Yesterday it was, once again, raining in Atlanta. Yesterday I ran in the rain. Ordinarily this would not be such a momentous event. But…. I have gotten lazy over the last couple of months. It all started with our three Ironman races in back to back years. That kicked my butt. These days, even a 5 mile run was out of the question. I am not signed up for anything in particular so have become rather blase about running. I know you don’t believe it, but it’s true.
So this week I decided I needed to nip that fat and lazy in the bud. I would, once again, rise early each morning and run or swim or spin. GREAT! for the first day. And then yesterday rain fell in Atlanta once again.
What did I do? I had made up my mind on MONDAY when I heard the storm was coming that I would run in the rain. I told myself Tuesday as I headed home from an early morning visit to the dog park that I would run that day. And run I did.
When I walked out the door, I thought “this isn’t bad at all”. 50-60 yards down the road I debated going back for a jacket. At about the 1/2 mile mark rain started coming down hard again. The streets were full of puddles as it had been raining since midnight. But I pressed on. About the 3/4 mile mark I didn’t notice the rain anymore. I ran 5 miles, was soaking wet and never really noticed after the first 3/4 mile.
Ironically, when i got home, I found an article on Running miles through the winter, and it helped make me feel even more liberated.
A quote:
Those of us who exercise in all sorts of weather will attest that there is a certain thrill that can come from terrible conditions. “It makes us tough,” Our runs in horrendous conditions are “epic runs.” Right? They are truly memorable, ones we actually recall fondly.
……….
But the problem with epic runs or rides is that each one ups the ante. A day with just ordinary bad weather simply is not memorable after a while.
I still remember a run 10 years ago in the driving rain, freezing cold – one of Atlanta’s ice storm memorables. I had been traveling for business and was thrilled to be back on Atlanta soil, even if it was cold and dreary. And very much looking forward to running through my homely usual routes. So much so that I didn’t notice the cold and the rain. It was so bad that a policeman in the park asked if I wanted a ride back home.
The common thread in my experience as well as the article s i have found on running in the winter, and that is the resolve to just do it, no matter what. You can’t let yourself make the decision while you are peeking out the door at the rain.
Make your resolve to Run Right Through The Winter.
Do you exercise less in bad weather? Leave a comment and share your winter running strategies and your epic run stories.
