Rain Running (squish squish)

I had my 20 mile run scheduled for last weekend. And I was really scared. I’ve never run that far before. Usually I pound out my long run on Sunday. This weekend, the gorgeous 70 degree Saturday was slated to turn brutal and nasty by Sunday—windy and rainy and temp in the 40s—so, in my head, I switched my long run to Saturdays.

It wasn’t to be.

Saturday was just too busy. Kids going here, kids going there. Everyone needed a ride somewhere and I needed a “personal day” for myself. I yanked out the credit card and went shopping. 6 pairs of pants and 3 tops later I felt good. I sipped my Peets coffee and enjoyed sitting in the sun. I was secretly hoping that the storm would somehow pass quietly over northern California in the middle of the night and I would awake on Sunday to sunny skies again.

It wasn’t to be.

At 5 a.m. I awoke to a strange noise—rain on the patio out front. I climbed back into bed and slept until 7 a.m. I knew that if I didn’t get up now, I wouldn’t go.
Coffee’d up I drove to the bike trail access point and headed out—it was 8:30 a.m. and a steady rain stacatto’d on the roof of my car. I looked outside and thought—“if I go into the starbucks over there and just sit and read for a few hours, nobody would know!” Pride wouldn’t let me do it though. I slung on my Nathan waterpack and turned on the Garmin and the Ipod.

For such a rainy day, I decided to wear some “rain gear” and see how it went. I wore track pants that were made of some plastic-y material—they looked like they would be waterproof and my rain jacket from fleet feet. Luckily I also wore thick trail Balega socks. I hoped these things would help me stay dry.

It wasn’t to be.

By mile 4 my shoes were so soaked that I could feel and hear the squish squish as I ran. My “track pants” were stuck the front of my legs and my “rain jacket” soaked up a bunch of water. But I kept moving forward. By the time I reached mile 8 I was soaked head to toe but felt AWESOME! Just call me badass…

I took off my jacket at one point because it was so wet and heavy it was totally annoying. I tied it to the outside of my Nathan pack and continued on. Around mile 16 I started to slow down and began to walk more frequently. My feet hurt a lot. The last two miles were really tough but I just kept thinking “only 20 minutes more, only 20 minutes more.” 3 hours and 34 minutes later I got back to the car with 20.09miles under my belt.



My longest run. Ever.

What did I learn? Things that look waterproof aren’t. Wearing capris on a rainy day is probably better than “track pants.” My “rain proof” jacket isn’t. Balega Trail socks are the best—not one blister on my foot despite 20 miles is wet socks & shoes. And I can run 20 miles with barely a blip of pain in my hip.

Life is good.

Karen:1 Hip:0