I absolutely LOVE running in the rain. It is brilliant. For so many reasons. The driving rain hitting your face is really energising, you can run through puddles, you can splash though puddles, you can get as dirty and wet as you like and you just don’t care. It has been tipping it down all day and my run today was wonderful. I got soaking wet, I ran and ran, splashed and jumped and had the best time (and took few photos).
There is another fantastic thing about running in the rain – it is a TOTAL distraction from what you are doing, where you are, where you are going and where you have been. It is a form of meditation. I totally zone out and forget everything I just get stuck on the wonder that is weather. The other great thing is that when I get home, soaked to the skin, I have a hot bath with a big cup of (vegan!) hot chocolate followed by an early gluten free, vegan lunch like Chilli Sin Carne with tortilla chips or Perfect Plain Rice.
I know some people complain about the weather and prefer to run on a treadmill in a gym. I have never run on a treadmill – for several reasons: I don’t trust myself, I think it is better for you to run outside rather than in a warm air conditioned room (I hate air conditioning), I’m not sure that treadmills are that great for technique/ joints and I am cheap (I wince at the cost of gyms). As long as you are dressed and shod appropriately you can run in any weather in the UK.
Aside from the appalling air quality in parts of London running outside is unbeatable in terms of how it makes you feel. I have a number of routes of varying length and terrain and I decide on the day which way to go – having a variety of routes makes it easy to mix it up to avoid monotony and routine.
It also feels like I run faster in the rain! If it raining AND windy I run even faster still (especially if I put my jacket up around my head like Batman)!!!