There has been one thing that has kept me from going completely crazy during this particular taper week — reruns of episodes of “I Love Lucy.”

It’s not just a distraction. I consider this part of my training for Sunday’s inaugural Lucy Town Half Marathon. The race is in Jamestown, N.Y., home of Lucille Ball, during the annual comedy festival at the Lucy-Desi Museum and Center for Comedy. And believe it or not, I’m drawing inspiration from these old black-and-white reruns for my 13.1-mile race.

Lucy is always scheming. She’s trying to get into Ricky’s show in New York. She’s trying to meet celebrities when they move out to Los Angeles. (She may be scheming when they go to Europe, too, but I like to pretend those episodes don’t exist. It’s the same way I feel about “The Bad News Bears Go To Japan.”) She teams up with her best friend Ethel, who goes along with the crazy ideas, doubling the impact of the trouble and increasing the hilarity which inevitably ensues.

Here’s the thing about the character of Lucy — she never gives up. She never stops scheming for ways to get what she wants, whether it’s a spot in the show or a new apartment. She rarely lacks for confidence, even though at times that confidence may be misplaced. She’s loud, unapologetic and fiercely herself. Crazy idea? So what. Why not try it anyway. Because as we see time and again, it’s not the flop which is tragic (and Lucy has a flop of some sort in nearly every episode) but rather the failure to engage, fully and completely, in your dream of the moment.

I have a few thoughts on how I want to want to the Lucy Town Half Marathon, but what’s important is not so much the final outcome, but the way in which I approach the day. This time, I’ll approach it like Lucy — with a fierce belief in myself and a healthy dose of humor. I’m not sure what’s going to happen. But I’m pretty sure it’s going to be epic.