RandyStep.com - Obsessed Runner

2017-08-17 - Be prepared to run!

randy flowers

Have you ever been asked to go on a run, or find yourself with the time to sneak in a run and can't because you don't have your running gear with you? I was watching the Weather Channel and they had on a survival expert that talked about what you should have in your emergency "Bug Out Bag" in your car. Not much of an expert I'd say, he didn't even include running shoes and apparel! If you haven't already, stash some old shoes and gear into your emergency bag in your car, It's also good to have a kit under your desk at work and anywhere else you may find yourself with a run opportunity. Be prepared!

May your next run be an unplanned adventure,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who ended up at an appointment yesterday that got pushed back 2 hours, leaving plenty of time to get on my stuff and run some nearby trails I have not been on in years.

PS: FREE WINE! FREE PARTY! Do I have your attention? We want YOU on the Uncorked Crew this weekend at Running Between the Vines. Join us at Sandhill Crane Vineyards in Jackson,MI Saturday, August 19th, 2017! $30 race voucher, fun volunteer shirt, custom wine glass and an invitation to the post race party for all volunteers! Check it out!

2017-08-10 - Don't sacrifice the gift

randy flowers I'm currently running pain free with no excuses to miss my daily run. That said, yesterday it struck me that I was taking these healthy days for granted, not feeling blessed to just be able to lace 'em up and head out the door. It's so true, "you don't know what you've got till it's gone". 6 months ago, I was on the injured list and would have given anything just to get in a pain free run ... And yesterday, I blew off the daily run just because I didn't get around to it and the day and the opportunity slipped on by. I was reminded of a quote from one of America's greatest distance runners, Steve Prefontane, "To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift." The daily run is surely a gift to us all.

Don't sacrifice the gift,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, heading out the door to experience the precious gift I have been given.

PS: Give the gift of VOLUNTEERING! Join us on the Uncorked Crew at Running Between the Vines in Jackson, MI on August 19, 2017 for a wine-tacular time! NOW OPEN, Run Woodstock Roadie 2017 registration is OPEN! Get your groove on and check out all the volunteer opportunities HERE.

PS: Local life-long runner and friend, Tracey Cohen, has just published her second book, Six Word Lessons on the Sport of Running: 100 Lessons to Enjoy Running for a Lifetime. A short and powerful book that I believe can change lives, if put in the right hands. I believe it is the perfect gift for us to give to a non-running friend. That said, I enjoyed the read, a refreshing reminder of all aspects of our sport.

2017-08-03 - Running, classic rock, yoga, and... classic Randy

randy highschool We are just over 5 weeks out from Run Woodstock, a healing, soul cleansing weekend to release our inner hippy, get in some miles and let it all hang out. Trail runs and hikes, yoga, classic rock bands, healthy food trucks and a chance to camp out on the land with all the beautiful people. For those of you who find this life too hectic to escape it for a weekend, you NEED this most. Walk into camp with your tent, running shoes and a cooler and walk out renewed, recharged and fulfilled. A small running festival with big rewards, join me the weekend after Labor Day.

Dig?

Randy Step an admitted obsessed runner and old hippie at heart.

PS: Give back to your running community! We have some great volunteer opportunities coming up this month. Take the dare in Laingsburg at The Legend, strike a pose and help out on Belle Isle at the Red Carpet Run or take a stroll through the vineyard vines at Running Between the Vines! Check them out here.

PS: Have you heard the holiday news? Registration for the Run Scream Run 5K, 10K and Cider Mill Mile, 10K and Cider Mill Mile, The Ann Arbor Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5K and Tot Trot, and the Holiday Hustle 5K and 1 Mile are ALL OPEN! As an added bonus for 2017... run all 3 to complete the Holiday Trio Series. Check out the registration pages for more details.

