RandyStep.com - Obsessed Runner

2018-03-14 - Running is like a 3-chord rock song

randy freep As my british rocker friend Mike would say, most rock and roll tunes are just three moronic chords played over and over until something magical seems to happen. Much like running, where the non-runner might say putting one foot in front of the other over and over seems rather moronic. As we continue to put in miles, running gets into our head and under our skin like a favorite song we can't get out of our head. We want to play it again and again. Running becomes a tune that motivates and fulfills us down to our core, a tune only us runners can hear.

Let's get out and dance,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner ready to run mile after moronic mile down a hilly dirt road with a 3 chord country song in my head... dig it!

P.S. - Talk about moronic rock songs, join me for the Martian Invasion of Races on April 14, 2018 in Dearborn, MI... where we will do the Martian Boogie! 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!

2018-03-07 - Timing is Everything

randy freep Time, distance and pace are highly motivational aspects of our sport. How fast we are is not relevant, it's our personal understanding of the work we have done to cover the distance we ran in the time it took us. Not just physical effort but also the mental effort, from our courage to start to the will power to be consistent, doing something most people look at as punishment or even torture. Only the runner understands all that our sport gives back to us and how we can find joy in it.

May we have the courage to continue running forever,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who has found joy in running and is excited for the Trails in Motion Film Festival this Saturday!

PS: When we cross a finish line, only we can fully appreciate our finish time... but that's not completely true, the timing crew here at RF Events uses their expertise and cutting edge technology to make sure your time is as close to exact as possible. I'd like to give a shout out to our timing crew, who continually come up with new and creative ways to get you your results in real time. From scrolling results on a flat screen, to text messaging a full analysis of your pace, and both overall and age group place when you finish. If you are, or ever get involved in putting on an event, consider RF Event Services to impress your participants.

PS: Our timing team is hiring! Looking for a part time (weekend mornings) gig that allows you to experience the Michigan Running Culture every weekend? Are you a tech savvy runner? Know SQL? This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

2018-02-28 - Let the treadmill gather dust!

randy freep It's been a nice string of running days and the weather trend for the next ten days is looking pretty good. The ice and snow is off most of the trails, a real mid-winter gift to us dirt runners!

My usual goal is to motivate you out the door, today, I'll let the weather do that! Instead, I'd like to invite you to head indoors on Saturday, March 10th for a motivational running film festival at the historic Farmington Civic Theater! This is a rare opportunity for the running community to get together in a non-race setting... and it will be fun to see each other with our clothes on! Grab a ticket, grab some popcorn and enjoy the Ledlenser Trails In Motion Film Festival!

Get outside,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who is looking to do a bit of "arm chair" running at the movies!

PS: After you join us in front of the big screen consider getting up Sunday, March 11, 2018 and giving back to the running community! The Shamrocks & Shenanigans 5K and 1K in Ann Arbor, MI is looking for some race day helpers. Volunteers receive a sweet shirt, $30 coupon towards a future RF Events, and endless thanks!

PS: BBQ! BEER! BEAUTIFUL TRAILS! Join me on a road trip down "south" May 19, 2018 to the breathtaking natural beauty of Nashville, Indiana. Dances With Dirt - Gnaw Bone is an insane test of human endurance that will leave you knowing you are fully awake, alive and living life in full color! Hit the wicked trails for 10K, Half Marathon, Full Marathon, 50K, 50 Miles or grab your friends for the extreme relay. Pair all of this with some sweet swag and you've got the makings of a seriously kick butt day!

2018-02-21 - Do your running homework

randy freep There are only a couple more weeks of off season running then... No more mister nice guy! In January we make our spring race plans, in February, we ramp up the mileage and jiggle off the winter pounds. Your homework is to write a training schedule; it will be your coach. The schedule will always be there telling you when you miss a day! Find a schedule that you believe in and use it as a base. Tweak it to your real life schedule and mileage and it will be a key part of your get out the door arsenal.

Did you do your homework? Did you run today?

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner with his spreadsheet open and calendar in hand.

PS: Need a little help on your training plan? The Martian Invasion of Races is back in Dearborn, MI on April 14, 2018. We've got distances (AND TRAINING PLANS) for everyone! Try 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, 26K or Full Marathon! This fast course race with SWEET SWAG is an awesome spring goal races.

