RandyStep.com - Obsessed Runner

2015-06-10 - It is a good morning!

randy sunglasses "Good morning", a greeting so automatic, but somehow it always rings true, often coming from a passing stranger on the morning run. Every day we can get out is a gift and every day and every running route has something unique to offer. From the excitement, danger and challenge we get from extreme weather days to the rave run perfect run temp days that can only be appreciated by experiencing the wicked ones. The daily struggle to wake early and get out the door is always rewarded, seek and ye shall find. Without the run it is difficult to clear the morning haze, a blah that can leave us in a funk that can last all day and can blur one day into the next ... until we finally run out the door again. Yikes!

It is a good morning!

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who likes to throw out a "good morning" to that passing stranger before they say it first!

PS: Registration for the RED CARPET RUN 5K is NOW OPEN! Join us for a night of running like no other on Friday evening, August 28 at our NEW LOCATION on Belle Isle in Detroit! This is a dash around the island with the paparazzi capturing your every stride. Nonsense, fun, running, glamour and champagne! Check it out HERE!

PS: looking to give back and help to INSPIRE other runners like you? Volunteer at an upcoming RF Events' event! Our volunteers get fun swag and $30 off a future race entry! Upcoming opportunities include our T-Rex Tri Series, the Canton Liberty Run, a road trip opportunity to Wisconsin and MORE! Being on the Dirt Crew is AWESOME... join us!

2015-06-04 - Run and inspire others

randy sunglasses Last weekend I got to witness 92 year old Harriette Thompson finishing the San Diego Marathon (her 18th marathon), showing the world that our sport is there for everyone, and giving us hope for a rich and long road ahead for us. My wife Kathy and I were there as honorary Coaches for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program for the Michigan Chapter, the number one fundraising team at the event, raising over $130,000, thanks to many of you! The amount qualified us to fund a grant for pediatric blood cancer research at the University of Michigan Hospital.

Get out for a run, get out and inspire others!

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, like Harriet, like you!

2015-05-27 - Vacation run

randy sunglasses It's time to plan a long fun summer vacation run, even if you can't leave town. Most training runs don't allow time for a run that includes shopping, a stop at a bar, sight-seeing along the way and other diversions. In addition, it takes the vacation or lazy weekend mentality to make a run like this a reality. Plan this excursion on a warm summer day so stopping and being wet and cold is not an issue. Bring cash, a water carrier with an area to pack treasures and some energy food.

Pick a vacation town or any fun small town nearby and figure out a long route from there. Include some points of interest, road side stands, waterfall, scenic view spot, skinny dipping hole, dive bar, model homes, garage sales. Do the town, hit the galleries, pubs, hot spots, running shoe store and don't be afraid to do some, dare I use the word, walking! Actually, you should throw in a bunch of walking from the start so pace does not become part of the plan that works out to be a 10 mile day that takes 4 hours or so! Enjoy!

Run, sun, sip and walk,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed vacation runner/wanderer

PS: Join us all summer long for a bit of midweek madness at the T-Rex Tri series! Three sprint tri races on the same course offers a great way to track your progress and fitness as the season goes on! Be there June 17, July 15 and August 12!

PS: Speaking of triathlon season... New to the sport? Need a little extra encouragement? Join Running Fit for a summer long Beginner/Intermediate triathlon training class at Island Lake State Park in Brighton, MI. Read more HERE, or register today HERE!

2015-05-20 - Core strength

randy sunglasses With so many things in life, including our running, we don't know what we've got till it's gone. I'm just back to running regularly after a month off with an I.T. band pain. Now that I'm off the bench, I'm working on my core and doing all the strength exercises we should all be doing to run injury free. All the non-aerobic stuff many of us neglect to do while all seems to be going well. The reality is, we can't have hard days without putting in easy or rest days and we all pretty much know when we are crossing the line and flirting with disaster ... or perhaps it's just me?

