2012-02-29 - Not so obsessed...
And now a word from Steve...
Yo run gang,
I was an obsessed runner once. Now I think I am just obsessed. I am obsessed about my family, my work, my health, even the Kansas City Chiefs. My son will tell you I obsess over his homework. But I no longer obsess over my running. Running has been part of my life so long I forget to obsess about it. Now it is like my faith, just a part of the fabric of who I am. The fact is after 40 years of running I have been rewarded with the ability to truly love the experience. Period. The run does not need my obsession.
While my training logs are thinner and my weekly mileage has slipped like interest rates, there is definitely no recession in my passion for the sport. I cherish running trails in the early morning when it happens. I like being one of the last people to leave after working all day at the Trail Marathon. I love watching high school cross country. I still find satisfaction in the competition of the occasional race and I embrace the challenge of working towards new goals. But I am not obsessed.
So as a not-so-obsessed runner I encourage you to keep the thread of running in your life. Even if the miles are not accumulating on your odometer, stay in tune with the sport. Jump in a low key local road race (shameless plug number one: Shamrocks & Shenanigans 5K) and feel the agony and joy of hitting the finish line even if it is several minutes slower than your PR. Or volunteer at a race (shameless plug number two: Shamrocks & Shenanigans 5K) or just go out and watch a road race or a high school track meet and cheer and witness up close the energy and emotion in each runners efforts. Stay connected.
So there, in the tradition of the Obsessed Runner I threw in my plugs for the Shamrocks & Shenanigans 5k next weekend in downtown Ann Arbor. Guilty. This race was founded by Conor O'Neils and truly is a great fundraiser for Mott Children's Hospital. Last year alone the race raised over $40,000 for Mott's Save-A-Heart program which allows babies who are born with heart defects to have an opportunity to grow up and become obsessed about their passion. And I hope that passion is running. Come to think of it, I guess I am still obsessed about running, just not my own.
Thanks for reading and next week we promise the Obsessed Runner will return with his usual motivation, wit, and shameless plugs.
Full disclosure: I am the race director for Shamrocks & Shenanigans. My wife was a pediatric nurse for over 30 years at Mott, a majority of those working in the Thoracic ICU. She currently works in the new Cardiovascular Center.
Heard at our house: Dad sells shoes; Mom saves lives.
--Steve Angerman, a not-so-obsessed runner who saves lives in his own way.
PS: Endless Pool time at Running Fit Jackson Rd, Ann Arbor
$10 for 30 minutes - $15 for 60 minutes - $30 for 4 x 30 minutes package price - $50 for 4 x 60 minutes package price.
Info & Registration
Shamrocks & Shenanigans - March 11 - Volunteer Now!