RandyStep.com - Obsessed Runner

2016-12-29 - A time for totals

randy freep As we log the final miles of the running year, I'm reminded of the tremendous motivational value of keeping a log. (plenty of phone apps out there to help with this, I'm a fan of the free version of Strava). For some of us, our best race times are in the past but streaks and total mileage personal records are always out there. Totals, like the most mileage ran in a day, a week, a year. Streaks, like the most days ran in a row or some other motivational streak like number of weeks in a row that you ran at least 3 days. I'm sure many of you are looking at the year's totals and are getting out the door trying to hit a number with value to YOU. 500 miles, 1,000 miles, whatever, 200 days of running for the year ... If you don't keep a log, may I suggest you add it to your resolutions?

Every run counts, especially if you count them,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, with a pile of running logs from over the years to prove it ... some years better than others but always excited to plan for the next!

PS:Resolve to TRI in the new year! Everybody's favorite jurassic Summer Triathlon Series is back, hit the beach with us all summer long:Triceratops Tri - June 21, Pterodactyl Tri - July 19, and T-Rex Tri August 23!

PS: Hit the trails... and the road with us in 2017! Registration for all 3 Dances With Dirt races is now open! Gnaw Bone, IN - May 13, Devil's Lake, WI - July 8, HELL, MI - September 23

2016-12-22 - 'Tis the season to fit in a run

randy freep Personal time is precious in this busy holiday season and there is no better or efficient way to spend it than on the daily run. The satisfaction we get from our effort, pace, distance covered and dedication to our sport, especially in winter, assures us that we did not squander the gift. We return to our hectic lives mentally charged and ready to share ourselves (A better self) with the world again. Running, the gift that keeps on giving...

On race day, our personal pursuits come together as we share our pain, pleasure, glory and even defeat, taking the running experience to the astral plane, elevating the joy of a life fully lived to a place unexplainable to the non-running world. Be sure to give yourself the gift of motivation for the New Year, no goal is attained without setting it first. Click and commit! http://rfevents.com/event-calendar

A time to get the max from the minimum,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who knows that even a short run can be sweet, so squeeze one in!

PS: Resolve to TRI in the new year! Everybody's favorite Summer Jurassic Triathlon Series is back, hit the beach with us all summer long:Triceratops Tri - June 21, Pterodactyl Tri - July 19, and T-Rex Tri August 23!

PS: Hit the trails... and the road with us in 2017! Registration for all 3 Dances With Dirt races is now open! Gnaw Bone, IN - May 13, Devil's Lake, WI - July 8, HELL, MI - September 23... DANCESWITHDIRT.COM

2016-12-15 - All runs are a gift

randy freep Some days the run comes to us like a wrapped gift, like an inheritance from a long lost relative that is unexpected, but makes us smile. Other days, the run is a bloody battle with ourselves, the elements, and seemingly uncontrollable forces of the universe, teaming up against us. When we get these runs done, it's not with a smile but a personal pride that runs down to our soul, giving us a glimpse of strength and courage we may not have known we had.

Fight the good fight,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who says, bring it on!

PS: Registration for the Thirsty 3 Series is open!This not-so-serious running and drinking series will take you on a tour to 3 of Michigan's finest locally made beer, wine and hard cider properties. Learn more HERE!

PS: Registration for all three Serious Series races is OPEN! Join us at one or all three for some awesome trail running. Head to Pinckney, MI on April 29th and 30th for Trail Weekend 5 Mile, 13.1M, 26.2M and 50K! Make your way to Novi, MI on June 3rd for Flirt With Dirt, a fun 5K and 10K. Round it all out in Laingsburg, MI on August 5th at The Legend 5M, 10M and 13.1M... Enter if you dare!

