2016-05-25 - Enjoy a bit of "Still Life"

A line I use often, "listen to your body, except when you're in a race!" The reality is that when racing you flirt with your limits, your body will often yell, "back off!" This inner struggle might go on 'til the finish, and perhaps end with a personal best! (I'm not saying to ignore increasing pain from potential injury, that, you pay attention to!)  However, when it comes to the daily run, your body is your partner, when it throws fatigue and lethargy at you, this is not a time to push through it or the hole (depression) you are digging might swallow you. Give it a break, take some time to look around at this amazing world in slow motion, enjoy a bit of "still life". Tomorrow, or perhaps the day after, our mind and body will be ready to put the hammer down again.

Run smart, run forever,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner ... Who recently realized, you can't really look carefully at the delicate pedals of a flower on the run, even at a slow pace.

PS: Speaking of taking the time to look around at this amazing world, consider joining us as a volunteer! Flirt With Dirt in Novi, MI on June 4th is the perfect opportunity to give back and enjoy the sport we love from the sidelines! All volunteers receive a great shirt, $30 voucher towards a future RF Events' race, appreciation from race participants and a sweet invite to our super secret annual volunteer party! Check it out HERE!

2016-05-18 - Run and amaze yourself

I go back to certain themes in my midweek running rant because they bear repeating. OK, the truth is, I need to hear them again. Our running is ours alone, we should NEVER compare ourselves to others. Our genetics, our past medical history, what we do outside of our running, for pleasure, for work, all come into play, we are a study of one. A 10 minute pace run with your body might in reality be a more of an impressive athletic accomplishment than a 7 minute pace by someone else. When we let ego into our running, we not only risk injury, we are not true to ourselves, we diminish the essence of what is special about our running life.

Run and amaze yourself,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, who cheers on each race finisher ... because it's impossible to know whose victory is the sweetest.

PS: Get out your red, white and plaid! We want YOU to join us June 18th in Canton, MI for the insanely silly Canton Liberty 5K, 10K and 1 Mile parade fun run! Cantonlibertyrun.com

PS: Join us June 4th in Novi, MI, the land of malls and mansions, for a beautiful single track run through the woods, Flirt With Dirt 5K and 10K! You won't believe Novi's hidden gem, Lakeshore Park. We love this low key dirt run and you will too! runflirt.com Get out and run!

2016-05-11 - Savor each day

Remember your mom trying to get you to eat every scrap on your plate by saying, "there are starving people in the world!" ... As if your eating will help someone from starving, but for sure it would piss off a starving person to watch you waste food! So, If you are healthy and able to run and blowing off the run for some lame reason, just think about the injured runners out there who would do almost anything to be in your shoes! Ok, once again as I think about it, your miles won't do a thing for someone who can't run but ... It does piss me off to know you're not doing everything you can to get out the door!

Don't waste the run, or anything else,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, on the mend with a deep understanding of savoring every healthy day.

2016-05-04 - Morning Rush Run

With all the construction going on, running to work, or at least part of the way to work, is not only an environmentally friendly and rewarding experience but offers an added time management perk if you can escape wasted time in morning traffic. The excuse is often that there is no shower at work. The answer is to shower and prepare for work before you head out on the run, you will need to remember to leave a set of work clothes at the office along with any make up or other prep items you need to look ready for the day. Because sweat is sterile, and you just took a shower, as long as you run in clean running gear, there is no "smell" associated with your workout. Leaving a clean towel at work to dry off the sweat is another item to pack. Even better, leave a set of this stuff at work all the time to give you even more flexibility. And yes, you can put on the dirty stuff to run home in! Don't live close enough? No excuse! Find a park and ride or place a runnable distance from work, perhaps saving parking fees for some of us!

Enjoy the morning "rush",

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who finds myself changing in my car more often than in my home.

PS: Get out of town and escape Michigan Construction season! Join the Dirt Crew in Gnaw Bone, Indiana for a Dirt Dancin' good time on May 14th! toughest 10K in the world, extreme 13.1M, 26.2M, 50K and 50M in the breathtaking natural beauty of the wicked trails in Brown County Indiana. http://dwdgnawbone.com

2016-04-27 - Celebrating 2 million years of obsessed running!

Humans have been running around the planet for around 2 million years, living on the front lines, chasing down dinner and celebrating the survival of another day. Evolution tweaked us into amazing running machines. My guess is that until the arrival of civilization, women and men both put in 70 to 100 mile weeks of running at a level that today we would call world class. That said, for our running future as a species, it's time to use it or lose it. Let's get out and hammer! It's time to protect what we've been blessed with and pass it on.

Run and evolve to perfection,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner ... let's call it instinct.

PS: Join us as we celebrate surviving another day next week at Hightail to Ale, a keg party with a 5K warmup! Civilization started with the brewing of barley beer... and that is something to celebrate! hightailtoale.com

2016-04-20 - May you find a route that becomes an old friend

30 years ago my friend Jeff Gaft introduced me to Pinckney Recreation Area's Potawatomi Trail, a hilly monster that goes past a dozen lakes in a Pure Michigan wonderland, a trail that to this day continues to beat me up and keep me honest. I find it helps to have a running loop to call your own, a route special to you, a place to run home to.  When I run Poto, it brings on a flood of memories. At times I'll remember exactly what I was thinking at the exact same points on the trail,  perhaps on a similar day 10 years earlier. These thoughts will often intertwine with whatever my current day's thoughts or worries are and help to ground me and give me answers.

