“When you’ve had the perfect run, you’ve cleared your soul.”

– Pat Monahan

This was posted on Fit for 365’s Blog and I just had to share it, especially after Saturday’s run.  It was the best description of the run that day that I could ever come up with myself.  I had the perfect run.

This was right when I started running Saturday. I never lost that good feeling. Not even two days later.

So today, I’m “suffering” from a bout of runner’s euphoria.  I loved that run.  I wanted that run.  I needed that run more than anything.  After being out of serious marathon training for a month, after having so much pain when running, after deciding to defer the Houston Marathon, I just needed that perfect run.  And now I have…the affliction…. post-race runner’s euphoria.

Post-Race Euphoria –  The feeling a runner gets after racing, whether the race is considered “successful” or not, that said runner can run all the races he/she wants whenever he/she wants without burnout, injury, excessive fatigue or realizing it was probably not a good idea. This condition is especially serious when said runner has an exceptionally good, fun, or fast race, OR has been a spectator at an iron distance race.  Runners credit cards should be quietly removed from wallet/purse and computer/social media should be removed and a five-seven day moratorium for race entry should be immediately instilled.

Have you ever had post- race euphoria before?  The first time I had it, I had just run a sub-4:00 marathon after being sick at the Lincoln Marathon in May of 2011, my second attempt at a BQ.  The next day, I went looking for other races and immediately signed up for a 1/2 marathon two weeks away.  I thank God  the marathon I really wanted to sign up for was too far away.  I can only chalk it up to post-race euphoria.  I ended up running that 1/2 marathon two weeks later and I HATED it.  I resented every boring stupid step, the dumb volunteers handing me WATER (I know, right? How dare they?!), CHEERING, and the stupid boring course filled with nothing but dead grass and a dumb levy.  So, from then on, I imposed a one-week moratorium – NO SIGNING UP FOR RACES FOR ONE WEEK AFTER RUNNING A RACE. If it’s really a good idea the day after a race, it will still be a good idea one week later.  After that incident, I’ve never made it past a week and still wanted to sign up for a race.  Well done, moratorium, well done.

My thoughts at the time were, “*^&$% race, why the HELL am I doing this?!” And isn’t the scenery just gorgeous??? Not.

So what’s the purpose of telling you all of this?

1)  Start a one week moratorium after a race.  Do not, I repeat, do NOT sign up for a race in the first week after a race.  Post-race euphoria is very dangerous!!! Especially for your wallet 🙂

2)  Don’t look directly at your medal…. it’s tricky prowess will get to you to ignore #1 above and sign up for ALL THE RACES.

3) Enjoy your races.  Enjoy the good moments.  Learn from the bad moments.  But when you have the perfect run, etch it into your permanent memory and relive it.  Revel in it.  Love it.  Replay that moment when you are having a bad run.  I know that’s what I’ll be doing for years to come.  B2B, I’ll always love you…..

And I have to admit…. I’m running the Battleship 1/2 Marathon in Wilmington on Sunday!!!! .  This was completely unexpected BUT!!!  I am not a hypocrite!!!  No, I am not.  Technically, this is the EIGHTH day after the race, I haven’t signed up yet (I will at the expo on Saturday which is the SEVENTH DAY), and well, I’m not going for a PR on this one.  This is pure enjoyment, all fun.  I was asked to run the 1/2 with a fellow Without Limits runner, a friend Anthony, who has run ONE HUNDRED ONE 1/2 MARATHONS.  Yes, 101!!!  This will be his 102nd.  I’m going to be talking to him while we run and I’m really excited to hear all his stories about the races he has done across the world.  Stay tuned as that story will be coming next week.