September 24, 2008 - I've decided that running may be the meaning of life!
This morning on a quiet country road, I decided that running may be the meaning of life During a great run we can truly live in the moment, all senses firing on all cylinders with the smells, sights, feel of the wind and weather, the physical work, the fatigue, success and completion feeling fully alive and knowing it. Perhaps a second run is in order today!
Running, such a simple sport until I looked at the list of what I needed to load in the trucks this weekend starting with what I need to put on a 20 mile run for 400 of my friends on Saturday. 6,600 cups, 228 gallons of water, powder to make up 73 gallons of sport drink, 400 bananas, a mix of 400 bagels and muffins,10 tables, mile marks, cones, signage, generator, clock, music and 25 people to help me pull it off. Thats for Saturday, then The Big House Big Heart run on Sunday with 7,000 runners, 250 volunteers, and, and, and Yikes!
Lace em up and get out there,
Randy Step, an obsessed runner who will need a weekend after the weekend!
September 17, 2008 - It is a busy running life that sometimes requires choices.
Yo Run Gang,
It is a busy running life that sometimes requires choices. A week from Saturday, September 27, is 3 weeks out from the Detroit Free Press Marathon; time for the traditional last long run. Running Fit offers a traffic free training run of up to 20 miles, starting at Nankin Mills on the Edward Hines Dr. Its a great race simulation run with several hundred runners, a great way to get ready for the Detroit Marathon or Half Marathon. Click here to sign up online. Yes, its the day before the Big House Big Heart 5K and longer if you join this obsessed runner, so what to do? Choices, you can run long Saturday then come and shake out the legs in the big party run finishing on the field in the Big House Stadium Sunday afternoon Or, you can do it all! Yikes! Sign up for my obsessed runners team or the Big House Big Heart 5K at www.bighousebigheart.com.
Not enough running? Squeeze in this road Trip! The ultimate fall color run, Saturday October 10th, the Vasa 5K, 10K & 25K Trail run in Traverse City. If your schedule is flexible, stay for the special screening of the movie, Spirit of the Marathon (www.marathonmovie.com) at Travers Citys State Theatre on Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m. Producer Melissa Leggett will be in town for the screening and also doing a Q&A after the film. Sign up for the Vasa Trail Run at www.runvasa.com.
Enjoy every mile,
Randy Step, an obsessed runner with no time on his hands
September 10, 2008 - I am NOT going to rehab!
Yo Run Gang,
Ah, the good old hunter and gatherer days, todays life is busy, complex and stressful. The daily run seems to shed off the mental load as the miles add up. The head clears from 1,000 thoughts at once down to a singularly clear mission of movement. What would we do without running, this simple, physical and psychological gift?
Yesterday while listening to some tunes I thought up a design for the back of the shirts we offer to the Big House Big Heart Obsessed runners team. The art will say, Obsessed Runner! Said I aught to go to REHAB, I said, NO, NO, NO! Ill post the art on the website when its ready.
Please join me on Sunday, September 28 at for this amazing run that finishes on the 50 yard line of the University of Michigan stadium and is for a great cause. Enter at www.bighousebigheart.com. No additional charge to join my Obsessed Runners team, just click on Make it a 10K, or More. There is a charge if you order the obsessed shirt. Join me and make it the worlds longest 5K by running a loop of the course in advance and making it a 10K or running a 7 mile course with mile marks and aid, then running the 5K course in advance, then running the 5K, making it a half marathon! We have someone running it all twice for a full marathon if you want to join her! Yikes!
Get obsessed, stay obsessed,
Randy Step, an obsessed runner who is NOT going to rehab!
September 3, 2008 - My biggest pet peeve.
Yo Run Gang,
My pet peeve seeing a runner running on a main drag, running with and not against traffic Hey, youre giving running a bad name!
By not living a sedentary life we avoid some heath risks but take on others. Sure, the obvious risks like getting hit by a car while out on a run but the hidden risks associated with breathing and exchanging more air in our lungs and sweating and burning more calories, requiring more fluid and food put through the system. Running along a main thoroughfare and breathing in that swirling dust cloud filled with unburnt hydrocarbons and what ever else is blowing around makes me think of our lungs like a Fram oil filter trapping the dirt. Not a healthy thought, get me to a trail or side street at least!
As for fluids, Im sure that today, drinking close to a gallon of tap water each day adds additional risk, runners need clean water and healthy food lots of it!
Perhaps this is a good time for a shameless plug for our event water sponsor, Absopure, the water for runners. For the athlete, water delivery makes good sense. I just learned Absopure also has one of the largest plastic recycling operations in the world right here in Dundee, Michigan and that they will home deliver cases of plastic bottles, picking up your old plastic at the same time, cool eh? We will be serving Absopure at Dances With Dirt and Big House Big Heart and Absopure will be taking the empty plastic bottles to recycle them. Call 1-800-4-ABSOPURE for home or office delivery and thanks for putting up with my shameless plug, whew.
Run healthy,
Randy Step, an obsessed runner who obsesses on the run!
August 27, 2008 - Motivation
Yo Run Gang,
I was recently asked what to do when youre not feeling motivated to go out for a run. I thought Id give some of my common answers: Motivation is a feeling, feelings are a choice. Like so many things in life, yes, happiness is a choice. Example: You get in a traffic jam, your choice could be to sit in this rush hour traffic jam and appreciate the time alone with your thoughts, to sort out the world, or, you could park the car and get in a run, not loosing any time in your day, or, you can gripe, moan and complain about how the world is and be miserable. Your choice! (Reminder: Keep a bag of running gear in your car at all times!)
