont be there for you,

Anna Przybylski, and admittedly not quite as obsessed runner, glad to have my daily run back.

P.S. - A great way to get the daily run in is by adding some FUN! Join us Friday night, July 20, 2018 in Ypsilanti, MI for the OBERUN 5K, a fun 5K run/walk celebrating a summer fave at the finish - Bell's Oberon! This midsummer night beer lover's dream is over 75% full... don't miss out, register now!

PS: Sip, sip, HOORAY! Running Between the Vines is just around the corner. We can't wait for this gorgeous vineyard run and post race wine tasting bash! Join us August 18th, 2018 in Jackson, MI for 5K, 5 Miles or a Half Marathon! Want to run the 5K AND 5 Mile? The Cellar Slam is for you. See you in Jackson, CHEERS!

2018-05-18 - Streaking can help get your butt out the door

randy bridges Not necessarily your bare butt, because I'm talking about streaks of consistency. Examples would be, not running less than 15 miles per week, not running less than three days in a week or not missing more than three days in a row. These are just examples, the number of days miles etc., needs to be numbers that relate to you specifically, numbers that will motivate you. Once you've gone 10 weeks in a row without missing at least three days of running it becomes strong motivation for you to get out that third day when it comes to the end of the week. The same holds for any other streak you have going and are aware of. Read over your running log, and see what kind of streak you might have going already that you are not aware of. If you fail on your streak, whatever the number, is is a personal record. Time to start a new streak and beat it!

It's time to make streaking popular again,

Randy Step, and admitted obsessed runner, and a streaker from way back!

2018-05-10 - No longer running

randy bridges This midweek email goes out to 97,000 people each week and around 15,000 open it (Thanks for not spamming me out). I always look at the comments on the opt outs. The number one reason, "I get too many emails." Once in a while I get one that breaks my heart, "I no longer run." What makes it worse is that I can't even respond, dang. I worry about the reasons, could it be that the emails make them feel guilty or lazy? Did they suffer an injury that will keep them from ever running again? This is a complicated world with real life and death situations that can force running to take a back seat. That said, the run is always there to come back to, it is a patient sport that will wait until the day we return. These weekly emails will also be there, perhaps to help kick start the long lost run ... As long as you don't opt out!

Enjoy every running day possible,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner was blessed today by a rave morning run and that I know there is no guarantees about what tomorrow might bring.

P.S. - Check out the Obsessed Runner Live! We'll be coming at you LIVE weekly to answer questions and get your butt out the door.

2018-05-02 - What's today's excuse?

randy oberun After the brutality of an endless winter we hardly need a motivational push out the door to get in the run. The reality is that we will quickly forget the cold and start blaming the heat, our busy lives or whatever excuse we need to knock back the priority of our daily run. Our health is everything and the run is a big part of it, not just the run itself but the healthy changes in lifestyle we make due to our commitment. We all know how easy it is to lose focus when we are not facing a health crisis, then, one day, we wake to see a person in the mirror we never thought we'd be, or worse, wake up to one of the many diseases caused by poor choices. Yikes!

Hang tough and get your butt out the door,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner with as many excuses as can be imagined, continually digging myself back to the surface to fight the good fight.

P.S. - Join us for a road trip south to Nashville, IN to get back to our roots for DANCES WITH DIRT. Hit the trails for 10K, 13.1M, 26.2M, 50K, 50 Miles or grab some friends and create a 5 person 100K relay team. DWD Gnaw Bone is on a NEW WEEKEND for 2018- See you May 19, 2018. Expect a day that will leave you knowing you are alive, awake and living life in full color!

2018-04-25 - Time, distance, speed and ego

randy freep Time distance and speed are the essence of our sport but they can also be a distraction, especially if we worry about how we look on Strava or other social running applications. I had a glorious run today on some very gnarly trails with wicked hills and breathtaking vistas. A 5.3 mile run through ruts and roots at a pace perhaps 2 and a half minutes per mile slower than if I ran down a road. A soul cleansing, totally fulfilling rave run... That looks lacking on the Garmin from a time, distance and speed aspect.

Don't let ego get in the way from a butt kicking run,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, who kissed up to my ego by using, 700' of climb in 5 miles in the Strava subject line, ha!

P.S. - WINE, VINES and (fingers crossed!) SUNSHINE! Do I have your attention?
Join us as we hit the rolling back roads in Jackson, MI on August 18, 2018 for Running Between the Vines. This high class 5K, 5 Mile and Half Marathon will take you to a finish in the vineyards that includes music, cheese and chocolate paired perfectly with... WINE!

P.S. - Catch our new weekly podcast, Obsessed Runner Live! We'll be coming at you live once a week to answer questions and get your butt out the door. Check out our quick intro video and watch for more LIVE excitement coming soon.

2018-04-08 - Proud to be an American Runner

randy boston I stand in awe of all of you Martian and Boston finishers who thumbed their noses at the miserable conditions and prevailed! I am humbled by the amazing volunteers who suffered greatly for hours on end to make these achievements possible. Seeing American Desi Linden win Boston brought a tear to my eye. After taking 2nd or 3rd at so many major marathons, Des's never give up attitude was finally rewarded. Des now calls Michigan home and yes, trains in this crap, just like us! Another ray of sunshine was having the American women taking 7 of the top 10 places at Boston and the American men with 6 of the top 10. My faith in America is restored!

