would you run in a thunderstorm

Your risks of being struck by lightening will greatly increase if you are running in a thunderstorm.

I've been caught out running in storms and it was generally scary situations. I don't mind a good rain at all but I will not knowingly run in a thunderstorm.

statistically, most people stay indoors during a thunderstorm. do not run in a thunderstorm.

Used to run in thunderstorms a lot. One time lightning struck so close to me that the hairs on my arms stood up. Another time I got stuck in a real bad hail storm. Now I try to avoid storms.

Asutrackfan wrote:

So, if I hear thunder rumbling outside window in the early hours, I enthusiastically grab my running shoes and hit the road.

That is when I enthusiastically say no I will find something else to do and just run later. If you want to be an adrenaline junky than try a sport like rock climbing where there's at least skill to determine your fate.

I've always found 5am runs to be plenty cool. I live right outside pheonix, in Mesa. I'd run in the rain, but I'd have to take a rain check if there was lightning.

I agree, getting caught in a storm; especially a bad one is scary. One of my worst experiences was during a high school cross country practice. Our coach drove us out to the Lake Pleasant area for some trail running. It was an 8 mile loop in the desert. The sky was clear with a few puffy clouds. Over the course of the run one of those clouds got dark and menacing and all hell broke loose. We got caught in the middle of a localized micro burst that produced 80 mph wind, dime sized hail and frequent lighting. We were 4 miles from the trailhead parking lot. It was an absolutely horrific experience and we were very lucky no one got hurt.

That was an afternoon storm, which are usually more violent than our morning storms. Also, Phoenix is a desert climate and we get just a couple of morning storms over the course of the summer. And that first one after weeks of 100 plus degree weather is godsent. Again, I don't advocate running in thunderstorms, but I will if they are not severe. I have to because they are literally nirvana in the middle of July.

just play russian roulette wrote:

[quote]Asutrackfan wrote:

If you want to be an adrenaline junky than try a sport like rock climbing where there's at least skill to determine your fate.

I am actually not an adrenaline junky, in fact I have a lightning phobia; which is a healthy fear to have. If the lightning is I bad I won't go out. But if it is a steady rain with infrequent flashes of lightning, I jump at the chance to run in the refreshing cool.

Something similar happened to me with a Midwest summer thunderstorm. I was running some wooded trails and had to take cover under a small wooden foot bridge crouched down in ankle deep water. Lots of hail and very close lightening strikes.

Sprinting across an open field with lightening in the near area is an adreline rush I do not wish to experience ever again.

Is it that hot in phoenix in the morning WITHOUT rain that you have to seek out thunderstorms?

Stupid as I sound, I actually have really enjoyed the few times I've run in thunderstorms. For the most part I avoid running in them (they are common as I live in Southeast TX), but they are awe inspiring and the cool wind and rain is amazing feeling, with the lightning creating a beautiful picturesque sky. Till you get struck I suppose, but I've been lucky so I can't say I'll never do it again.

hotness wrote:

Is it that hot in phoenix in the morning WITHOUT rain that you have to seek out thunderstorms?

Since we only get a couple of morning rain events in a summer, it is more of taking advantage of the opportunity to run in the refreshing rain than seeking it out. Generally it is cooler in the morning, but during the middle of our monsoon season the humidity offsets that morning coolness. If you call 90 degrees with tropical humidity cool. And that's at 5 AM.

joho wrote:

Sprinting across an open field with lightening in the near area is an adreline rush I do not wish to experience ever again.

Agreed, that is an experience to avoid. There are safer ways to build sprint speed than dodging Zeus's bolts. Hhhhmmmm, wonder if that is how Usian got his speed and last name. He is the prodigy if Zeus himself......:)

I run in thunderstorms. It feels good and looks awesome. Usually it cools down a lot as there is a downpour at the same time. Being afraid of getting struck by lightning is just silly. There is about the same odds it will strike you in your house. Of all the places lightning could strike, your body is unlikely to get hit. The human body covers a tiny area compared to the surface area of the ground under the storm.

I love running in storms & bad weather in general. I like testing myself against Nature's fury, daring fate to take me out. I've had a few close calls out there, but nothing particularly bad enough to make me want to stop. A few highlights, if you will, follow:

1) Ran during Superstorm Sandy; although my area only caught the edge of the storm, it was pretty crazy, with the wind and rain. Being after dark made it exceptionally fun, especially when I had to cross a couple bridges with lightening all around me.

2) Got caught on some trails during a sudden storm. By the time I got out of the woods, I was covered from head to toe in mud and leaves. I felt as primal as I looked.

3) Was on a six-mile run one very windy evening, trying to outrun a storm. I did not. Branches were being ripped from trees and the thunder was deafening. I got home just as the sky opened up.

I live in Southern AZ also and it's pretty crazy right now. I run regardless of the weather and I definitely take advantage of the cloud cover whenever I can. Thunderstorms > 105 and sunny

Covered in mud from head to toe, sounds like a Nike cross country championship race.....good stuff....:)

Trot head wrote:

I live in Southern AZ also and it's pretty crazy right now. I run regardless of the weather and I definitely take advantage of the cloud cover whenever I can. Thunderstorms > 105 and sunny

Brother your are preaching to the choir, I need some relief. I should move to Oregon. I would be closer to the hallowed ground of Track Town USA and could run in the rain 9 months of the year.

Running through a storm is a rush quite like no other.

As I have gotten older, this has frightened me more and more... I have gotten stuck in a few storms over the past year that have scared me. Maybe it is the fact that I have two kids to support. I do enjoy running in the rain, but the lightening scares me now.

In the South, we have a thing called heat lightening. I am not sure if you have it in AZ. Basically, it is lightening that takes place inside of a heavy cumulus cloud when the rest of the sky is clear. Basically, the clouds are huge, but too far away to affect the weather.

I was out running around 9pm a few nights ago and this beautiful cloud was full of lightening. It was just going and going like a strobe light. Very cool.

A buddy of mine was paralyzed by a falling branch while running through the woods during a storm, so that also adds to my hesitation these days.

It is beautiful, though.

...just a quick statistics lesson for those citing the odds of being struck by lightening: your odds go up if you willingly take part in the activity. For instance, if you look at the odds of being struck by lightening out of just runners who are running in electric storms, the odds would rise precipitously. Similarly, the odds of dying in a rock climbing accident are much higher for a professional free climber than a 60-year-old farmer from Nebraska who doesn't know a cam from a carabiner.