On Monday I was in my hometown to present to a class at my graduate school alma mater. This also meant that I got to run in my hometown as well. Although I wasn't presenting until the afternoon I wanted to spend the morning and early afternoon visiting a friend and her daughter.
So instead of getting up and running I decided to run in the evening after my presentation.
Although the day started off a little overcast I figured I'd be fine in the early evening. There were a few rain sprinkles on my drive from campus but nothing major. I got home, threw on my running clothes, and headed outside. "Do you want me to come get you if it starts pouring?" my mom asked.
I got less than a half a mile from my starting point when the rain really started to come down. I was running up the hill near my parents' house that makes an appearance between mile 6 and 7 of the Illinois Half Marathon. The wind was blowing directly in my face and I was getting soaked.
Now, normally I don't care about running in the rain. But the combination of a hill, the wind, and the fact that I hadn't put my iPhone in a plastic bag were enough to make me turn around and head back. I took a 5 minute break to protect my phone in a baggie before going back outside. My parents thought I was crazy.
"You're going to go back out there?" They asked. "Aren't you cold? Isn't it wet?"
Actually, I felt great in my running skirt and tank top. And believe it or not, as soon as I started running again the rain stopped.
But this time I skipped the hill and the wind. Instead I stuck to the flat bike path that cuts down the center of the road. By the time I finished my 5 mile run most of the moisture in my clothes was from sweat and not from rain.
So my suggestions for running in the rain? Put on a hat, protect your electronics, and go for it. Besides, there were still golfers out on the golf course. Are you going to let the golfers be more hardcore than you?
Stone Creek Running by snmnstrz21 at Garmin Connect - Details
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