Run smart,

Randy Step, and obsessed runner, who now and then pays the price, dang.

PS: Join us all summer long for a bit of midweek madness at the T-Rex Tri series! Three sprint tri races on the same course offers a great way to track your progress and fitness as the season goes on! Be there June 17, July 15 and August 12!

2015-05-13 - Tears and Strength

randy sunglasses Memorable days that stick with us forever are precious and all too few. As I worked the finish line at the Martian Invasion of Races, I saw radiant smiles, tears of joy, tears of pain and expressions of emotions way over the top, like runners falling to their knees in prayer, kissing the ground and the raising of fists like in the Rocky movie. For sure I was witnessing life long memories being stored, memories that will be revisited throughout life to once again bring smiles, tears and strength.

The daily run, our daily bread gets us by, reaching our goals makes us fly.

Dream, plan, commit, run,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who lives to cross finish lines and with the Crew at Running Fit Events, to create finish lines for others to cross.

PS: Some upcoming finish lines to cross: Join us all summer long for a bit of midweek madness at the T-Rex Tri series! Three sprint tri races on the same course offers a great way to track your progress and fitness as the season goes on! Be there June 17, July 15 and August 12!

2015-05-06 - Stay calm and run on

randy sunglasses We run for a lot of reasons, for many of us, one reason is to escape the stress of our busy lives. That said, our running should never be a cause of stress, if it is, it's time to step back and assess the reason why and work it out before our next run. No matter how slow, how fast or how far off we land from our running goals, we must keep in mind that this is how we spend our leisure time, the most precious hours of our day. As my wise friend John A. always says, "if it's not fun, don't do it!" Each healthy day we can get out for a run is a gift. The world news is a reminder of how fortunate most of us are, while so many are dealing with famine, war, terrorism, genocide and diseases like Leukemia, here we are, worrying about missing out on an age group award, a Boston qualifying time or getting in our minimum number of steps, miles or whatever on our fitness app, duh. The news should be a daily reminder for us to appreciate every run and even if the run sucks, we should find a smile to share with the world!

Stay calm, run and smile,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner ... who once again is writing this to remind myself how lucky I am.

PS: If you are on the fence about registering for Hightail to Ale 5K in Detroit, MI on Friday, May 15, 2015... GET OFF! Hightail to Ale is rapidly approaching its limit and we want YOU to be able to join us. Check it out HERE!

PS: Since 1988, more than 600,000 Team In Training participants have helped the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society invest more than $1 billion for blood cancer research. This year, the Team In Training program celebrates its 20th year and my wife and I have stepped back in as honorary coaches with a team goal of raising $100,000 for research. Click here to help save lives!

2015-04-29 - Let me brag a bit

randy running Let me brag a bit about the crew here at Running Fit Events and their dedication to creating the greatest running experience anywhere; events you can trust your hard training and goals to. They work crazy schedules, lots of 16 hour+ event weekend days in conditions that are often brutal. They go over every detail for months in advance, looking to find ways to make your experience the best it can be. They are passionate about our sport and all they produce, it is a labor of love and it shows in the outcome. Dawn, Mandy, Anna, Joanna, Gary and Ted are the full time essential players, each with a special set of responsibilities that create something much bigger than the sum of their parts, the magic of race day. I can tell you the reality is far from magic, it's true professionalism and a deep understanding of a quality event from start to finish that they have honed over time. I would be remiss not to introduce and brag a bit about our part time crew who take on the many tedious tasks with little glory, sorting, counting, packing, unpacking and digging out on the morning after. Thank you Jodi, Amy, Dan and Kim.

Visit rfevents.com for a behind the scenes peek.

Thank you crew,

Randy Step, an admitted thankful and obsessed runner who owes much to those around me.

PS: The list of dedicated volunteers would be as long as the praises they deserve but I thank you all.

