Taking the Easy Way Out

I am normally an all-kinds-of-weather runner. Running in a freak October blizzard? Check. Running in a hurricane tropical storm? Check. Triple-digit heat? Check. Freak lunchtime downpour? Not so much.

Today on my lunch break I went for what was supposed to be a nice easy run over the Manhattan Bridge and back. My office doesn't have windows (hey, at least I have a door that shuts) so I never know exactly what the weather will be doing when I get outside (yes, I've heard of weather.com, but half the time it's wrong and the other half the time I'm too lazy to check it). Anyway, when I went outside it was drizzling slightly. Okay, I said to myself, you got this. It's better than extreme humidity.

Unfortunately, just as I was running under the Brooklyn Bridge, mother nature decided to go crazy on me. Niagara Falls was literally transported 400 miles to New York City where its force was unleashed over lower Manhattan.

Maybe that was an exaggeration. Maybe.

Anyway, I gave up and did 4 miles on the dreadmill at the gym down the street from my office. Yes, I may have finished my run soaked in sweat, but at least I didn't get rained on.

The Art of Running in the Rain

I'm originally from Seattle which means I grew up with rain the way Upper East Siders grow up with nannies. Sometimes rain sucks. On a cold fall or winter day when the temperatures hovering just above freezing, rain can chill you all the way through, making it impossible to warm up post-run. During a race it can deter your friends from coming out to cheer and it can drench your change of clothes too. However, during the summer months (as Luke Bryan likes to say), rain is a good thing.

The way I see on warm summer runs you're either going to finish soaked in sweat or soaked in rain, and frankly, I smell better in the latter. Seriously, though, running in the rain can actually be quite enjoyable as long as you follow a few simple pieces of advice:

Photo Credit: Michael Dulle

Wear wicking fabric - Cotton gets really heavy in the rain and will cling to your skin. Wicking fabric doesn't soak up as much rain and so won't feel as heavy.

Make sure your shoes have traction - Sure you might want to wear your old shoes over your shiny new ones, but make sure the treads still work. Just like tires your shoes can slip if they're totally worn down.

Socks-wear them! - Hopefully you're already wearing socks, but wet shoes can equal blisters on a longer run if you don't have appropriate socks. I recommend Wrightsock and Smartwool, my two favorite brands.

Hat/Sunglasses - If it's really pouring wearing a pair of shades or a hat can help keep the rain out of your eyes. If you're wearing sunglasses, I'm a hug fan of Oakley's hydrophobic pen that you can apply to any sunglasses to prevent rain from leaving streaks--it just beads right off.

Anyway, with all the afternoon showers we've been having lately hopefully these tips will keep you from taking your runs inside to the treaddreadmill.

Running with the forecast, or why it pays to plan ahead.

Friday is supposed to be the warmest day of the week–it’s also supposed to be the wettest. I had an 11 miler schedule for tomorrow, but given the forecast, I opted to get it out of the way today.

In the winter, more so than any other time of the year, it’s important to look at the forecast several days out when planning your run. This is especially true when you’ve got long runs or speedwork on your schedule. An easy five miler in the rain? No big deal. A recovery run with temps in the teens? You’ll manage. An 18 miler with a 20 mph headwind and freezing rain? No thanks!

I tend to be pretty obsessive about the 5 day forecast. Sure, it can change, and sure I’ve toughed it out in all kinds of weather. We all know that come race day, you have no control of what Mother Nature does, but I’m a firm believer that marathon training is demanding enough to prepare you, even if you change your plans to fit the forecast.

As for today’s run? It went great! 11.1 miles total, down through Central Park and back home along the Hudson River Greenway.