Another example: When the weather is hot and muggy, you can make an action plan and put out some ice water on a shaded loop and get psyched about the challenge of this hot run and how it will help with your heat adaptation for the next hot race, or, you can gripe, moan and complain about how the world is, do nothing and be miserable!
So, when your mind seems to be made up that it wants to do anything but run, go run. Show your mind that not running is not an option. Hey head, get with the program or be miserable, it's up to you, I'm running! Feel bad; run down, unmotivated, good! Once this run is finished you will have a much greater feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment than an easy run on a nice day. Those are the wimpy runs!
So the next time you feel unmotivated, get your lazy butt out the door and hammer!
Randy Step, who chooses to be an obsessed runner
August 20, 2008 - My last Olympic comments.
Yo Run Gang,
Watching the Olympic coverage offers us a great opportunity to analyze form. A time to study arm carry, forward lean, stride length and all that goes with efficient running, heck, why not learn from the best? While watching the mens and womens 10K I was in awe to see what seemed to be effortless sub 5 minute miles. I also noticed that the form of the elite athletes did not change much during the cool down and warm up miles, showing that we really can learn good form from world class runners and that pace is not a factor. Yes, even us schlock runners can learn to slog more efficiently!
My last Olympic comments Dont you just love the sports that dont need judges? Sports whose outcome is determined without opinion or politics? Sports where the winner goes the fastest, longest or highest? Bring on the running events!
Any cross country runners in the family? One last plug for spike night! Details are below.
Yes, Dances With Dirt is sold out but you can still have a chance to experience this wild event in the dirt by being a volunteer on The Dirt Crew Sept. 6th! Join me as we put on this impossible event, I promise a good time and lots of swag! Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and say, yep, its my turn to give back! Thanks.
Run efficiently forever,
Randy Step, an obsessed runner who is now thinking too much while out on the run.
August 13, 2008 - The Olympics are upon us!
Yo Run Gang,
Did you know that watching TV can be good for your running but it only happens every 4 years. The Olympics are upon us! After watching the best in the world and seeing the passion and commitment first hand, you cant wait to get your butt out the door and try to be better than you are.
We can all be roll models and heroes. How many times have you heard a neighbor say, arent you the one I see out running every morning? Yes, you are setting the example that in this busy world you fit in your run, perhaps making them pause to think, maybe I can do this too. Heck, invite them!
A busy week for the obsessed runner and closet triathlete, Running Fits T-Rex Triathlon is sold out at 400! Watch for more mid week evening venue runs from us.
Watch TV!
Randy Step
Head Goat and Obsessed Runner trying to find his remote after 4 years!
August 6, 2008 - Never, never, ever, ever grow up!
Yo Run Gang,
Like Peter Pans says, never, never, ever, ever grow up. The running life sure helps keep us acting like kids and fitness in general helps ward off the lethargy of old age. I dont go to a lot of concerts but recently went to see Jack Johnson and last night saw Sheryl Crow along with James Blunt. The audience for Jack Johnson was in general, significantly younger than the Cheryl Crow crowd. They stood dancing singing and smiling the entire concert even though Jack Johnsons music is on the calm and quiet side, while the Cheryl Crow crowd sat like they were at home watching TV even though the music was rockin. Dont let this happen to you! Get out and run! Get out and dance! And never trust a thought you have while sitting down and never, never, ever, ever, never grow up or stop running!
Know any High School Cross Country Runners? Spread the word about the Running Fit Spike night Thursday August 21st in Novi. Reps will be on hand giving away lots of cool swag, spikes will be 20% off and it will be a fun night to fire up the season and well worth the drive!
Randy Step, an obsessed runner and Peter Pan fan
July 30, 2008 - Take the time to get a non fit neighbor out for an easy run or walk.
Yo Run Gang,
Those of us that live the running life may have a skewed view of the "average American" when it comes to fitness. For me, being in the running and event business only adds to my warped view. Sure, day to day life brings us in contact with plenty of people that are in horrible shape including some of our own friends and family but overall I'd guess we still get a false sense of what the true shape of America really is. It struck me this week while observing the crowd along a northern Michigan holiday parade route ... Yikes! The percentage of "large" people (I'm sure there is a politically correct word) and the number of people who still smoke was a bit of a shock. Perhaps it's always been this way and I am a poor observer but my gut feel is that the country is on a down slide.
Not that I have the answers; but getting out there and setting the example, talking positively with people about running and taking the time to get a non fit neighbor out for an easy run or walk would be a start.
Run, walk, share,
Randy Step, an obsessed runner
July 23, 2008 - Running, on the surface, is such a simple, uncomplicated sport...
Yo Run Gang,
Running, on the surface, is such a simple, uncomplicated sport that is fulfilling both physically and mentally. With just minimal equipment needs and even less in the athletic abilities department, you cant get any more basic. It truly is just one foot in front of the other, as they say, even a child can do it.
As we mature into our running, as the positive aspects of its addictive qualities take over, we slide below the surface of this so called simple activity and find an ocean of information to be learned about our sport. Hundreds of running books, monthly periodicals and laboratory reports on physiology, gait analysis, nutritional needs and so much more have been written and new information comes along constantly.
As Ive said, run forever, you wont be bored.
Randy Step, and addicted runner, over 30 years getting out the door and learning every day.