PS: Yo run gang, It's that time of year again... Triathlon Season! New to the sport? Join Running Fit for a summer long Beginner/Intermediate triathlon training class at Island Lake State Park in Brighton, MI. Read more HERE, or register today HERE!

PS: Have some youngsters that are itchin' to try a triathlon? Join us for our June and July Youth Triathlon Clinics and our August Youth Tri. Registration is now open. Click HERE for more details! Click HERE to register now!

2015-04-22 - Boston Marathon

randy running Another Boston Marathon in the books with 30,000 runners thumbing their noses at terrorism and living life free and Boston Strong. The terrorists failed, we are not terrified. For all of us, every time we head out the door it is a victory, we show the world our great life in America won't be stopped. Kind of like saying, hey all you cowardice punks, you have already lost this war, perhaps you should quit wasting your time and energy and crawl back in your hole.

We run as one,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who is proud of each and every one of you doing battle out on the roads and trails!

P.S. WE WANT YOU - ON THE BREW CREW! The Hightail to Ale is a serious Friday night party in Detroit. Join us May 14 or May 15 for some BEHIND THE SCENES action as a volunteer. Sweet shirt, one free beer on us, $30 voucher for a future RF Events' event... what could be better! Check it out.

2015-04-15 - Run ruined by routine

milemarks Routine is a two edged sword, on one side it reduces the stress associated with the unknown and keeps us on the roads we know, allowing for a meditative run and a training experience we understand. On the flip side we mentally block our spirit of adventure and often end up with a ho hum middle of the road experience that leaves us wondering what we missed, a wicked stress of its own, one that can make us feel ... old. Bilbo Baggins comes to mind.

Are you squandering one of the precious days of your life on a run that will not be memorable, a run that keeps you from discovering who you are and who you might be? Or, are you heading out for an adventure, perhaps on a run that you might tell stories about until the end of your days! Yes, it might be awful but yes, it might be great but yes, it won't be blah.

Run off on a wild adventure,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, who can't wait to see where, when and how I will run tomorrow!

P.S. This weekend over 2500 kids will toe the line at the Martian Marathon to finish the last 1.2 miles of their Marathon! Blue Care Network made this amazing Kids' Marathon possible, just like they make families and individuals confidence in their insurance plans possible.

P.S. Join us for a romp in the woods April 25 and 26 in Pinckney, MI at Trail Weekend! 5 Mile, Half Marathon, Full Marathon and 50K options!

2015-04-08 - Run to run

milemarks The main goal of my weekly rant is to motivate us out the door for the daily run, our daily bread. There is no better motivation than to have an event goal on our horizon. I'm so very proud of Running Fit Events and what this crew does to create events that you can trust your many hard miles of training to, not to mention, your hard earned event entry money.

I was reminded of this while running the Detroit River front today and passed by the Hightail To Ale 5K bench. A bench made possible from a $5,000 donation to the Riverfront Conservancy. This year's run is Friday evening, May 15th. Join us and you'll not only enjoy a run on the riverfront, Atwater brews and tunes by Thornetta Davis and her band but you will also make the next bench possible... and will be able to sit on it with pride!

As far as goals on the horizon, yikes, in just over a week, Saturday April 18th, is the Martian Invasion of Races with 5K, 10K, 13.1 and 26.2 miles to choose from! Stick around for the party and to cheer on 2,800 kids who will have logged 26.2 miles for the year as they cross the finish line, a serious commitment to fitness and a hope for our future!

My last plug, It's a ways off but it's time to enter and book your walk-in tent site for Run Woodstock. Join us as we camp out on the land and set our souls free! Trail runs, races, hikes, yoga, peace, love, a weekend of great bands and time together around the fire. We need this annual weekend escape from the complexity and routine of our lives. Dig? Use the discount code HIPPIE for $5 off your entry, code expires at midnight, this Sunday, April 12th.

Peace, love and running,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who loves any opportunity to run... and to release our inner hippie!