Running in the rain...

It rained all day yesterday. All day. I woke up to rain around 6 am, and it was still raining at 8 pm. I know we really need rain in our area, but did it really need to rain for 12+ hours straight?

I know I said I was going to rain every day, rain or shine, but I just couldn't get out there yesterday. You know how people will often say they love taking walks in the rain? I don't enjoy it. At all. And I certainly don't enjoy running in the rain. So I gave myself permission to take the day off yesterday. I ran an extra mile today to make up for that, so still feel ok about running 6 of the last 7 days.

I have one vivid memory of running in the rain. I was training for my marathon back in the summer of 2006. It was overcast, but I went out anyways, hoping to get my 10 mile run in before it started to rain. I decided to run around Lake Harriet, Calhoun, and Isles.

Here's a picture of where I do most of my runs. I always park at the southern tip of Lake Harriet, and run the lakes counter clockwise. I have tried to run them clockwise, and my runs always feel TERRIBLE when I do that. I am such a creature of habit.

Anyways, on this overcast day, I was at the northern tip of the middle lake, Calhoun. I thought about cutting my run short in case it started to really pour, but I really wanted to get my long run in so I wouldn't have to do it during the week.

By the time I got to the northern tip of Lake of the Isles, it was pouring. And lightning. I was kind of freaking out. I was a good 5-6 miles from my car, and there really wasn't anywhere for me to take shelter. So I kept running. I kept thinking -I'm totally going to get struck by lightning and then I am going to be the random unidentifiable body that some random person finds on a running path that makes the 10 o'clock news.

Yes, I realize that is an incredibly morbid thought, but since I live alone, and don't really talk to anyone on a daily basis, no one would really know if I went missing - esp over the weekend!

I made it back to the northern part of Calhoun and found a bus shelter where I hung out until the lightning subsided.

When I got home from the run, I called my mom and told her what happened. That next week, she sent me a laminated emergency contact/allergy sheet to put in my running belt in case I am struck down by lightning some day or something like that.

That way I won't make the news.

Miraculously, that was the only time I had to run in the rain during my 18 week marathon training program.

I'm praying that if it does rain a lot in June - I at least get an hour window where I can do my runs. Otherwise I am going to have to re-think putting my gym membership on hold.