May you find a route that becomes an old friend,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who will be celebrating my 30th year with my old friend Poto this weekend.

PS: Join me with over a thousand of my running friends this weekend on Poto for 5, 13.1, 26.2 or 31 miles of new memories. http://trailmarathon.com/

PS: This is also the weekend of the International Trails In Motion Running Film festival. These 7 short films add up to 2 incredibly motivational and breathtaking hours. Join me Saturday afternoon in Dexter. https://runningfitevents.redpodium.com/trails-in-motion-film-festival  After the films, I will head for a beer at the Null Tap House, join me! http://www.nulltaphouse.com/nl/index

2016-04-14 - Obsessed running loser

I usually get out for a run before attempting to write an inspirational midweek runmail but due to an ugly, medial collateral ligament, I'm composing this at a time when I'm not able to put in miles. I admit it's hard not to feel like a loser and a charleton while writing as the obsessed runner but not to worry,  I'll recover and I do have a diversified portfolio to keep up the endorphins and reduce my losses as I've suggested to all of you in past midweeks. I ride a bike, put in laps in the pool and get my yoga buzz on. Perhaps this week's message will be a good reminder for all of us to do our core work and to up the spring miles with a bit of caution. Let this also be a sympathetic message for those of you on the sidelines, you are not alone! That said, for you healthy people, do not use this message as any kind of lame excuse for not getting your butt out the door, putting in the hard work and lining up to test yourself at the weekend races!  

Run smart, recover smart,

 Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, even when I'm not able to run.

 PS: Join me for a couple hours of inspirational running films, a week from Saturday, April 23rd, 2:30 PM in Dexter, MI, when the Trails In Motion, international trail running film festival comes to Michigan for the first time! Tickets here!

2016-04-06 - Fell off the running wagon? Running will welcome you back!

We strive for the complete fitness lifestyle, eating healthy, getting in the scheduled runs, workouts, core work, sleep, and getting in the personal best shape of our lives ... The reality for many of us are far too many days with work and family issues that get out of control, leaving us with no time for the workout, skipping meals and skipping sleep. Worse yet, we may follow it up with an overindulgent night out that we trick ourselves into thinking we deserve as the answer to stress reduction or some such nonsense, when we know the reality is ... a deeper hole. Fitness, like freedom, takes constant vigilance and hard work, a lifelong battle with victories and setbacks but always worth every ounce of energy we put forth. Never ever give up, each hard won fitness victory is sweet, and worth a lifetime of struggle. We start again today!

Run again,

Randy Step, an obsessed runner, out there fighting the good fight, just like you.

PS: Need motivation? A running film festival might do the trick. Join me at Trails in Motion, the international trail running film festival as it comes to Dexter, Michigan, Saturday afternoon April 23. Get tickets here!

PS: RF Events is excited to announce its new ZERO WASTE goal! Beginning with our Trail Marathon Weekend event we will be working to present a visibly consistent attempt at recycling with the goal to eventually reach ZERO WASTE! Want to get involved? Check it out here!

2016-03-30 - Martian Motivational

Over 2,500 kids have logged the required 25 miles to toe the line for their 1.2 mile run at next week's Martian Kids' Marathon. These young athletes are learning long term goal planning and an understanding of delayed gratification, lessons that will take them far past the finish line. Kudos to IronMandy, a key player back here at Mission Control, for her dedication to growing this invaluable program.

Consider joining us as a volunteer at next week's Martian Invasion of Races (5K, 10K, 13.1, 26.2 and Kids' Marathon) The motivational value of helping others accomplish their goals is priceless. Seeing these rock star kids will give you hope for the future of this great country. Plan and accomplish your personal goals with the aid of the $30 event voucher you will get for volunteering! Click HERE to see the out of this world volunteer positions and time slots we have open, or to enter the invasion. The race day April 9th forecast here on Earth is for 55 and partly sunny.. just sayin'!

Run, help others run, race,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner back here at Mission Control where we are up to our A-- in aliens as we get ready for the final countdown.

PS: Martian is not the only opportunity to help others run! Click HERE to check out all of our upcoming volunteer opportunities! Vouchers and swag to all volunteers at all races!

PS: RF Events is excited to announce its new ZERO WASTE goal! Beginning with our Trail Marathon Weekend event we will be working to present a visibly consistent attempt at recycling with the goal to eventually reach ZERO WASTE! Want to get involved? Check it out here!

2016-03-16 - Be one with the run

Running seems to melt away anger, frustration and anxiety, bringing the mind back in sync with the body where all that seems to matter is moving, sweating and grooving into a fluid and efficient rhythm where we become one with our run. The run is like a filter that removes all that drags us down and leaves us clean and clear. We finish with renewed energy, energy that had been mired down by this complicated life.

Be one with the run,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who often seems to barely crawl out the door for the daily run but always finishes like Kramer on Seinfeld, flying back in!

PS: For 29 years we've been putting on a brutal run on a 13.1 and 5 mile loop of wickedly hilly, rough single track trail around Hell, Michigan. Join us for the 30th running on April 23- 24. No cheering crowds, just wind in the trees. More at http://trailmarathon.com/

PS: "Trails in motion", the international trail running film festival will inspire and motivate you to run wild. Join us Saturday afternoon, April 23rd in Dexter, MI for this unforgettable experience. https://runningfitevents.redpodium.com/trails-in-motion-film-festival