When you awake to that dusting of snow tomorrow, think of Des, get out that door and get it done! (Even if you used that trick already)

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who was shocked to see the sun today. Of course it came out after my run.... Dang. Hang tough, our reward will come and will be all the more sweet!

2018-04-11 - Rain makes us powerful

randy freep Not all days are created equal. Often, days slip by and are forgotten. Then, there are those pearls, days etched into our memory for us to savor for a lifetime. Event days can often fit this bill, perhaps adding to our meaning of life. For those of you running the Martian Invasion of Races this weekend, or Boston on Monday, based on the weather forecast, it won't be a boring day that is soon forgotten. Crossing a finish line in adverse conditions can be powerful and at the very least memorable! When we race, we plan, we train, we make goals. On race day we live life in full color: we find out who we are and who we might be. These are days of self-discovery, valuable days indeed.

Savor every minute, especially when the clock is running,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who will be there to cheer you on at Martian and to be motivated by your heroic fight. Live it up!

P.S. - BEER! Do I have your attention? Join us on Friday night, May 11, 2018 in Detroit, MI for the Hightail to Ale 5K, a keg party with a 5K warmup! What better way to celebrate being a running warrior all winter than with a PARTY... and BEER!

P.S. - WINE! Are you sensing a theme here? Join us as we hit the rolling back roads in Jackson, MI on August 18, 2018 for Running Between the Vines. This high class 5K, 5 Mile and Half Marathon will take you to a finish in the vineyards that includes, music, cheese and chocolate paired perfectly with... WINE!

2018-04-04 - Running is an extreme sport

randy freep Yesterday, as I headed onto the trails in a freezing drizzle, after making a decision to run hard and short to stay warm rather than the longer miles I planned on getting in, I was again struck by how hard our sport really is. We are not the proverbial average Americans, we are tough as nails dedicated athletes. Sure, we do it at different levels of discipline, but even getting out 3 days a week for a few miles is hard work. Running is as extreme as sports gets. We continue to fight the good fight because we know that at the end of every run, we are glad we did it and it is always worth it. Our extreme sport gives us back far more than we put into it, every time. Our run not only improves our mental and physical health, but prepares us to take on the adversities of a complicated world. Bring it on!

Run into this crap head on,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who is proud of all of you!

2018-03-28 - A runback to 1918

randy freep I was reminded again what a wonderful adventure it is to find a new trail or historic neighborhood to run in when our Martian Invasion of Races team met last night in Dearborn. I arrived with time to get in an hour of running and found my way on the trails behind the Fair Lane Manor, the home of Henry Ford and Clara from 1915 until their deaths in 1947 and 1950. As I ran around stone gazebos, gardens and ponds on the sprawling estate, I imagined the Fords walking these same paths behind their new home, perhaps a hundred years ago to the day, on a similarly cold, bright spring afternoon.

Never stop exploring on the run. Great finds will keep getting us out the door!

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner looking over a satellite map of Dearborn to see just where the heck I ran.

P.S. - Speaking of great finds, join me for the Martian Invasion of Races on April 14, 2018 to explore the streets and neighborhoods of Dearborn, MI! Try 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, 26K, Full Marathon or Kids' Marathon!

P.S. - BEAT THE PRICE INCREASE! Join us as we hit the rolling back roads in Jackson, MI on August 18, 2018 for Running Between the Vines. This high class 5K, 5 Mile and Half Marathon will take you to a finish in the vineyards that includes, music, cheese and chocolate paired perfectly with... WINE! Prices go up at 11:59PM on March 31st, REGISTER NOW!

There are no bad runs

randy freep Some running days are diamonds, others, not so much. I've run marathons where the miles seemed effortless and the final miles were my fastest. I've also headed out for runs that were a herculean effort from the start, each mile requiring me to use every mental and physical tool in the book to keep from walking, or for that matter, quitting altogether. The fast marathon looks good in the result listing and the satisfaction of doing a lot of things right, and things going right is for sure rewarding. On the flip side, that miserable run I gutted through gave me a good look at what I am made of, who I am and who I might be. I felt more deserving of a medal at the end of that slow, miserable run than at many of the finish lines I've crossed. I'm no saying I hope for more tough runs but I am saying BRING IT ON! I've been there and know I am ready for the good fight.

Every run is an adventure, every run is a gift,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who understands there really aren't any bad runs

P.S. - Join me for the Martian Invasion of Races on April 14, 2018 in Dearborn, MI! Try 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, 26K, Full Marathon or Kids' Marathon!

P.S. - Registration is NOW OPEN for the OBERUN 5K in Ypsilanti, MI on Friday night, July 20, 2018. We can't think of a better way to celebrate summer than a 5K dash to a Bell's Beer Garden serving up cold Oberon! Pair this summer favorite with a bottle opener finisher's medal, a finisher's pint glass, a sweet shirt and we'll even throw in a night of yard games to top it all off!