The Pro’s and Con’s of Getting Caught In the Rain While Out on a Perfectly Ordinary Afternoon Run

Today was a beautiful day. A clear, mid-70’s, breezy kind of day that is perfect for an afternoon run. I missed going to the gym this morning, so I decided to knock off work early and take a jaunt. So I’m jaunting along, when I noticed sudden clouds moving in – and I’m talking sudden. They were definitely not there when I started. I began thinking hmmm….what if it starts storming in the middle of my run? I picked up the pace a bit, which isn’t too hard when you’re listening to Ricky Martin croon “Shake Your Bon Bon” through your headset while imagining shaking your bon bon with Ricky, singing backup while wearing a 60’s-style mini-skirt with fringes, and knee-high boots – Oh, come on! Don’t tell me your fantasy life doesn’t kick in during a boring workout session! Am I right??

Anyway, despite my faster pace, the rains came. They poured with the ferocity that I’m certain has not been witnessed since Noah built the ark. I’m in the middle of the torrents, with no choice but to plod homeward. My thoughts shifted from frolicking with Ricky Martin to the current situation at hand. (Ironically, my iPod advanced from “Bon Bon” to Keith Sweat’s “In the Rain”….how cool is that?) I upped my speed even more, but to no avail…..there was no avoiding the fact that I was soon to be soaked to the bone. Before long, my musings took the form of a pro and con-type list. I’d like to share those with you here:

The Pro’s and Con’s of Getting Caught In the Rain While Out on a Perfectly Ordinary Afternoon Run

Pro: The rain is very refreshing!
Con: The rain does a number on your mascara, which you shouldn’t be wearing while running anyway, but that’s what you have to do when you miss your morning workout and you have to do it at the end of the working day, so it serves you right for being lazy.

Pro: You don’t need to share the sidewalks with other runners/bikers/dog-walkers.
Con: The timing of this particular rainstorm happened to be during rush hour, so while the sidewalks were void of others, the roads were crammed with them. I could have sworn I actually heard the finger-pointing of the commuters. I’d say being laughed at is a con.

Pro: Others may not know that you’re not affected with mania, needing to run in rain, sleet, hail, or ice storms. Others, including me, generally thing people like that are idiots. I don’t really like to be thought of as an idiot, which brings about some sort of humility. A little humility is always a good thing to help keep things in perspective.
Con: That’s a load of doo doo. Humility never crossed my mind as I cursed the skies that couldn’t keep from opening for 20 lousy minutes.

Pro: Rainwater is so good for the hair and skin!
Con: But not so good for iPods.

Pro: I haven’t been out slogging in rain since I was a kid! I used to really enjoy that! I could learn to enjoy that again!
Con: Good Lord, has anyone been electrocuted by their iPod before??

Pro: No one can notice the unattractive sweat spots.
Con: Everyone can notice the unavoidable puddles one is forced to slosh through when torrential rains collect. OK, in all honesty, I’m really not sure how many people saw that, but it doesn’t matter. It’s enough just knowing you look like a loser.

Pro: You get a better workout when you’re trying to outrun rain.
Con: There’s a tendency to choke on rainwater when you’re gasping for air.

Pro: Clean shoes
Con: Wet feet

But…all’s well that ends well: I eventually made it home. I stood in the doorway, dripping like a wet rat, peeling off socks that had adhered to my feet, and my son walks by and asks, “Why were you running in the rain?” Come here, kid. Let me give you a wet sock-slap. Better yet, where’s that weather guy who didn’t predict a short-lived cell? I’d like to wet sock-slap him too.