2019-10-02 - Read then run

When you just can't muster up the energy to get out the door, sit back and open a running magazine or book. Chances are, your running fire will soon be re-lit, or perhaps the guilt may set in. Either way, you will decide it's time put down what you are reading and head out for a run, a run that will leave you fulfilled and wondering why you would have ever skipped it! That said, a motivational running movie can get you excited about our sport and leave you with motivational thoughts that can get you out the door for days on end. There are never enough running themed movies but here are a couple new ones to fire you up! Just watching the trailers got me out today for 6 miles in the rain. By the way, the rain felt glorious!

Skid Row Marathon
Brittany Runs A Marathon

Read... Then run!

Randy Step, ad admitted obsessed, wet and smiling runner.

P.S.: ONE MONTH until the inaugural Bonfyre Trail Fest Run! Don't miss this beautiful fall trail run on the DTE Energy Foundation Trail in Chelsea, MI with a post race bonfire and beer garden! Try 5, 10.7 or 19 miles! All registrants receive a cozy knit patch beanie, marked courses with aid and finish food. All finishers will receive a custom campfire mug and s'more kit! Stick around post race and celebrate with a live band and flowing beer.

2019-09-25 - Get Real!

Baby Goat here jumping in for the week!

I've got a long history of being notoriously terrible at training. I write up crazy programs that I am unable to maintain and generally end up giving up, and doing all of my work on race day (OUCH)! I got a crazy idea this fall.. I wrote myself a totally realistic, do-able training schedule that leaves enough time for me to build up my mileage slowly. You know what? I have only missed ONE run in 8 weeks. I always joked that training just wasn't my thing, but the truth is I was overdoing it, which lead to training failure after training failure when I couldn't keep up with my plan. Making a schedule that doesn't jump mileage over 10% week to week, and acknowledging how many available days in a week I actually have has made all the difference. Get REAL about your training. Who knows, maybe it will make the difference for you!

Baby Goat, an admittedly not quite as obsessed runner... who is getting real with her training! Heck, I might even be prepared the next time I toe the line!

PS: We're hiring race timing staff! Required skills include Microsoft excel and the ability to drive a truck and trailer... Knowledge of SQL is also beneficial. Send your resume over to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.!

P.S.: Join us for the Inaugural GO APPLES! 5K and 1 Mile in Charlotte, MI on October 26th. Expect a fun fall day as you pass by rows of apple trees and the pumpkin patch. Soft cotton shirt to all entrants, sweet apple medal, cider and donuts to all finishers! Go Apples! is the last stop of the Michigan Orchard Challenge - NEW for 2019!

2019-09-18 - Runners are not bullet proof

Running may not add years to our life but it does add life to our years. The physical and mental benefits are many, and I feel finding our way into this running life is a gift. All that said, a recent heart attack death of a 54 year old woman after a work-out was a harsh reminder that we need to take the time to do the health screening that looks for any hidden medical issues that might put our active lives at risk. I've always said, stress tests are a pretty cool workout! A chance to take ourselves to the edge of collapse and to gain some confidence in our ticker's well-being.
 
If you haven't, get 'er checked!
 
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner is proud of all of you, and worry about all of you.

PS: There is a volunteer tab on each RF Event web page that lets you pick your hours and volunteer position. We will all be proud of you and you will be proud of yourself ... Not to mention, you will get a $30 voucher for your next event ... And another dang T-Shirt with special bragging rights!

P.S.: Join us for the Inaugural GO APPLES! 5K and 1 Mile in Charlotte, MI on October 26th. Expect a fun fall day as you pass by rows of apple trees and the pumpkin patch. Soft cotton shirt to all entrants, sweet apple medal, cider and donuts to all finishers! Go Apples! is the last stop of the Michigan Orchard Challenge - NEW for 2019

2019-09-11 - Be sunshine on a cloudy day

My good friend John Hebert is perhaps the most generous and caring person I've come across in life. His running career has spanned the decades with over 100 half marathons and thousands of races. John has always been the first to volunteer at events and due to a medical issue that effects his running, he puts all his energy into volunteering, and is fulfilled by supporting others. We can all take a lesson from John the next time a pain has us sidelined and we are missing the run. The downtime is a great time to give back. Volunteering gives the unselfish satisfaction of playing a part in every participants' experience, a feeling that can be powerfully different from what we get from our own lone run across the finish line.  
 
Next time you're down, step up,
 
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner that owes much to many.
 
PS: There is a volunteer tab on each RF Event web page that lets you pick your hours and volunteer position. We will all be proud of you and you will be proud of yourself ... Not to mention, you will get a $30 voucher for your next event ... And another dang T-Shirt with special bragging rights!

P.S.: Join us for the Inaugural GO APPLES! 5K and 1 Mile in Charlotte, MI on October 26th. Expect a fun fall day as you pass by rows of apple trees and the pumpkin patch. Soft cotton shirt to all entrants, sweet apple medal, cider and donuts to all finishers! Go Apples! is the last stop of the Michigan Orchard Challenge - NEW for 2019!

2019-09-05 - Let's make the run great again!

We run to give ourselves the personal time we all need. We run to unplug, reboot and erase some of the built up stress of life, getting it back to a manageable level. We run to nurture ourselves. So, how is it that with a long fall race coming up, we find ourselves stressing over aspects of our running? Things like our pace, missing a workout on our schedule for a good reason or no good reason, or disappointment at not running a goal time. Perhaps when we find ourselves stressing over the run it might help to remember the reasons we run. The run is what we do for enjoyment, and when this is not the case, let's try to take ourselves a little less serious, getting our minds back to a time where getting out for a run once a week was a joy, when we were proud of ourselves for running any distance at any pace. The only thing to take seriously about the run is the fun, we can let the rest go. That said, if you plan on making the Olympic trials, ignore what I just said.  
 