2016-12-08 - The Obsessed Runner explains

randy freep When I say I am an admitted obsessed runner, it doesn't necessarily mean I run as much as others I know, or as fast. Actually, because of my passion for everything running, I may actually be a bit conservative with my personal running knowing that overuse injuries can stop me from my daily run, a painful reality I have learned over my 40 years as a runner. I also make family a priority ahead of my running, knowing that my life without them would be a life without joy, including my running life. That said, I have made running a major focus, from starting running clubs, opening a chain of running stores (Running Fit),starting RF Events which produces 26 annual runs, (like Dances With Dirt, Run Woodstock and The Martian Invasion of Races) that keep me busy around the clock half the weekends of the year... Not to mention, running in races most other weekends. So yes, almost every aspect of my daily life including most thoughts and dreams make me an admitted obsessed runner.

Run smart, run forever,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who gets to spend most of my day surrounded by the creative, passionate runners on staff at RF Events, runners that work hard all year to create the kind of events that will keep our passion alive.

PS: Have you heard? Registration for all three Serious Series races is OPEN! Join us at one or all three for some awesome trail running. Head to Pinckney, MI on April 29th and 30th for Trail Weekend 5 Mile, 13.1M, 26.2M and 50K! Make your way to Novi, MI on June 3rd for Flirt With Dirt, a fun 5K and 10K. Round it all out in Laingsburg, MI on August 5th at The Legend 5M, 10M, and 13.1M... Enter if you dare!

2016-12-01 - High of 29, are you ready?

randy freep The long term weather forecast shows a high of 29 a week from today, will you be ready to run? Now is the time to make sure you have the proper winter run gear so you won't have an excuse to not get out the door! Jacket, gloves, hats, wicking layers, shoe traction like Yaktrax or something similar and a small running pack to shed layers or put them on. That said, just getting this stuff together can get you excited about the challenge of a wintery run. Don't procrastinate, get ready today!

Be prepared ... To run!

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, who wrote this to guilt myself into preparing ... Today!

PS: Another way to enjoy the winter runs is to plan a winter escape or two. I find breaking winter into manageable pieces helps get us through winter with our running intact. A perfect way to split the season is to join us in the sun the week of February 10-17, an all-inclusive trip to the Mayan Riviera, YIKES! Deadline to sign up is next Monday, December 5th. I'll throw a party at my house to get to know each other before we go, a week out on Feb. 3rd. Email me with questions!

PS: Santa's Helpers needed! Saturday Afternoon, December 10th in Dexter, MI, for the Holiday Hustle. A time to give back to the sport ... And get a $30 race voucher for a future event! Your help will make a $10,000 donation to local charities possible!

2016-11-24 - Run short... but run

randy freep These are the times that try runner's souls, the long, dark, cold, busy, days of the holiday season. A time full of excuses, a time when just getting out the door for a run requires super human strength. This is a time to make a personal commitment to consistency. Perhaps a self-promise to get out the door no less than 3 days a week for no less than 3 miles, or any bare minimum numbers that give you some sense of fulfillment. Forget training schedules and the high mileage weeks of the past, pick numbers that won't scare you off from the daily run. Perhaps a new mantra, short runs, that get done, rule!

Hang tough and get out the door,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who will be rooting for you ... And me!

PS: The next couple months are a time to enjoy a few silly, fun races just to see the other runners who are managing some consistency so you know you are not alone! Perhaps I'll see you at the Holiday Hustle 5K December 10th, http://runholiday5k.com/. The Bigfoot Snowshoe 5K & 10K January 21st http://runsnow.com/ or the Super 5K, Sunday February 5th, http://runsuperbowl.com/ by then it will be time to fire up the mileage for spring ... So enjoy the break!

2016-11-17 - Run and give thanks

randy freep We are blessed to be runners and this glorious November weather is just another reason for us to give thanks. I'm a huge fan of Thanksgiving day, a time to count our many blessings, a day to run, then get together with friends and family, a time to use the words "thank you" a lot. Not all our days will be diamonds and we will all face dark days, this is the season that reminds us to find ways to bring some light to the darkness others are facing today.

Run and give thanks,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who is blessed.

PS: Yes, Thanksgiving Day is a week off but by next Wednesday we will be in full Holiday mode and ignoring email!

