I made it rain! (and i didn’t even have to dance)

10/11/2013 by She's Going the Distance Leave a comment

Remember my last post?? Well a day later it started raining, pouring and the temps have dropped about 15 degrees. I’d rather run a race in light rain and cooler weather over hot & humid any day of the year. One of my favorite races was Cincinnati’s Flying Pig 1/2 Marathon and it started off in a downpour and misted/showered the whole time. Instead of getting upset that it was raining, i put my iPod in a ziplock bag, looked up at the sky and laughed. Besides squishy shoes, I enjoyed the rain. It kept me cool the entire race and made me feel like a kid dodging puddles and trying not to slip.

i’m actually smiling at the finish 🙂

I will be drawing inspiration from that race to get me through Balitmore’s wet hills tomorrow morning. My only goals are to enjoy the race, SMILE, and try to stay around an 8:15 pace <—and if this doesn’t happen i’m not going to be upset, it’s just an easy pace I can hold comfortably, but with slick roads you never know!

Here’s a few tips for running a race in rain:

–Put your electronics in Ziplock bags–cell phones, ipods, mp3 players etc. Put these in ziplock bags if using them. If they’re going in your checked bag–put them in a ziplock. Your bag could leak and get your things wet. Better to be safe with your expensive items. If possible, leave them in the car.

–Garbage bags/Rain Poncho- Before the race begins, its much more comfortable to sit on dry garbage bags than the wet ground. You can also wear these to stay dry & warm before the race starts. I’ve seen people start their race or run the whole race wearing a poncho or bag.

–Bring dry clothes/shoes/socks & towels-– have these dry items in your car ready for you to change into.

–Anti-chafe stick/friction cream– whatever you have use it, especially on your toes/feet/chest/thighs, if possibly carry it along the race and reapply

–Stay away from cotton or clothes that get heavy when wet.

–Wear a hat/visor–to keep rain out of your eyes if it’s pouring.

–Picture the End- If running in the rain is tough, uncomfortable and just not fun for you, try picturing the hot shower you will get once you’re finished and a cup of coffee or hot chocolate or whiskey 😉 that’s waiting for you at home.

I picked up the Cosmic Run’s bibs and shirts for the 5k I will be doing tomorrow night, which I hope will happen. I’m hoping my legs will still move to complete 3.1 more miles in the same day haha.

Shirt, Bib & Glow Stick necklace & tattoos!

This week has been a real easy running week, just a lot of rest, foam rolling & stretching. Here’s me bored in between clients, just stretching and waiting for the races this weekend…

Also, it’s about that time of year to make my famous Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies. Okay, not mine, more like Food Network’s, but I can follow a mean recipe. 🙂 Okay, not even, cause I accidentally used the wrong recipe. It wasn’t as good as last years, but it’s my first batch and they still turned out awesome! As soon as I get the right recipe I’ll be sharing.