PS: Need a summer goal? Running Between the Vines is host to Michigan's most beautiful Half Marathon! Join us for 5K, 5 Mile (or both!) or the Half Marathon in Jackson, MI on August 18, 2018. Don't miss the great wine, good times and beautiful vines. We've got training plans for all distances and we promise YOU CAN DO THIS!

2018-02-14 - Short & Sweet Runs

randy flowers When asked how far we ran today or what race we are running next, I'm sure we have all at some time answered, I "only" ran 3 miles, or I'm "only" doing the 5K, or I'm "only" doing the half ... I'm here to tell you, NEVER short change your run, never give excuses or apologies for any run or race! Every step counts , every run you head out to do is amazing and no matter how it goes, you should be proud of the effort and share your run proudly! Never, use the word "ONLY" when describing your run! Which brings me to next words you will never say ... "I'm not really a runner". If you are thinking, I just put in a few miles a couple times a week, or, I have never run a marathon, I don't deserve to be thought of as a runner, I'm here to tell you, YOU ARE A RUNNER! If you lace up your shoes and head out the door for a run of any distance on any regular basis, even a mile a week every Saturday morning, YOU ARE a runner! As the rest of the world sits around in a couch potato haze, you have the courage to head out the door.

Run proud and inspire others,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who recently used the word "only" to describe my day's run to a sedentary friend who had asked how far I had just ran ... And as I said it, it struck me that they may find this description as arrogant and perhaps demeaning to their lifestyle. Dang. As I've said, I write this midweek to myself.

PS: you are FREE to buy CELEBRATORY CHAMPAGNE after the MARTIAN INVASION OF RACES! The Martian Invasion of Races is back in Dearborn, MI and more space-tastic than ever. Be there April 14, 2018 for 5K, 10K, 13.1M, 26K, or 26.2M. Sweet Swag, fast course and EVEN MORE MARTIANS!

PS: RF Events is excited to bring back the Trails in Motion Film Festival to SE Michigan! Films will play from 2:00PM-4:20PM on March 10, 2018 at the Farmington Civic Theater. Join like minded trail runners and adventure sports enthusiasts for a collection of the finest trail and ultra running films! Tickets are $15 and include an invite to meet up afterwards at a local watering hole.

2018-02-07 - Winter isn't quitting... Neither are we

anna winter Get those Yak Trax out, runners, because winter is here to stay! A quick glance at the snow forecast reveals that our daily runs are going to be if nothing else... AN ADVENTURE! Instead of cursing Punxsutawney Phil and throwing in the towel, let's get out the door and show winter what we're made of. How do we do it? Here are some basics to make this a little easier:

Invest in some traction devices or a good pair of trail shoes. Both work well in snow and ice. Be sure to pair those grippy shoes with winter weather appropriate clothing and layer up because you're always better safe than sorry!
Run short and low. Shortening your stride and keeping your feet close to the ground will reduce your risk of slipping, falling or straining something!
Slow down! Yes, you heard me, give yourself a break. Getting out the door in these conditions is way more than half the battle so take the pressure off your pace and take it easy out there.
Winter will eventually end and the snow will melt, so savor these fun, snowy adventures while we've got 'em,

Baby goat, a not quite as obsessed runner who read the 10 day forecast and is committed to the FUN runs ahead.

PS: you are FREE to buy BEER after the MARTIAN INVASION OF RACES! Do I have your attention? The Martian Invasion of Races is back in Dearborn, MI and more space-tastic than ever. Be there April 14, 2018 for 5K, 10K, 13.1M, 26K, or 26.2M. Sweet Swag, fast course and EVEN MORE MARTIANS!

PS: RF Events is excited to bring back the Trails in Motion Film Festival to SE Michigan! Films will play from 2:00PM - 4:20PM on March 10, 2018 at the Farmington Civic Theater. Join like minded trail runners and adventure sports enthusiasts for a collection of the finest trail and ultra running films! Tickets are $15 and include an invite to meet up afterwards at a local watering hole.

2018-01-31 - Even runners get the flu

randy flowers My weekly goal is to motivate us out the door but the goal also includes keeping us healthy so we miss as few days as possible. As runners, we get a ton of physical and mental health benefits from our lifestyle, unfortunately, susceptibility to the flu is not one of them, dang. I have several friends fighting the flu currently and I sure don't want to join them. Us runners need to take the same precautions as the rest of the world including hand washing, not touching our mouth, eyes or nose between washings and getting the flu shot. Yes, get out the door for your run but this time of the year, take recovery days after hard or long workouts and after a hard run. We need to be additionally cautious around crowds or anyone who might be contagious because our immune system will be a bit compromised until we recover. So, no kissing strangers after your long runs, until after May 1st!