2017-07-26 - Don't let ego ruin your run

randy flowers Lately I've been catching myself getting hung up on total miles and the average pace of my daily runs no thanks to technology tracking on Strava, Garmin or whatever... you get the idea. I realize these stats are often a trap that keep us from getting in the hard and invaluable workouts we should be doing; runs with killer hills or tough courses with tricky footing that develop our balance and strengthen the ancillary muscles. These are the kind of runs that will keep us from overuse injuries and make us stronger, faster, and tougher. Flat paved runs produce numbers that on the surface may look impressive but don't tell much of the real story. As I've said, I write this blog pretty much for myself and what I know I need to hear. That said, I ran 5 miles today at an average pace of 11:24 ... I'm sure I could have easily ran today's 5 mile lunch run at 9:10 pace on subdivision streets, but kicked myself in the butt and hit the steepest, toughest, 5 mile trail route locally that I know of, with 673' of gain and brutal, root leaping downhills. I'm sore, spent... and smiling. Dig it.

Don't let ego get in the way of an awesome run ... A run only you will know was awesome,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who admits to running wimpy routes at times ... But not today. Dare to run great.

PS: CHAMPAGNE, BEER, GLAMOUR, MUSIC... Do I have your attention? Join me on Belle Isle August 12, 2017 for a Saturday evening 5K with a Champagne finish! Shirts to all entrants and medals to all finishers. Check out redcarpetrun.com for all the details!

2017-07-12 - Enjoy your miserable run

randy flowers Hot muggy days sure make our sport an efficient use of time, a short run packs a big punch, giving us tremendous satisfaction for just getting out there! That said, I continue to appreciate the honest simplicity of our sport, especially while watching the Tour De France, where a lead rider can lose precious time to mechanical failure, and where one rider has a technical advantage over another due to better equipment. Relying only on our own body and mind, and with minimal equipment, our efforts are clearly rewarded.

Get out and enjoy the heck out of today's miserable run,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who is enjoying 60 minutes of sweat ... After a 30 minute run!

2017-06-28 - Savor the pain

randy trail I ran long on Saturday and as I was getting out of bed Sunday morning I realized I was stiff and sore ... And then a smile crossed my face. The pain and fatigue felt the days after we complete a hard workout or race plays a part in the personal satisfaction we get as runners who take our bodies to the limit. Pain and fatigue proves to us that we gave it our all and left nothing back. We were honest with ourselves and know that we dug deep, mentally and physically. When we take ourselves to the crumbling edge we gain insight into who we are and who we might be and each time we move the edge out a bit. The world is full of people just existing, many in a couch potato haze. As runners, we know what it feels like to be totally ragged and spent by our own fruition, we know what it feels like to be fully alive and firing on all cylinders.

Take it to the limit, one more time,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who can't wait to wake up in pain again, hopefully soon.

PS: Our Inaugural Oberun 5K is sold out... but we still want you on the BREW CREW! Volunteers receive cool volunteer swag, a $30 coupon toward any future RF Events' Event and more!

2017-06-21 - So what if your run sucks?

randy flowers We have all had times that we feel disappointed in ourselves by our performance. Examples: not running our goal at a race we trained hard for and were ready for, or when we head out for a training run we cut short or walk due to fatigue, lack of motivation or whatever. When the run goes bad, we need to remember that running is what we do for fun; it's what we do to escape stress. (Yes, I go back to this theme often ... Because I need to hear it.) When we lace up our shoes and race or just head out the door for the daily run, we have already won, we are experiencing the gift, we are living our passion. However the run goes is part of the adventure. With the right attitude, our ugly run might be the most memorable, perhaps a learning experience or one that leaves us with a story to tell.

No matter how much your run sucks, it's nothing compared to how much not running sucks,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who has had a streak of crappy runs, runs that still add miles to my log and totals that make me smile.

PS: Join us for 5K, 5 Mile, or Half Marathon in Jackson, MI on August 19th, 2017 for Running Between the Vines! Running, cheese, chocolate and WINE... what could be better?

PS: The Inaugural Oberun 5K registration for the VOLUNTEER BREW CREW IS OPEN! Check out all the details here!

