Invigorating, liberating, wet, wonderful

Keen to get to graduation, set off this afternoon with a feel good playlist, and became totally absorbed with singing in my head. The cool down command cuts in, I am three miles from base, it starts to spit with rain. No option but to run back. I gave it my best shot, battled driving rain, gave up trying to avoid the puddles and remarkably made it back. The post run shower felt fantastic - like a spa treatment for free. My initiation to running in the rain was nowhere near as awful as I imagined it would be and whilst I may not choose to set off in the rain a dodgy forecast is not a reason for postponing a run. So, that is rain experienced - the next hurdle will be cold I expect.

Just one more outing till I am done, that will have to wait till the shoes dry out now.

[laurav33 Graduate]

Sounds wonderful- really impressive to run back as well! Well done!!

[gary_bart]

You sound like you had more fun on this wet run of yours than any two others combined. Glad to see you're enjoying being out there like this.

[Rainbowsmurf Graduate]

Well done you. I chickened out today because of the weather and ended up on the treadmill at the gym instead.

[Hidden in reply to Rainbowsmurf]

I tried the treadmill on Monday but it was so unbearably hot with every station taken. The pounding, puffing and panting along with the muscle strokers checking themselves out in the mirrors threw me off my game!

The weather was really bad and if I were not so keen to get to graduation I could have called in at the garden centre for a cuppa and got a lift home.

[Rainbowsmurf Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Our gym isn't too busy first thing in the morning and they've moved the mirrors so people don't look at themselves and fall off the treadmill!

[Hidden]

well done I remember last autumn going out for run in the wind and rain and thinking a year before I would have been thinking what fool would be out in weather like that , that would be then and you now and doesn't it feel great ..

don't worry about the cold , you wont feel it

[dawncoates34 Graduate]

Great stuff I haven't tried cold yet and am looking into different gear to wear as not gonna hibernate this winter like the 43 previous years 😄 enjoy and good luck for graduation x

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Graduation may give you the reason to buy another celebratory pair of shoes and then you can't use wet shoes as an excuse for not running.

[Hidden]

You must be a mind reader as currently looking at trail shoes. I am drawn to the idea of running along river banks.

My regular shoes are sodden and stuffed with kitchen roll. Looking like a couple of days before they dry so those celebratory shoes are probably a necessity.

[Leanne78 Graduate]

I love running in the rain, that's probably a good thing given that I live in Manchester.

My trainers got soaked through the other week. I popped them on the radiator upside down and they were dry the next day.

[AvatheGardener Graduate]

Love that post- and that feeling of running through the warm down (hope you did a warm down though your muscles won't thank you otherwise!!!).

What trail shoes are you thinking of?

[RunningForBroke Graduate]

I'm at the same run as you (minus the wet shoes). I have found that I don't mind running in the rain if it isn't pouring. You're right though, the cold will be a real hurdle for us all. All the best as you finish!

[Hidden in reply to RunningForBroke]

Thanks. Won't be finishing today - a little weary. I have invested in a couple of long sleeved tops already along with gloves in bright colours so I can be seen. That should be OK for autumn but will need some guidance about what to wear on really cold days

[Hidden]

I will put myself in the hands of the patient assistants at my local Sweatshop probably. They certainly sorted me out with some of the most comfortable running shoes I have owned in a long time earlier this year. Really impressed with the time spent trying to accommodate my wide feet, at the time dodgy ankles and an inclination to overpronation on one foot.

I did warm down but I must admit to feeling a bit weary today. The driving rain, wind and puddle leaping took its toll. I covered well over six miles by the time I got back so no surprise really.

[RunningForBroke Graduate in reply to Hidden]

I highly recommend Mizunos. They are awesome.

[Hidden in reply to RunningForBroke]

Mizuno happen to be my existing shoes. I won't get too excited though in case the trail shoes are not the perfect fit. I dare not run the risk of mail order. My daughter bought some mail order Salomon trail shoes recently - too small so she did not get the bargain she was hoping for. She passed them on to me but I can't get on with them.

[RunningForBroke Graduate in reply to Hidden]

I hope that you end up with shoes you really like. 😃