A Case of #RunCrazy

You’ve all heard of Brooks’ #runhappy campaign, probably, but I’m pushing for my own campaign: #runcrazy. Who wants to sponsor it??

If you’re a runner, and especially a marathon runner, you have likely experienced the #runcrazy.

When the doubt creeps in and grabs ahold of you, and you fear that you won’t finish in your goal time and that all of your runs up until now have been for naught.

Saturday, I had a serious case of #runcrazy, and lucky Jess got to be the beneficiary of these crazy emails.

It all started bright and early Saturday morning. Some friends had talked me into the NY Flyers Three Bridge Run. This run is awesome because it’s organized by the NY Flyers, and it’s a 20-mile run with pacers and water stops, and you don’t even have to be a member to run it. It’s $10 for nonmembers, and well worth it.

We were planning on meeting at 6:30, and I was supposed to run 22 for the day. When I walked Bailey at 5:45, it was really dark, and I didn’t feel comfortable running up to Columbus Circle alone in the dark, but thought I could do the 2 after the 20.

Last year, I ran the Flyers run with the 9:30 pace group, and that is what I probably should have run this year, but my friends were all doing the 10:30 group, and, well, running with them for 3 hours sounded more fun than running with other people.

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I mean, look at these lovely ladies. I ran with them, and the run went well, save for me falling in Brooklyn because I am the clumsiest woman alive. Last year, the pacer was way, way faster than the pace we were supposed to go, so I was hoping for that this year, but we stayed right around a 10:30 pace. Someone fell when we were running down the West Side Highway, and the whole group stopped and waited to make sure she was okay, which was really nice. But also meant that everyone stopped when I fell to see if I was okay, which was entirely embarrassing.

I powered up the bridges, because running hills at a slower-than-normal pace is really painful. Going over the Queensboro, I told K-Scott the same story I told Tina when we ran that bridge in the marathon last time, and it made the time go by much faster. We got to Columbus Circle and finished 20 miles and went inside to “check out” (they told us we had to sign out, but it seems like we didn’t really have to…) and grab our jackets. We had a brunch reservation at The Smith 15 minutes later. Here’s where I really should have just said to my friends “Okay, I need to go run 2 more miles, and I will be there shortly.” But I didn’t, and I just walked over with them.

With our endorphin highs, we plotted how to change the world (and Junior League) over brunch, and my smile above is the most genuine you will ever see. Walking home from the subway, I called my mom, though, and told her that I was disappointed in myself because I ran 20, not 22, and I should have run faster.

“Um, you ran 20 miles, Theodora.”

“Yeah, I know, but…”

After a bunch of back-and-forth emails with Jess (aka the greatest coach and friend ever), she agreed that yes, I should have done the 2 extra miles, and yes, I probably should have run faster, but it was okay. I mean, what was done was done, and I still got in plenty of time on my feet. I told her my legs weren’t tired at all, and we agreed that I’d do 8 yesterday, with 6 at marathon goal pace.

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P.S. Timex sent me a new watch to review – full review coming soon, but I love it.

I was a little nervous to run 8 the day after running 20, but when I finished, I felt so happy. Every time my legs felt sluggish yesterday, I thought of how they would certainly feel that way in the later miles of the marathon, and that I’d be glad I’d practiced goal pace on tired legs.

I’ve never run that long the day after a 20-miler, so that was an awesome mental boost to know that I can do that.

One more week of peak training, AND THEN ALL ABOARD THE EXPRESS TRAIN TO TAPER TOWN.

Tell me about your run-crazies.

21 comments on “A Case of #RunCrazy

  1. Dori

    I want to hear more about this new watch! Also, I don’t think it’s that bad you did 20 instead of 22 and I especially don’t think running at 10:30 pace is bad at all considering your goal. And confidence boosting runs are always great, so I’d say it worked out!

    Reply
  2. Ash Bear

    I want that Timex watch now that Garmin is dead to the world. πŸ™‚

    I think waking up in the middle of the night (3:30) to run is a bit of runcrazy πŸ™‚

    Reply
  3. Jillian

    Nice work! I totally hear you, but plenty of marathon training plans have 20 as the longest long run and with all of your experience, you know what to anticipate in miles 21, 22, and the rest. Sure, it’s nice to get it done, but you’re going to be fine. I’m pretty sure you won’t finish NY and think, “If only I had done 22 instead of 20.” Can’t wait to see how race day goes… I’m working on a sub-4 myself so I love following your blog.

