Today, not so much. Rain, lots of rain. Wasn't supposed to be like this. But it is.
Since we're going to see some of the free (outdoor) concerts downtown (thank you NCAA Final Four), my running window was skinny and fixed. I had to go, now-ish.
Now-ish turned out to be heavy-rain-with-gusty-winds-o'clock.
The dog, always up for a run, stood at the door, looked outside, looked up at me just to make sure I was serious, sighed, and trotted out into it, right next to me.
During those couple perfect days, the sidewalks were full. Today, I saw only 3 pedestrians.
Two of them hardly count. They were two women scurrying from their car to a store, shimmying along the fronts of the shops, seeking refuge under the awnings. [Note: One of these women was wuh-hay pregnant. We're all happy for her. But I wish she'd gone for the slightly larger maternity T-shirt, one that would cover the lower 20% of her belly. Not a great look.] [Another Note: If you ever have a chance to see a very pregnant women shimmy along the fronts of several shops in an attempt to stay dry under the awnings, don't pass it up. It's hilarious.]
The other pedestrian was a mail carrier. Way passed each other on the street. She was smiling. She got it.
Rain has a bad rap. People spend so much effort to avoid it. I say, embrace it. Experience it.
Rain is cooling. This isn't necessarily good in the winter, but when it's hot out, a cool rain is heavenly.
Rain is comforting. The sound of the drops hitting the pavement or your hood or your umbrella is so relaxing that some people buy CDs of recorded rain sounds.
Rain is cleansing. If you have troubles on your mind, a nice walk in the rain will wash it all away, or at least make it all seem less sucky.
The next time it rains, give it a try. Pull on some old sneakers, or better yet some rain boots, grab an umbrella or a jacket with a hood, and go for a walk. Walk through a puddle instead of around it. Stand still for a bit, close your eyes, and listen, and smell, and feel the cool air move across your skin.
You can only get so wet, and everything dries.
Good running,
Doug
Numbers: 3.0 miles in heavy rain, light rain, sprinkle, and no rain at the finish.
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