Ugh.

I was so looking forward to a great run night.  I mean like super-spectacular-serious great.
Then I left work.
I had no idea that there was any rain in the forecast, so it came as a shock when I opened the outside door to see that everything was soaked, and it was still steadily drizzling.  Not my favorite thing, by any means...but ok.

By the time I got to the trail, though, the little drizzle had turned into this...

I don't like running in the rain to begin with. Yes...it's cooler. But when those raindrops hit your superheated skin, it can feel like ice, which can make an uncomfortable run even worse.  Then there's also the humidity factor to think about, and the questionable footing, and the chafing....which affects breathing and stride and tempo and...well...all that added into the mix can make a really uncomfortable run downright miserable.
I sat there for about 30 minutes, hoping that the downpour would at least slack back into the drizzle again.  With only five more training runs between me and my next 5k, not running last night was just not an option....especially if I have any hope of a PR.

The rain finally did let up, and I jumped out of my car, did my warm-up stretches as quickly as I could, and hit the trail, praying that I could get in at least two miles before the bottom fell out and I had to ride home totally drenched with water seeping into my upholstery.  Fortunately, by the time I'd gotten to the end of my 5 minute warm-up walk, the only water hitting me was dripping from overhanging branches.  Yes, I was wet, but not unreasonably so, and my run went fairly well after that. 
My only real concern wound up being my footing.  The Tweetsie trail is a composite trail, and when it rains, the fine gravel can give a bit under your feet.  Then there's whatever thick white paint they use to mark the trail as it crosses actual roads.  I took one step on that and almost busted my ass big-time...that stuff is slick.  It really ought to be illegal to use...seriously.  Why don't they use some type of epoxy resin that has a little grip? It's not like they don't know people will be running/walking/riding in the rain.

Rant over.

Anyway, I lost a bit of steam on the way up the giant hill, but I managed to get in 2.5 miles before I turned around and headed back, making up time as I went because the grade is so steep.  I didn't stop at 3 miles, though.  My legs were feeling good enough that I pushed it and ran pretty much the entire way back too, only leaving myself enough time for a quick cool-down before getting back to the car.

Considering that I had to watch my footing so carefully, I was very pleased with my pace for this run.  What I wasn't so pleased with:  the fact that my IT band on my left knee (which I have had zero problems with up until now) started getting very tight near the end of the run and is still tight today, even though I've been massaging it off and on all day.  Guess I'm going to have to break down soon and invest in a foam roller....*sigh* The other thing was that I actually wound up coming off the trail about the time it became too dark to see.  You probably can't tell it from this selfie shot in the post-run gloom of my car, but I am totally drenched...maybe the sweatiest selfie to date...but incredibly happy, for all that.

I only have four more runs before my race.  I feel pretty confident that I could run it tomorrow and not disgrace myself, but I know that I will be that much more prepared a week from now.  And it's going to have to be a constant thing for me to keep reminding myself all through this race that I've only been back running for a little over four months.  So I need to push...yes, by all means.  But I also need to be kind to myself while I'm pushing.  Whether I PR or not...I'm still most definitely back in the game.  And that's a win any day.