Running in the rain

It's summer. In this area, it means we get lots of rain. I don't generally run in the afternoon because we get thunderstorms, but I have been known to run in the rain in the morning.

Saturday, I'm taking my oldest son to do his first race: Drenched. This is a water race, so we might as well be running in the rain. Here are a few of my favorite tips for wet conditions.

Wear the lightest, quickest drying running clothes you have. I refuse to run in anything other than light shorts and a light shirt in the rain. If I was skinny, I would wear just a sports bra. If I was a guy, I would probably just wear shorts.

This is the time to break out your widest-brimmed running hat. It'll keep the water from dripping in your eyes. Essential when you wear contact lenses like I do.

Vaseline on your feet under your socks. Puts a little bit of a barrier between you and the wet socks and shoes. Might make you a little more comfortable in the long run.

If your intention is to stay dry, wear a raincoat or cut holes for your arms and head in a garbage bag.

Body Glide is your best friend. You will chafe in places you didn't know existed if you are running in the rain.

Run "naked". Don't wear any electronic devices like your GPS watch or cell phone. If you absolutely MUST have them with you, put everything in Ziploc bags, stow them away, and don't bring them back out until you're done.

Be careful during the run. I have been known to trip and fall when it's dry out, so I have to be extra careful when it's wet or icy. Oh, those annoying yellow safety bumps they put in crosswalks, even more dangerous during the rain.

When you are done with the run, stuff your shoes with newspaper. This helps them maintain their structure and to dry faster. Nothing is worse than going out on your next run and finding that your shoes are still wet and feel really weird because the shape isn't the same as it was before.

Enjoy and feel like a hardcore runner! It rained at about mile 9 during my last half marathon. It was rather refreshing and enjoyable. I actually like running in the rain.

Attack of the workout wear!

Chafing. Unless you are a size 00, you have probably experienced chafing. Heck, even if you are a 00, you might have some issues with it on your feet.

I've learned to cope with it by putting Body Glide in the areas I usually have problems. I try to avoid cotton because it holds in moisture. I wore a cotton shirt for my first half marathon in December on a foggy, wet day and I totally wished I hadn't come mile 7. The brace I wore for my IT band injury would rub my thigh raw from the Velcro and putting glide on it just made it slip down.

Wednesday, I went for a rare weekday outdoor morning run. It was drizzling when I started and just very wet. To psych myself up for it, I wore my BornFit running shirt I got as a premium for running the Annapolis Half. I love that shirt. It's soft and light. Also, I'm just proud of myself for earning the darn thing ;) Well, the run itself was sucky. It was the beginning of my cold, so I was slow and just didn't feel like running the 6 I was planning, so I did 5.

I got home and I had a lovely inch-long raw spot on my upper chest from the zipper on my top. My favorite shirt attacked me! I've run in this shirt before without incident. I've worn similarly-styled shirts without a problem, either. Heck, I wear necklaces that hit at that location and have never had so much as a dot of rawness.

Was it because my shirt didn't want to go running? Was my shirt upset that I woke it up at 5:30am? Did it not want to be out in the rain? Why would my favorite shirt attack me?!

I guess next time, I need to zip it all of the way up or put some glide on in that location before I run. :(

Cherry Blossom Training Week 1 - Intervals

I didn't manage a run yesterday or get my lazy butt up at 5:30 to run this morning. Today was supposed to be a rest day, but I dragged myself and the boys to the gym for interval training. The intermediate training plan called for 3-5 miles with intervals for the middle miles. Since I was running on a treadmill, I didn't like the way their intervals were planned. You were supposed to run fast for 15 seconds and recover for 45 seconds, alternating until you get the 1-3 middle miles of your run completed. I like longer intervals and a little bit of a hill. I set the treadmill at 5.6 mph. For my intervals, I increased the grade for a minute. So I'd do 1 minute at a 5% incline and then 3 minutes at the normal incline. This works better for the way I train. I was thinking I'd do the lower end of the training, but ended up doing the full 5. I feel great, but I forgot the Body Glide and have some ouchie spots.

I'm going to get back on the plan tomorrow and get in 2-4 miles in the morning. My goal is to aim for the middle mileage on most days.