Running in the Rain

Yesterday, I got an unexpected workout via a dear friend coming into town to go on a hiking/caving/rafting expedition with a group of her friends.  Since they live so far away, she wanted to take them to a cascade that is only located a couple of miles from us, and we agreed to meet them there.  Seeing the cascade (aptly named The Blue Hole, for its coloring) involves a bit of a hike, although not too strenuous a one, and a descent down a wooden staircase that must have been made by giants.  Navigating those stairs...both up AND down....is the real challenge to the hike.  Totally worth it, though.

In all, we probably stayed an hour or so...with maybe 30 minutes of it actual hiking.  A nice surprise, and very much enjoyed.

Today was a run day, and I was really geared up to start the week off right.  Imagine my surprise when I was greeted by steel-gray skies.  Ugh. It was going to rain.


You know....I hate running in the rain. It makes my clothes stick to me and binds me up. I lose the freedom that I usually feel, not to mention that I get chilled. I mean, right down to the bone chilled.  And I have never been able to run cold....wet OR dry.

But for so long, that has been my fall-back excuse. One or the other...or some combination of both has caused me to get off track more times than I could EVER care to remember. That is why, when I decided to get serious (again), I determined that come rain, shine, sleet, snow, hell or high water...if it was a run day, I was going to run.

Last week, I wimped out. No more.

Today, I determined that there was NO excuse that was going to cause me not to run. I deserved this damn run, if it killed me....even if I didn't have a towel to keep my seat dry on the way home (another excuse)!

I hit the track, watching the black cloud that loomed. (I kept running) Watching it come closer. (I kept running) Watching the rain start to dump out of it.  (I kept running)  Watching the downpour get heavier and heavier as it moved my way.

Through it all, despite what looked to be the inevitable, I did not stop....determined to get as much of my workout in as I possibly could, grumbling the entire time that, wouldn't you know it....just when I got to my first long run (week 5, day 3)....

And I watched that freaking cloud skirt right on by, somehow completely bypassing me.

Determination pays off. Yes, by God, it does.  And if I have to run in the freaking rain every damn day....I will do it.  Because I can. Because I've earned it.

Because I must.