Run, rest, wash your hands and we can hug again in the spring,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who once again wrote this, mostly as a reminder to myself, as usual.

PS: LAST CHANCE FOR THE LOWEST PRICE! Join us this Sunday, February 4, 2018 at the Super 5K in Novi, MI to earn your spot on the couch before the big game! Sweet swag, killer halfWAY show, Roary the lion, Detroit Lions legend Jason Hanson on site, JUNK FOOD... what more could you ask for in a 5K?! Online registration closes at NOON on Friday, February 2nd, register now!

2018-01-24 - The running time machine

randy trail Last night I put in some miles on the streets where my running passion first bloomed. It was the 35th anniversary run of the Redford, now Northville, Road Runners Club. I headed out with many members of the same crew I ran with 35 years before. Admittedly, we looked like caricatures of those young, fast, punks of old but as the pace quickened and the break-away groups formed, the same old running magic was there. I jumped into a pack I thought I could hang with and as we put the hammer down and got into a groove, I felt we were in a running time machine. Sure, I was working as hard as I did back then at a pace a couple minutes per mile slower, but unless I looked at a watch, that seemed pretty irrelevant. Dig it.

May we run forever,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who knows only too well that life can turn on a dime and running does not give us any type of immortality. Yes, it's not about how long we live but how we live each precious day. Tonight I returned from a funeral home where one of Michigan's most fun, caring, giving gracious and competitive athletes, Karen Perzyk, KP, age 49, lay dead, just 8 weeks after her cancer diagnosis and just a few months after running a world class time in a full Ironman Triathlon. RIP Karen, and thanks for showing us how to live life fully to the end.

New Year's Day has officially moved to March 1st!

randy sunglasses Soon after becoming dictator, Julius Caesar decided that the traditional Roman calendar should start in January, not the traditional March date. The average January temp in Rome is around 50 degrees, so I guess Julius figured it was a good time of year to make fitness resolutions. I've decided to stick to the old calendar, if you want to join me we still have some time to dream up our resolutions, especially when it comes to running! That said, we also have time to pick some target events to run this year, or should I say... next year, after March 1st! Let's kick the year off at Shamrocks & Shenanigans 5K & 1K, March 10th in Ann Arbor. 100% of the bottom line goes to Save A Heart, an organization which benefits the Congenital Heart Center at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. The event donated over $30,000 last year!

Let is snow, we have time!

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner ... Running late.

PS: HUT, HUT, Join us before the big game and earn your spot on the couch! The Super 5K Roadrace on February 4, 2018 in Novi, MI will get you in the game day spirit... and wait until you see the post race spread! Multi-functional headwear and touch screen gloves to all entrants, medals and pint glasses to all finishers!

PS: By the time April rolls around your new resolutions will be in full swing. Join us April 14, 2018 in Dearborn, MI for the Martian Invasion of Races 5K, 10K, 13.1M, 26K, 26.2M and Kids' Marathon! Sweet suncatcher fill medals to all finishers, tech shirts to all entrants... Join the invasion!

2018-01-10 - I admit I'm cheating winter a bit

randy flowers I jumped in my car to get to a place to run out of the wind and cold ... And 18 hours later ended up in Florida. Watching the temp on the dash work its way from -7 to 80 was highly motivational! A couple audio books helped make the drive less painful. I've been enjoying tropical trail runs and will sneak in a half marathon this weekend before heading back on Monday. If at all possible, punch a hole in winter with a warm escape, just another tool to get us through. Next weekend, January 20, I'll be road tripping up to Traverse City for the Bigfoot 5K and 10K snowshoe slog, come join me! Life it too short not to throw in a spur of the moment road trip, north or south.

Do something spontaneous,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, running shirtless today.

PS: Get out your green gear, shamrockers, the Shamrocks and Shenanigans 5K and 1K are back and more shamrockin' than ever! Hit the streets of downtown Ann Arbor with us on Sunday morning, March 11th, 2018. All proceeds of this charity event support Save A Heart, an organization that raises funds for the patients and families of the Congenital Heart Center at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.