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Recently my running friend
received a Mother’s Day card from her 5-year old son Jack.
Inside were illustrations of a few of her favorite things.
For
food,
there was chocolate, and for hobbies there were running shoes and
for her favorite television show, he carefully crayoned The Weather
Channel.
Runners can be obsessive weather watchers, planning our runs and
races around the conditions. But sometimes you have to get out the
door to run despite the forecast.
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Rain and Daily Training
There’s really not much to daily training in the rain. Just get out
the door. You can last through most anything for 30 to 40 minutes. Just
make up your mind and put one foot in front of the other until you are done.
Here’s a quick tips list:
- Skip the dryer. Artificial heat sources contribute to the breakdown
of high-tech shoe rubbers and glues. If you are expecting Monsoon season
or the like of it — use the Bombay alternative and buy a second
or third pair of shoes.
- Dry your shoes by removing the innards and stuffing the body with newspapers
to wick the moisture out of your gear. Don’t put them on a radiator
or in the oven. This was a favorite trick of my Mom’s. There’s
nothing quite as memorable as the aroma of smoldering rubber oozing from
a forgotten pair of shoes inside a heating oven.
- Be seen. Wear a reflective vest, patches, or other bright-colored clothing.
A glimpse of the reflective glow may be the only warning a motorist has
to your presence. Battery-powered, portable mini strobe lights also alert
drivers.
- Moderate your pace for the conditions. Shorten your stride and stay
relaxed.
- Staying dry is usually hopeless. Staying warm isn’t. Make it your
business to avoid hypothermia. Keep those gorgeous runner’s legs
warm too! Tights usually do the trick. Heavy rain requires water-repellent
pants. You’ll be warm, but the fabric swish swish sound of the legs
rubbing together may drive you a little buggy.
- Save the Gortex clothing for cold, wet weather. It's too warm for non-winter
wear. Water and wind-repellent clothing suffice most the rest of the year.
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- Don’t wear cotton t-shirts in the rain. Many a novice marathoner
can been seen struggling under the weight of a drenched, stretched
cotton t-shirt weighing the equivalent of a choir robe. These tops cling,
rub
and weigh a gazillion pounds. Choose wicking Cool-Max tops instead.
They're a little softer and don’t hoard raindrops.
- If you’re really in doubt about whether to wear a jacket or
not, try one that folds up into its own pocket
and converts to a waist packet. Better than the novice jacket-tied-around-the
waist look, and much better than getting the chills.
- Most wet cotton socks are blister instigators. They bunch, wrinkle,
crease and give your toes a wedgie. Pick an acrylic or polypropylene
blend. Record in your log which socks are successful so on race day
there
won’t be any doubts.
- Afford yourself little luxuries. A cap with some type of beak keeps
the worst of the spritz off your face, although it would probably
fail in a mascara test.
- Be extra careful around car traffic. Although the impulse is to
rush the crosswalk, wait for the signal. Cars and drivers have a lot
less control on wet roads.
A LITTLE MORE
Running
Coach Shelly Glover has a master's degree in exercise physiology
from Columbia University. She co-authored The Runner's Handbook and
The Competitive Runner’s Handbook, is a veteran road
runner and marathoner. She also coaches The Greater New York Racing
Team is available for private coaching. Coaching
Services
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