Running in the Rain

I pretend to be a runner. I am not athletic by any means. In high school - the only sport I lettered in was Bowling. I was on the Jr. Varity team -- in fact I WAS the team. Not to say I carried the team. It is more to say I was the only team member. All the good kids were on the varsity team. None-the-less - I took my black and gold “W" on Sports night and displayed in proudly in my bedroom growing up. Many-many years later - I took up running. I have completed 2 marathons in just over 5 hours. Not even close to qualifying for Boston – but times I am proud of anyway. Though you would think that takes a great deal of athleticism to run marathons, I say it takes more. I say it takes a great deal of conditioning and determination and heart. Those I got. Athleticism? Not so much. Some people describe running to be grace like - or running like a Gazell. I feel is if I have 2 bricks tied to my feet. Each step is slow and sluggish - but yet I enjoy it. In fact I love it.

One of the things I enjoy most about running is the people watching you get to do while logging in the miles. I’ll often go running early in the morning or in the rain. Sometimes a combination of work or procrastination keeps my run start time at 8pm or greater. These 3 types of runs I like the best. Why? The people you meet. By nature I find runners to be friendly. Always giving that runners nod or smile when we pass. But I find the runners in the morning/evening hours or rain are more friendlier than most. It’s as if we are in our own little club – and the fact that we are out there in less-than-perfect conditions makes us special. These people give the best hellos on what should be a lonely run. And to them I say thank you. And to the beautiful blonde running in her sports bra and short-shorts that I passed in the rain last week – I say an extra thank you. (I just felt a jab from my girlfriend in my ribs - owwwww).