Running in the Rain in Your Whitey Tighties!
Posted: Thursday, July 26, 2007
by Steve Radford
I became a runner fifteen years ago during a sales meeting in Sacramento . We announced a short break and I was moving toward the cookie tray at the back of the room. Just as I was about to reach for a large chocolate cookie, one of my sales people pointed to my waistline and said "you're putting on a little weight aren't you?" I looked at him, looked at my belt, looked at the cookie, looked back at him and replied "man I wish you had held your comment until after I ate that chocolate cookie."
Running turned out to be the perfect exercise program for me. Once I got past the pain and soreness of the first eight or ten outings, I was hooked. The excess weight evaporated quickly and my energy level improved. As my mileage increased, I was able to maintain my weight while eating cookies with reckless abandon. It was like being sixteen again.
I started packing a pair of running shoes and shorts for every business trip. There was always an interesting place to run: The Vermont countryside with snow crunching under my feet, an evening run along the beach by the Adriatic Sea in Italy , sunrise runs in New Mexico and sunset runs in Southern California .
There were also a few adrenaline-charged runs through seedy neighborhoods. On one occasion, I actually considered running in a zigzag pattern to make myself a more difficult target. I should have opted for the hotel treadmill that time.
I don't need to travel much these days and most of my running is in the Dallas area. The scenery is not particularly impressive but that doesn't mean the running is any less memorable. A few weeks ago, I changed into my running clothes before leaving the office. The plan was to run the hilly trails at Arbor Hills, a small nature preserve, on the way home.
Dallas recently recovered from a three year drought, benefiting from the coolest, wettest spring in decades. As I arrived at the park, there was a light steady rain and some distant thunder. Only a few cars were in the parking lot. Feeling smug about my dedication, I started down the trail for my first two-mile loop.
About five minutes into the run, the light rain grew into a down pour. Water flowed down the trail and it felt like someone was spraying me in the face with a garden hose. It was refreshing, even exhilarating.
Have you ever had the urge to just stand up, throw your head back and yell WOOHOO? Well I was about to do exactly that when I noticed another runner coming toward me on the trail. I blinked more rapidly to be sure it wasn't an optical illusion or a distortion from the rain washing over my face. Amidst the down pour, a middle aged man wearing black dress shoes, white under pants and nothing more, trotted past. My WOOHOO turned to what? Who? Eew!
The man passed by and I took a few more steps before starting to laugh. Here I thought I was a hardcore runner just because I ran in the rain. This guy forgot his pants and shoes and still went for it! I'll never forget that guy (though I wish I could lose the visual) because he had excuses and didn't use them.
Have you ever considered taking up running? Maybe your ambition was part of a New Year's resolution or a Doctor advised you to drop some weight. What kept you from starting? Or if you started and quit, why did you quit?
Running has so many benefits. It's great for your self esteem. It provides glimpses of trails and scenery that you might otherwise never experience. It can help in battling depression and it relieves guilt associated with chocolate cookies.
If you've been making excuses and putting it off, let me offer a warm-up exercise that will help you get out the door. Assume your normal position on the couch. Put on your most nasal, whiny voice and slowly read the following excuses aloud:
- I heard it's bad for my knees.
- I don't have the right running clothes.
- I'm afraid of my neighbor's dog.
- I'm afraid of my neighbor.
- I'm still sore from last month's run.
- It's too hot.
- It's too early.
- It's too dark.
- It's too cold.
- I'm too old.
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Top-level comments on this article: (7 total)The Whitey Tighty guy IS a hard core runner. I'm trying to get back into running after a 2 year and 40 pound sabbatical. ;-)Good for you Jim! You'll be back in shape before you know it. Thanks for reading.
Thanks for a great read, I thoroughly enjoyed yor article, Steve. Having lived in Dallas for 20 years, and having been a runner in the past. I thought only weird stuff that no one else would ever believe only happened to me, lol.Thanks Cari, I would love to read about some of your running experiences. Ever had a guy in a cow costume pass you during a run? Thanks for reading!
Well Steve, since you asked, I have been passed by Big Bird and the "Bud" man. I once donned a "Daisy Duke" outfit, put double pony-tails in my hair and blacked out a couple teeth for a Halloween 10k. I won a bottle of champagne for the costume but I could never do better than 8 1/2 min. miles. My favorite run was a 10 miler in Annapolis. We used to have great carb feeds the night before the races. I can never forget the smell of ben-gay wafting through the air at the start, lol. My running days came to an end when I developed plantar fascitis(pain) But I walk miles.Passed by Big Bird! I don't know which is worse, to let BB pass you or to try to out sprint him to the finish. I would probably let him pass too. If you barely beat him, he ends up in your race photo. In Birmingham I was passed by six guys who were tied together and disguised as a giant kudzu vine.
Steve (and Cari) Great running stories. I used to run. As a child, growing up surrounded by state forest, I went for long, long runs through the bush. It was exhilarating. Now, as a 56 year old, I suffer from rather severe osteoarthritis (and no, I'm not blaming the running) and I need low impact exercise, two of which are swimming and tai chi. But, I miss running and envy you. Good on you for 'junking' the chocolate cookie and replacing it with running shoes, Steve! HannahHannah, Surrounded by a state forest! What a great setting to grow up in. Those are good memories that stay with you. Thanks for taking time to read and comment.
Steve, I'm proud of ya! I would have been even more proud of you if it were you in the 'whitey tighties' and street shoes! Wooo hooo! You showed dedication, no matter. Running in the rain isn't something I've done, well, when I've forgotten my umbrella. I do like walking in the rain. I read your excuses and wow, did they hit home. Maybe I'll be able to write an article about how much I enjoy running in the rain. Keep at it and thanks for a motivating and well-written article. Happy Wednesday!Thanks Avis. I'll look forward to that future article. Don't forget the woohoo part.
Steve, I'm not so anonymous now. Take care!
Steve, I can't tell you how inspirational your article is! I've told two of my family members lately that I miss running and have been craving it. Don't they say that your body craves what it needs?? I look forward to some comedy relief while running, now, too! It deffinitely sounds better than sitting on the couch crying! Thanks again for the inspiration, friend!
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