Written September 27, 2024
Hello Dear Readers,
As I woke up, I heard the sound of rain hitting our roof. This morning began with frustration as heavy rain blanketed the area. While I don’t usually mind running in the rain, starting a run when it’s already pouring is always tough. I checked my phone, hoping for a break in the weather, but the forecast showed steady rain all day.
My first thought was to postpone my run until tomorrow. Then, I stopped my thought. The rain is expected to continue, which isn’t exactly what I think is ideal. I don’t enjoy running in the rain, but I also didn’t want to miss out on the several days of running. Despite the hard rain earlier, the rain did not seem as heavy as it had sounded earlier. So, I weighed my options. If I didn’t run today, I wouldn’t have another chance for days. With that in mind, I decided to brave the rain.
I grabbed my windbreaker to shield myself from the initial downpour, knowing it wouldn’t keep me dry for long. The rain was part of a hurricane moving through Georgia. While hurricane rain in summer feels dense and muggy, autumn rain brings a chilly bite, even if that was caused by the hurricane. My wife, who usually avoids running in the rain, mentioned that the rain was more of a mist when she went out earlier. She also felt the pressure to run today, knowing the weather would only worsen in the coming days.
Stepping outside, I was met with cold, wet air. My shoes, still damp from yesterday’s run, made every step squishy. After covering about a kilometer, I realized that running the full 5k in these conditions would be uncomfortable. I gave myself an incentive: if I could beat my target pace and hold it for at least half a kilometer, I would allow myself to stop early. This kilometer of extra push somehow worked, and I managed to hit my goal, cutting the run short at 3 kilometers from the distance I originally planned.
I headed back home soaking wet. While I was running, I felt the water pushing out of my shoes. The rain had washed sweat and remnants of my face moisturizer into my eyes while I was running, which were stinging by the time I got home. As soon as I arrived, I jumped into a hot shower.
Unfortunately, it looks like today’s rain will prevent me from finishing the sanding project I had planned. Hopefully, there will be enough dry weather tomorrow to finish it; otherwise, it’ll have to wait until the skies clear.
In the end, I got my run in, even though it was only 3 kilometers, and that’s what matters most to me. I still consider it a success.