Running in the Rain

I was at the YMCA on Tuesday debating whether or not I should run on the treadmill (dreadmill) or hit the streets in the rain. The only reason this was a question was because I only wore shorts and a tshirt and the rain was cold and the wind was strong. I eventually decided that I would rather freeze than endure even five minutes of treadmill misery! So off I went...

There is something about running in the rain that is refreshing. You have to squint to see where you are going, you have water dripping off of your hair and onto your face, you have mud splashing up on your legs and you have an occassional car that thinks it is funny to soak by speeding through a puddle. All this being so, you have the freedom to let loose and run without reserve. The rain cools you off, the rain makes you concentrate, the rain clears your thoughts, the rain appears so pure but, most of all, the rain challenges you as a runner. Are you willing to run in the rain? Are you willing to battle the whoosh of rain that hits your face when the wind blows? Are you willing to allow your legs to get numb and red from the coldness of the rain?

If so, call yourself a runner.

The next time you schedule a run and the weather man/woman says there is a possibility of rain...throw your hands up and say, "Bring it on!"