Right now I am listening to the first rainfall of the month, and just like I did on the first real hot day of the summer, I am thinking about how I want to go running in it. The change in weather can be hard on running. Just when you’ve acclimated to running in the sunny heat and you’ve learned to enjoy the sweat, you need to start preparing for the change. Though the sound of the rain makes me envious of the cars passing by my window, I know from experience that it’s not always a welcoming sound. It can be too easy to pass on a run because of the Seattle rainfall. And even when you do get out there, you question just what the hell you are doing for at least ten minutes, if not more.
In reality, cool, drizzly weather is probably the best for running. The type of weather where you don’t break a sweat, and even if you do, it gets washed away by the rain. When you head out the door, you want to start moving right away, as if you are actually running for cover. But when you’re finishing that run, and you start walking to cool down, you are not so hurried. Instead it is a moment to enjoy: the relief of finishing and the urge to continue settle themselves, and both body and mind thank each other for getting you to this moment. Instead of wanting to retreat back to your home, you want to enjoy this natural descent from the run.
Despite the rush and pleasantness of such moments, it can be hard to keep in mind such experiences as motivation for these upcoming rainy runs. So while I may currently be pining for a late night run in the rain, I can’t say this is how I’ll feel when I’m taken to task.
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