5 Benefits of Running in the Rain
How Running in Wet Weather Can Give Your Training an Edge
With wintry weather on the horizon, many runners resign themselves to shorter miles and a bit of lost fitness in the coming months. This need not be the case! Running in suboptimal weather can, in fact, be a great opportunity to maximize your training.
#1: You Can Achieve Herculean Strength
Adverse conditions make it pretty easy to challenge your body. Training yourself to manage the added physical stress of running into a stiff headwind or dashing through raindrops will make those warm, sunny runs feel comparatively easy. If you're the competitive type, you can rest assured that come race day, you'll have put yourself through harder, more substantial training than those lined up alongside you.
#2: You'll Build Mental Toughness
Let's be honest, running in nasty weather can be fun, but most of the time it's a bit miserable. We wouldn't recommend intentionally making yourself suffer (at least, not too much), but subjecting yourself to suboptimal conditions and training yourself to view them in a positive light will serve you well when the going gets rough in your next race or hard run. Unless you’re already endowed with a bulletproof mindset, toughening your mental game will help you push your limits.
#3: You Won't Be Bored
Your usual, predictable neighborhood route will feel like an entirely different adventure in wet, sloppy weather. Turbulent weather is sure to spice up your run as you'll have plenty to notice and think about. Instead of trudging through the plain and mundane, you may catch yourself splashing through puddles and feeling like a kid again, and isn't that the essence of why we love running?
#4: You'll Get to Expand Your Wet Weather Arsenal
If you choose to tackle winter weather head-on, you will need to make sure you do it in safe, appropriate gear. There's an awful lot of stuff out there made to help you train through wet weather, and a little bit of retail therapy will be well-earned if you're planning to get out and run while most people are tucked away indoors.
#5: You'll Be a Hero
People may call you crazy, or silly, or blinded by dedication, but we know these are all just different ways of saying that you got out there and showed Mother Nature who's boss. While most people were cooped up inside waiting out the storm, you’re the one who defied the climate-controlled treadmill. Own up to your high degree of awesome!
