Do real runners actually run in the rain?

I don't like to wear hats running because they slow me down.

I don't get that post saying that 6am runs in the rain are the most important. I like to run when I am warmed up and it is not too cold, for example between 8 and 10am, so I can perform to my potential. I wouldn't be very warmed up at 6am.

Come run with us in Northern Minnesota. Running in the rain is called track season. We also have the rule that if it is below zero out in the winter you have to run more miles that it is degrees negative. 16 miler in -15 on a Sunday morning in the dark. That will wake you up in the morning...or make it a long sleep in a snow bank. Either way...

Yes, yes they do.

stochastic_track wrote:

Rain will increase your chances of sickness or injury.

Explain the mechanics.

predictor workout wrote:

sdafe wrote:

Everyone loves to run in the rain until it's 6xmile @ 4:40 with 2:00 rest.

Do you have a 28:30 10k?

Nope. 29:00.

Oh, the joys of going out when no one dares venture outside. See, if you run along a rural canal during the rain, in some parts of the country (Chicago's far-out suburbs, for instance), you simply WILL NOT encounter people. Are they made of tissue paper? Did they just whip out ol' Ouija and begin channeling M. Night Shyamalan's Signs-lings? Rhinofellow.

So, emboldened by the visibility afforded by consecutive miles without a single curve on a canal towpath run, and certain that you won't encounter a living being anyway, you might find yourself wondering what it's like to run naked. For an added adrenaline boost, you might just cast your shorts aside instead of carrying them in hand while you complete the out and back.

Before long, you would probably be amused at how much more bounce you have (in your step)—and how much more gritty the run has become once the limestone makes its presence known in ways it never has before. You would most definitely start eying with curiosity the deer you pass, wondering whether they notice anything different about this strangely pale figure.

And all the while you would likely be laughing giddily at the sheer joy of being free in more ways than you likely ever have been before. The rain brings forth a primal force from deep within us, and if you give in under the right circumstances, the result will be beautiful.

Personally never been bothered by light to medium rain on a run. Downpour is annoying however. Once did a 12 miler in Portland in decent rain on that path along the river. You'd think Portlanders would be used to that stuff and yet no one was out except all the homeless hippies that camp on the river.

Worst days are when it's cold and windy. Try running on a 5-10 degree day with 20-25 mph winds. That's basically the upper Midwest in Jan/Feb. Worst part is when your sweat begins to freeze. A hot shower never feels so good as after a cold winter run.

Take the train, Don't run in the rain.

old wive's tale wrote:

This is a question that's been bugging me for some time now. I think that one would run slower and have a compromised run if they did it in the rain.

Why hasn't anyone brought up the dangers of running in acid rain???

Randy Oldman wrote:

stochastic_track wrote:

Rain will increase your chances of sickness or injury.

Explain the mechanics.

Being wet makes you colder. Being cold makes you more prone to contracting viruses.

During the summer months, rainy days are among the most enjoyable days to run.

trachastic_stock wrote:

Randy Oldman wrote:

Explain the mechanics.

Being wet makes you colder. Being cold makes you more prone to contracting viruses.

This is basically nonsense. Only if your body temperature gets lower, if you get a real chill, are you increasing your likelihood of getting ill. If you dress properly and don't hang around in the cold after the run in wet clothes you won't have any problems. You probably are more at risk of getting sick from a run in high temperatures.

Mostly people are chicken shit whiners. I run at 4 in the afternoon when its 100+ and I run in freezing rain. Just dress appropriately and slow down if you need to.

H.E. Pennypacker wrote:

During the summer months, rainy days are among the most enjoyable days to run.

agreed. So long as you are done running before the sun comes out and the humidity goes to 110% because all the rain evaporates.

"Rain only bothers dry people."

What about heavy rain days?

I was running yesterday and I was drenched wet. My hair was smothered flat and other people standing under building canopies or rooftops were giving me the weird look as if I was crazy. I was also wearing 2" Split shorts.

😨

Name in Hiding wrote:

What about heavy rain days?

I was running yesterday and I was drenched wet. My hair was smothered flat and other people standing under building canopies or rooftops were giving me the weird look as if I was crazy. I was also wearing 2" Split shorts.

😨

This is every day in Oregon from October-May.