    Reply
  4. Gianna @ Run, Lift, Repeat

    20 miles is pretty darn fantastic! Yay for the taper almost being here!
    That is how my weekends usually are – long run saturday followed by a mid distance run sunday. Oof. fun right?!
    My coach gets a lovely barrage of texts and emails from me being all in my head over every single run. I don’t think she knew what she signed up for πŸ™‚

    Reply
    1. Theodora Post author

      I know, poor Jess. I started off being really in my head, calmed down for a while in between, but now, so close to the race, it’s all back up in my head. Again, poor Jess πŸ™‚

      Reply
  5. Liz

    I’m in absolute run crazy mode. I’m doubting EVERYTHING and it didn’t help that I had a less than stellar 20 miler on Sat (I also ran with the flyers). I went out with the 11’s but we split from our group and were around a 10:40 which was exactly where I wanted to be, except I felt like CRAP and struggled in the park. I stopped more than I’d like to admit, but I know from experience that not all training runs are good runs. IÒ€ℒm hoping that all the bad runs worked themselves out pre marathon! Either way, IÒ€ℒm a former overweight smoker running her 3rd marathon, go me! And yes, I should have said hi!

    Reply
  6. Megan

    Wow, I can’t imagine running 20 miles! 13.1 is more than enough for me!

    I can’t wait to hear about the Timex. My Garmin always does all sorts of weird things – and is always at slightly behind Nike running and anyone else’s watch that I’m running with in terms of mileage – so I think it might be time for an upgrade soon.

    Reply
  7. Ashley

    I completely wiped out on my run yesterday afternoon as well :). A very nice couple quickly came to my rescue, but it really did more to hurt my pride than make me feel better. Oh the battle wounds of being a runner. Unfortunately my ankle took the brunt of this fall, so it’s a brace for me until the race in 13 days – ha!

    Reply
  8. Jessica @ FromtheKitchentotheRoad

    I ran 10 with a friend on Sunday afternoon. She was doing her 2nd long run of the weekend in preparation for a 50k. She said that the next time she trains for a full she wants to do back to back long runs like she is now. Your 20 followed by an 8 reminded me of this. It has got to be great for preparing you for those final dead tired miles.

    Reply
  9. Sophie @ life's philosophie

    I am in taper town and definitely experiencing the #runcrazy. It’s getting hard not to trust my training and have confidence that in 2 weeks I’ll be able to run 26.2 miles. I guess I just have to listen to the advice people keep giving me instead of doubting myself. Also…taper town is interesting. I don’t know what to do with all of my free time!! Good luck with your last week of peak training!

    Reply
  10. meredith @ The Cookie ChRUNicles

    Great job! So impressed with the back to back runs – amazing and such an accomplishment…I always feel great when I runcrazy and push past my leg fatigue to accomplish a run I set out for.. .Curious- what do you think about this inaugural NYCRUNS Frozen Bonsai Half in December?Do you plan on running it? I just heard about it and am considering it.

    Reply
    1. Theodora Post author

      Ooh, interesting. I hadn’t heard of it…but I’m trying really hard to not sign up for any races after NYCM right now. I know right now I want to run ALL THE RACES, but I might not feel that way in a few months…

      Reply
  11. meghan @ little girl in the big world

    Nice job getting those 8 in the day after the 20. And I’d think you’d be fine with the 20 at a slower pace. Seems to me you’re giving your body the same amount of time on your feet as you would have with 22 at a faster pace, but I’m no run coach. Maybe my math doesn’t work out right…haha! You’re going to be great!

    Reply
  12. Charlie @therunnerbeans

    After running my 22 miler in the pouring rain on Sunday I felt a little ‘run crazy’ when looking at my splits and being disappointed that I had one way over…then I remembered I went to the bathroom in that mile. I stayed within my goal pace, but am still paranoid I won’t be fast enough on marathon day to hit my secret marathon goal for the day. I also get annoyed with myself for not being able to run faster- my pace still needs a lot of work!

    Reply
  13. Shawna

    oh man i totally dig this #runcrazy campaign and absolutely experienced my own version of it the past week! i ran my first marathon on Sunday, the Mohawk Hudson marathon upstate, and was a disaaaaster the whole week before…pms + nagging overuse injury + psychosomatic craziness and basically talked myself out of ever being able to run it…and then calmed down on Saturday, showed up on Sunday, and ran a 4:13. we truly drive ourselves #runcrazy. πŸ™‚ good luck with your last few weeks of training!

    Reply

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