Running in the rain. Not. A. Fan.

That was my Facebook status update yesterday morning after doing 7.27 miles in the cold, drenching rain. Although as I posted it at 9:39 a.m., my FB friends probably thought I was going running then, when the rain was much lighter (maybe even just showers), and didn't realize the true downpour I had faced between 6:30 and 7:45 a.m.!*

A day later, I've pretty much recovered from the drama of it all, but man-oh-man was it a hard morning yesterday. For the day after a 20-mile run, my legs weren't bad at all, considering. I've had tireder** legs the day after a much shorter run than that. And my final average pace of 10:03 is not at all out of line for a Monday recovery run.

But I got a taste of winter weather yesterday and I did not like it. Our typical bad winter weather is not snow and ice, but this type of cold rain, which is far more unpleasant to run in. It was dark, of course, and didn't even really get light by the time I finished. Street lights make it possible to see, but I cannot avoid every puddle, and I'm sure I splashed ankle deep at least half a dozen times--the last time one block from home as I was finishing up. Despite my new RoadRunner wind and rain jacket, I was soaked to the skin by the time I got home. I could barely peel my clothes off to take a shower. Even after I took a hot shower (which was sublime), I was shivering with chills again after I got out.

Luckily for me, despite our local reputation for rain, heavy rainfalls do not really occur that often and it seems like my morning runs often occur between rain spells. So I don't think this kind of run will be a regular occurrence, I hope I hope. It does make me think about the Seattle Half Marathon on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, which I signed up for on a whim. Late November weather in Washington is, of course, variable. I pray that we do not get a day like yesterday for that run (or for Thanksgiving weekend in general, really).

Because I was zipped up into my "rain" jacket, and because it was dark out, and because it was a Monday recovery run, I didn't bother to look at my Garmin at all, except when I stopped for the bathroom. The curious thing (when I did check my time) was that my time was a minute over a 10-minute average pace each time. At four miles it was 41 minutes. At six miles it was 61 minutes. Maybe if I'd run an extra mile or two, I would have whittled away that extra minute to knock my average pace below ten minute miles. On the other hand, I did not have time to spare for an extra mile or two and so I was stuck with my seven and a quarter miles.

Splits: 10:45, 10:17, 9:59, 10:06, 9:55, 9:30, and .27 mile at 9:42 pace. Total time 1:13:08, average pace 10:03.


*Of course, they may not have seen it at all, thanks to Facebook's new News Feed format, since only the updates with the most comments get displayed, making Facebook a true popularity contest, just like high school. Thanks, Facebook! (Of course I may possibly be oversimplifying this, but I find it confusing to see someone's post from yesterday afternoon at the top of my page, just because she's had lots of comments and "likes," while not seeing someone else's, or my own, trivial post from ten minutes ago! Oh yeah, and get this. The one at the top actually doesn't have the most comments and likes, but it is an update about how happy my friend is that her Facebook is working again. Weird.)

**I'm sure the proper term is "more tired," but that just doesn't have the right ring to it.