Confession: I love running in the rain, but if it’s already raining before I start, I have a hard time starting a run in the rain. In fact, I’ve been known to totally wuss out on a run if it’s raining out, despite having some of my best races be in the pouring rain. Luckily, on Wednesday night, we were already running when the downpour hit. And on Thursday, when I woke up at 4:45am (yes, I woke up crazy early to run), I was glad I had a friend waiting on me or I might have just rolled over and gone back to sleep. But after 5 miles of hills in the rain, I was super happy I got up. There’s just something fun and badass about running in the pouring rain. (And you never know when you’ll end up racing in the pouring rain.)
Put anti-chafe product everywhere.
Yes, I do mean everywhere. If parts are touching, lube them up. Don’t forget your feet. (I’ve also heard the suggestion of duct taping your shoes to keep your feet dry longer, but I’ve found that as long as I have plenty of Glide between my toes and around my feet, I’m fine.)
Don’t overdress.
The grey, dark, and wet feel may make you want to wear more clothes than the temp requires. Or you might be inclined to wear a waterproof jacket. Just say no to both of these. If it’s warm out, you’ll overheat. Even if it’s a little bit cool out, wearing a waterproof jacket just means you end up soaked from your own sweat instead of the rain. If it’s below 60, I might wear a light weight windbreaker to hold some heat in, but I’m always prepared to end up with it tied around my waste. If it is chilly, make sure you have a plan for getting dry immediately. It doesn’t take long to catch a chill when you are soaking wet.
Wear a hat or visor.
The worst part about running in the rain is the water in your eyes. OK, sometimes the wind sucks too, but wind and water in your eyes is awful. So put on that hat or visor and make it so you can actually see where you are running. While you are at it, control your hair. Put it in the hat, braid it, put it in a bun. Do something besides a pony tail. Know what happens when you have a ponytail swinging around in the rain? Snarls of a type you could spend hours fixing. (If you do get caught out, I highly recommend either Suave children’s detangling spray or a big handful of conditioner in your hair before you shower. Detangling spray was life changing for me after the Richmond half marathon a few years ago, but conditioner before you shampoo will go along ways towards loosening the knots.)
Don’t forget to hydrate.
Yes, it’s raining and you are soaked, but unless it’s crazy cold out, you are also sweating. You just may not realize it. Hydrate like you would for that temperature on a dry day.
Channel your inner child.
Have fun! Running in the rain can be a blast. So jump in those puddles, skip as you run, float a stick down the stream on your path. Because, honestly, you aren’t going to melt.
Two rainy runs in two days was not my plan this week, but I’ll take a 70 something degree pouring rain run over 90+ with matching humidity ANY day.
I’m linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness for Friday 2.0.
The joke with me is that if I’m running a marathon, it’s going to rain. There are certain kind of rains that I like to run in. Light drizzle? No biggie. Pouring buckets and it’s in the 40s? Absolutely miserable.
If it’s not too cold outside then I don’t mind running in the rain. It can actually be quite refreshing!
I headed out for a run yesterday just as my husband got home. His eyes got all wide & he was like — it might rain, you know? Sadly, it didn’t!
I like running in the rain in the summer. Although I definitely prefer a gentle rain to a downpour (both are possible for my long run tomorrow).
I found another trick for enjoying a rainy run was getting out of my neighborhood! On memorial day I had a cool, rainy run I really enjoyed. I went to the bikepath. It was really peaceful! And a good snack waiting at the car never hurts. 🙂
I would so rather run in the rain than the scorching sun and humidity as well. Although I am over this weather this week 🙂
I don’t mind running in a light rain, but a downpour can be just painful!!!
After the run, I always stuff my shoes with newspapers to help them dry out properly.
I actually don’t mind running in the rain either. Now a total downpour can e a different story, especially if i’m on the trail cus that can get pretty muddy.
Thanks for linking up!
Running in the rain can certainly be freeing! I’m much more into it during the hot summer months, that’s for sure. Happy Friday! Have a great weekend. 🙂
My run yesterday was in the rain. I sat in my car for about 5 minutes debating whether to go. But it was actually fun! Wearing a hat is a must. The only downside is wet shoes!
I don’t mind the rain too much when it is hot or warm. It is a nice way to cool down. I’ve run two half marathons in the rain and I was miserable. The chafing was pretty bad too.
I loved soccer practices in the rain. They were more fun with the team, and we didn’t mind getting wet and muddy.
Great tips! I’ve definitely fallen into the trap of overdressing for a rainy run. I think running in the rain can be a lot of fun if you don’t take it as seriously!
I’ve made the mistake of wearing a rain jacket out while running in the rain, even when it was too warm to warrant wearing it. Big mistake, and I wound up wearing it around my waist, which just dragged me down even more. Never again will I make that mistake.
This is great! Like you, I will not start a run in the rain, but absolutely love a nice rain shower to fall once I’ve already started running….. It’s just so refreshing and soul/sole cleansing! And yes, yes, YES to the tangles of a ponytail when wet! Braids are the best! Great post Erica!
Yes to the hat/visor! And no to the pony tails LOL I almost always braid my hair or do a top not thingy (with a visor) if there’s a chance of rain. My hair is fine, but it’s plentiful…and a snarled mess of YUCK if it gets wet
Omg, I love running in the rain! It’s one of those things that just makes me happy. My husband doesn’t understand why. ??? lol