Let's make the run great again,
 
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who constantly reminds myself, especially an hour in and the sun is not yet up, this is what I do for fun!
 

P.S.: Join us for the Inaugural BONFYRE TRAIL FEST at the DTE Energy Foundation Trail in Chelsea, MI on November 2, 2019! Come out and run or hike 5 or 10.7 Miles, or come for a 19 mile long run! Registration includes a cozy knit patch beanie, and all finishers will receive a campfire mug, S'More Kit and a can of New Holland Brewing's Lake and Trail copper lager!

2019-08-19 - Proud to be a runner

I was following a vanity plate with RUNRMOM and had to smile, it's a big message in a few small letters. If we had to describe ourselves, where in the description would "runner" show up? Off the cuff I'd say... I'm a husband, father, business owner, runner, wine snob, closet triathlete and old hippie at heart. If I gave it a lot of thought, whatever the order, I would proudly use the term runner. That said, I can't think of a reason not to describe ourselves as runners, an important part of our day that adds to our mental and physical heath, something we'd love to share and role model to the world ... As we will with today's run!
 
Run proud and loud,
 
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, who upon reflection is a husband (still married to my high school sweetheart, running partner and love of my life), father of two kids I could not be more proud of and ... A runner.

P.S.: Join us for the Inaugural BONFYRE TRAIL FEST at the DTE Energy Foundation Trail in Chelsea, MI on November 2, 2019! Come out and run or hike 5 or 10.7 Miles, or come for a 19 mile long run! Registration includes a cozy knit patch beanie, and all finishers will receive a campfire mug, S'More Kit and a can of New Holland Brewing's Lake and Trail copper lager!

2019-08-14 - Run time = Me time

In this social world where so much is shared, the refreshing reality is that our runs are, for the most part, time alone with ourselves and our thoughts.  Yes, we may run socially with a group or a friend and will line up at a race to test ourselves with others but most of our daily runs are much needed "me" time. Daily runs give us the chance to recharge and blank out the busy world, a world that won't let up on us so it is our duty to carve out the time to run and bring what's important into focus. We will quietly slip back into our busy lives like a reset cell phone, working fast and efficiently and leaving us far more productive than if we skipped the run and let the world chew us to pieces.

 
Don't miss a step,
 
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner with so many reasons to be one.

P.S.: Escape your "real" life and set your soul free at Run Woodstock! Join us for 1, 2 or 3 days of PEACE, MUSIC & TRAIL RUNNING at Hell Creek Ranch in Pinckney, MI. September 6, 7 & 8 - REGISTER NOW!

2019-08-07 - Worry-free running

Sure it's great to line up for a race well trained and optimistic but with it comes with the pressure of expectation. On the flip side, when you line up for a race that you are totally unprepared for, knowing you will perhaps walk more than run, and it will be far from your potential, the stress is off! Low expectations allow for a different kind of adventure, one that can be as fun as a personal best effort and will still leave you with a story to tell! That said, if you are not signed up for Running Between the Vines 5K, 5M or Half Marathon, join us for an adventure that might take a while but is guaranteed to end well... In one of SE Michigan's hidden gems, Sandhill Crane Vineyards... You guessed it - Between the Vines! We'll be there with live music, wine, chocolate, cheese and other food pairings, ready to hear your story, a story that might include how I tricked you into it! August 17th, no time to prepare so no worries, just sign up! http://runvines.com/
 
Run spontaneously and live it up!
 
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, about to run the Traverse City, 70.3 Ironman event ... untrained and looking forward to a day where my only worry will be missing happy hour and having to pay full price for a celebration round!

2019-08-01 - The perfect you

It is ALWAYS a mistake to compare our running with anyone else's. Our genetics, our individual health background, past injuries, family and business situations and so much more goes into who we are and what we are capable of. For some, completing a 5K, might be a far greater accomplishment than another runner finishing a marathon. Only we know what we have overcome or how difficult it was for us to get to that starting line, we have no idea what others have done to get to their starting line. So, the next time we read a social media post about someone doing a 30 mile training run to prepare for their next 100 mile race, or someone who just ran 4 miles without stopping, let's respond with the thumbs up that they both deserve!

 

May today's run get you closer to the perfect you,

 

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner, proud of every runner I see out there doing the work.

PS: TWO WEEKS until we run between the vines! Join us for a beautiful run from Sandhill Crane Vineyards at Running Between the Vines 5K, 5M, & 13.1M on August 17th! Running, cheese, chocolate... and wine!

2019-07-18 - Run smart or don't run

Heat is the most dangerous condition to run in, It is imperative to respect these conditions and run as smart as possible, it can truly be a life or death situation. That said, I love extremes! On record hot day, a simple short run becomes my Mount Everest where the risk and rewards are high. My plans will include running short, shady loops from a lakeshore where I can plunge myself in at any sign of heat injury. I will start hydrated and will continue to hydrate with water and electrolyte replacement fluids. My run will be short but filled with adventure not available to me on a so called, "nice day!"
 
Run smart or don't run,
 
Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner with a plan.

PS: ONE MONTH until we run between the vines! Join us for a beautiful run from Sandhill Crane Vineyards at Running Between the Vines 5K, 5M, & 13.1M on August 17th! Running, cheese, chocolate... and wine!

PS: Dreamin' of those cool fall temps right about now? Registration is NOW OPEN for Run Scream Run 5K, 10K and Cider Mill Mile! Join us October 12, 2019 for a fall day in the orchards in Ypsilanti, MI. Costumes, cider, donuts... SIGN ME UP! Early bird pricing ends August 1st... sign up now and save.