Crazy Running
A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men. — Roald Dahl
What is Crazy Running?
Crazy Running is running in such a way that is infinitely cooler than traditional running or jogging. Here’s how it works:
Crazy Running is performed ideally with at least two runners. There is one Lead Runner. The rest are Follower Runners. The Follower runs directly behind the Lead. If there is more than one Follower, then Followers get in line right behind one another. The Lead controls The Run by running and performing ‘Crazy Bits’ aka ‘Kits’—which are non sequitur interactions with your surroundings. Whatever the Lead does, the Follower must do. This is the only explicit rule of Crazy Running.
Of course, just as in life, there are implicit rules like “Don’t murder anybody.” For instance, if the Lead murders somebody, the Follower should not follow suit. In fact, the Follower should call the police. Crazy Running encourages getting weird, but doesn’t encourage being an asshole. The line can be a thin one.
To give this thing some context, here’s an example:
You’re in the Quinta Camacho neighborhood of Bogotá, Colombia. The Run starts off as a light, breezy jog. Lead leading Follower. Follower following Lead. Lead jumps over a sidewalk tile. Follower jumps over sidewalk tile. Lead stops under a stoplight and does three jumping jacks in front of a line of cars. Follower does three jumping jacks under same stoplight in front of the line of cars. Lead runs over to the entrance of a bodega and yells “¿Oye qué pena, cuánto cuestan estos plátanos?” and storms off. Follower runs over to the entrance of said bodega and yells “¿Oye qué pena, cuánto cuestan estos plátanos?” and storms off. The Run continues in this way until Lead 1) switches roles with Follower or 2) taps out, who as controller of The Run, is the only one with tap out power.
This is Crazy Running. Try it. Experiment with it. Bring out your inner kid. Be curious. Be creative. Be careful. Get fit. Laugh. Make others laugh. Don’t take yourself too seriously—in Crazy Running or in life.
Crazy Running is a copyright of Steven Gilbert and Mark Wetzler.