2017-06-14 - Cold rags and running

randy flowers

We are pretty excited about our Zero Waste progress at RF Events, with an average of over 90% diversion from the landfill over the last year! Today we hit a dilemma... On hot event days in the past (it looks to be

toasty Saturday for our Canton Liberty Fest Run) we passed out ice water soaked, non-recyclable rags at the aid stations. After a bit of brainstorming today on keeping sustainable, we dug out some leftover cotton race shirts from the past and cut them into 1,200 rags! We should be able to pass them out, pick them up and wash them to cool down future runners!

Run cool and sustainably,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who loves extremes, so needless to say, I'm diggin' this heatwave running!
P.S. We could use a few extra hands at the race Saturday to help keep the runners cool. Click this link to volunteer, you'll get a flashy shirt, a $30 voucher for future events and you will feel cool, for giving back to our sport! If you'd like to run Saturday and experience a cold rag on your head, click this link to enter the fun!

PS: Join us for 5K, 5 Mile, or Half Marathon in Jackson, MI on August 19th, 2017 for Running Between the Vines! Running, cheese, chocolate and WINE... what could be better?

2017-06-07 - Sunshine and Sympathy

randy trail First off, thanks for opening and reading my weekly run mail! That said, this week, 2 people unsubscribed for the same reason "I am currently injured and will res-subscribe when I'm running again." I guess my motivational attempts are salt on the wounds. Dang. There are plenty of days where it is a challenge to write my "get out the door" ideas as I myself am gimping on the sidelines, so I get it at some level ... And today is one of those days! I often write about the days when the motivation to get out the door for a run is just not there. On the flip side, when you are faced with a glorious running day and can't run due to injury, sympathy is in order, and because we are all runners, empathy also. Perhaps I should start each week's run mail with, "If you are healthy and thinking of skipping the run today, READ this!"

Run if you can, rest if you should,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who does not need sympathy just yet, give it a couple days and I'll let you know.

PS: Our friends over at the Milford Athletic Club are putting on a Triathlon Clinic! Join them Saturday, June 17th in Milford, MI for this clinic that will cover training plans, gear, race strategies and more! CLICK HERE for more info!

PS: We're over 9 weeks out from the Running Between the Vines, there is still plenty of time to train for Michigan's most BEAUTIFUL Half Marathon! Not quite ready for Half? Join us for the 5K, 5 Mile.. or both! Running, cheese, chocolate and WINE in Jackson, MI on August 19th, 2017... what could be better?

2017-05-31 - Set a date!

anna3 Hey Midweek Runmailers, Baby Goat here! The Head Goat is off in the swamp so I thought I'd hop in and help you get your butt out the door. Summer is practically here and the days have been GLORIOUS, giving me zero excuses for not getting out the door for a run... but I'm still having a tough time. I put off picking my fall and summer races but the time has come. I've always found if you set a date, the training will (for the most part) follow! I'm all about progress, NOT perfection. So set your date, write your schedule, and don't beat yourself up too badly if it doesn't go exactly according to plan! Pick a short term and a long term goal and keep them realistic. Remember, this is what we do for FUN! Need a little inspiration? I learned how to throw in a shameless plug from the G.O.A.T (but we really are good at what we do!), check out the RF Events Race Calendar and be sure to bug me about how my training is going when you see me out there.

Set those dates and the miles will follow,

Anna Step Przybylski, an admittedly not quite as obsessed runner whose fall ultra training starts today!

PS: Kick off summer with a volunteer gig at Flirt With Dirt on Saturday, June 3rd in Novi, MI! This will get you set up with a $30 voucher to use towards any future RF Events' Event, volunteer swag, and a million thanks! Volunteering is a great way to ease into the racing scene for the summer, check it out here!

PS: We're over 10 weeks out from the Running Between the Vines, there is still plenty of time to train for Michigan's most BEAUTIFUL Half Marathon! Not quite ready for Half? Join us for the 5K, 5 Mile.. or both! Running, cheese, chocolate and WINE in Jackson, MI on August 19th, 2017... what could be better?