PS: The Ann Arbor Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day will be donating at least $5,000 to the Chad Tough Foundation, if you click here and watch the video, warning, it won't be without tears. http://www.chadtough.org/ Join us Thanks Giving morning as we sweat, smile and give thanks together as a running community and yes, earn our spot on the couch and show off our fun Turkey finisher's medals. Enter at http://theturkeytrot.com/ Your entry will add a couple more bucks to our donation. Please consider making an additional donation if you can.

PS: Speaking of giving back, registration is now open for the Shamrocks and Shenanigans 5K and 1K on March 12, 2017! A fun run around downtown Ann Arbor with GREAT swag to support an AWESOME cause. Shamrocks and Shenanigans benefits Save A Heart, an organization that raises funds to benefit patients and their families at the Michigan Congenital Heart Center at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. Check it out: http://runshamrocks.com!

2016-11-10 - Run away from politics

randy freep The ability to endure that we learn from our running life may not have seemed helpful when it came to this seemingly endless election year. That said, running does give us a place to sort out the world, it gives us time alone, away from the media, the pundits' and the rhetoric, a time to clear our heads enjoy the simple freedoms we have in this amazing county.

May your run give you peace and renewed hope,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who has a hard time thinking pessimistically on the run, and I like that.

PS: Psssssssst... Once in a lifetime deal here... We're proud of you for surviving a chaotic election year. As a reward, we are opening up the floodgates on the ever elusive Dances With Dirt Hell Relay! Grab a team and secure your spot! Spots are first come first serve, nab one here! Not sure what the Dances With Dirt Hell Relay is? Get the scoop here.

PS: Did you know that age group winners, 5 deep in 5 year age groups get pumpkin pies at the Ann Arbor Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning? Did you also know they give awards to the top 3 ugliest sweaters, top 3 best holiday themed costumes, and awards to the top themed group of 5 or more people! To top it all off... hot chocolate will be served, and the turkey finisher's medal for the 5K is awesome! Enter today at theturkeytrot.com.

2016-11-03 - The power of the run

randy freep I love extremes ... But I must admit, glorious fall days also rock the run! Don't you love a fall run that starts in the cold, dark morning, heads through a breathtaking sunrise, then, as the day quickly heats up, leaves you sweating like it's a summer day! There is a bit of magic in a run that takes you from cold to warm, and night into day. It's not easy to explain, but it seems to give the satisfaction and feeling of a very long run in just a short time, powerful, like a run that lasted 2 days and only took an hour!

Get out there,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who loves the power of the run.

PS: The Martian Invasion of races is back and better than ever. Join us April 22, 2017 in Dearborn, MI, on Planet Earth for 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, 26K, Full Marathon or Kids' Marathon! A fun theme, a distance for everybody, NEW Half and Full Marathon courses, and glow in the dark medals for ALL finishers! martianraces.com

2016-10-26 - The Passionate Runner

randy running This running and fitness lifestyle is a blessing. I cannot imagine life without a passion, better yet, a positive passion. I was driving behind a truck with lots of stickers about field training dogs, dog events, even a dog vanity plate. Much of it made no sense to me... much like a 26.2 sticker might not make sense to them, but you could feel the passion. The meaning of life? Perhaps not, but certainly a huge and important part to a fulfilled and complete life, making getting out the door a priority you don't want to mess with! Get out and run, it is essential for your happiness and wellbeing. How's that for justification!

Run, be fulfilled and if you want to, put an oval sticker on your car!

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who is blessed with a passion

PS: HUT! HUT! Registration for the Super 5K is now open! Join us Sunday morning, February 5th in Novi, MI for a fun 5K with tons of SWAG! Get off the couch and get your run in before the big game. Check it out HERE!

PS: Please consider joining up for a bit of Trail Clean up on the Dances With Dirt and Run Woodstock trails. This is an opportunity for us that use the trails, to maintain the trails we share with others, and those that need trail volunteering for certain races, and for those that want to help and make a little piece of the planet a bit nicer. Bring work gloves, and optionally, a brush trimming tool of some kind. Click here for more.