A favorite running quote:
“Only think of two things - the gun and the tape. When you hear the one, just run like hell until you break the other.” -Sam Mussabini
You've probably seen that classic movie "Singin' in the Rain" with Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds, where Gene Kelly is singing and dancing in a downpour by a lamp post. Every time I see that movie I wonder "Did he ruin his shoes getting them soaked like that?" and "I bet his clothes chafed when they got wet" and "I wonder how cold he got standing around in wet clothes while they shot that scene". Sometimes runners think about those same things when they consider rain and other inclement weather.
Running In The Rain – what’s not to love?
Running is an all-weather sport. Races are rarely cancelled due to bad weather. The winds at the 2007 Boston Marathon were strong enough to blow the cups of sports drink off the tables. A thunderstorm cell at the 2008 Disneyworld Marathon closed the course for the last half hour due to lightning strikes in the area. Runners should be prepared for the forecasted weather (especially since the October 25 forecast shows rain likely).
Here is some free advice, worth twice what you paid for it:
1. Running in the rain is a lot like running without rain, only wetter. The same overall rules apply - pace yourself, run your plan, think positive, etc.
2. Water makes most fabrics chafe more than they do when dry. In fact, most wet fabrics will abrade skin a lot when rubbed repeatedly over 26 miles, including modern wicking fabrics. If a runner has a particular place on their body that tends to get chafed, a little prevention is a good idea. Different runners swear by Band-aids, Body Glide, Vaseline, duck tape, and sports tape. I often have chafing around the arm holes in my shirts from moving my arms back and forth, so I use a little Body Glide to minimize this.
3. Training note: sometimes people are surprised at how it feels the first time they run in the rain. Their shoes squeak and squish, underwear and sports bras feel uncomfortable, and there's water running down their face. This mental distraction is not helpful during a marathon. It's a good idea for a runner to have at least one training run in the rain so they are familiar with how they and their running gear perform in the rain. For instance, I think rain is forecast for this weekend...
4. Dressing for race weather can be tricky. No one wants to freeze before the race starts, but runners will quickly overheat once they start running if they have warm clothing on. When I know it will be below 55F, I wear gloves or mittens. A hat is also a good idea in chilly weather. Shorts help get rid of excess heat from leg muscles, so most runners prefer them to running tights unless it is cold. See the "Galloway Clothing Thermometer" for a clothing-to-temperature benchmark: http://jeffgalloway.com/resources/news_archives/nov05.html
5. I hate getting wet before the race. Few things appeal to me less than standing around, waiting for a race to start while I get soaked and chilled to the bone. I've seen people with umbrellas (not very useful in stronger rain) and I've seen people in good quality rain wear (what do they do with the clothes once the race starts?). I wear a black plastic trash bag with a hole in the "bottom" for my head. It is inexpensive, completely disposable, very portable, 100% waterproof, and 100% windproof. It does not look stylish.
6. Where there is rain there will be puddles. Some will be muddier than others, and some will be more mud than puddle. Runners should learn to plow right through them at their stride. Runners will get splashed, but they've probably been splashed by others already (or will be soon). That's what soap is for after the race. Runners who stop and try to gingerly pick their way through the puddles will slow their pace down, could get knocked over by another runner, and could slip and fall as they do gymnastics avoiding the puddles.
7. Sometimes when it rains it is also cold. At the Frederick Marathon this year it rained most of the time and the temperature was around 43F. This is not a big deal as long as runners are chugging along because they will generate more than enough heat to keep themselves warm. When runners get tired and slow down or walk, the risk of hypothermia (dangerously lowered body temperature) becomes greater. When I know that it is likely to rain and likely to be cold, I bring a long-sleeve shirt made of wicking material and gloves to the race. I'll roll the shirt up and tie it around my waist if I don't need it so that it is handy.
8. Rain makes many surfaces slippery for running shoes. Metal manhole covers, water meter covers, grates, metal plates for road repairs, and other metal objects are the slipperiest things I have found while running. Also, the rain may make some street-embedded objects more difficult to see, whether through the surrounding ground being darker or being under water or through the lack of a reflection.
- Be mindful of where your feet are landing when it is wet
- Try to steer yourself around things in your path by looking a little further ahead than you typically do
- Avoid wet leaves if possible. Wet leaves make a wonderful slip-n-slide
- Avoid making sudden lateral (sideways or diagonal) movements while running on wet surfaces. These movements cause a momentary differential between a runner's inertia and their direction of travel, increasing the possibility of slipping/falling
- Avoid changing speed suddenly; for example, when going downhill on Spout Run
- Avoid going too fast on down hills - it may take you much longer to stop than on dry ground
Keep a song handy in case it rains and I'll see you at the race.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment