The "Roads Scholar": Triumph Over Rotten Weather

Aargghh! What lousy weather to run in. Here in Toronto, it was in the mid-40’s Fahrenheit (8C), windy, raining steadily and at times very heavily -- all during today’s early morning hilly 10 miler with my running buddies. A few wimped out and were “no-shows”. This morning, some of the runners that I coach were braving identical conditions while running the 30K Around the Bay Road Race in Hamilton, Ontario*. Two of my buddies were running 23 miles, their last long training run prior to Boston.

Enough complaining. I’m ending the pity party. It really wasn’t that bad out there this morning. The body warmed up after the first two miles. The rain became tolerable. By the end of the run, we did not even bother trying to avoid the puddles. Splashing around was an opportunity to feel like a kid again. And the hot shower afterwards never felt better. Aaaahhhh!

Its early spring in the Northern Hemisphere. April brings highly variable and oft-times unpredictable weather. Although it’s spring, many parts of the U.S. and other countries are not yet immune from a blast of snow. Certainly not from heavy rain with just above freezing temperatures. Whoever coined the expression ” April showers bring May flowers” wasn’t kidding about the April part.

Running in nasty weather conditions should be part of your training program, especially if you will be entering any races. Why? It’s for the psychological benefits. Many runners experience a sense of triumph, running through adverse weather conditions. It’s the runner’s application of the Nietzsche quote: “That which does not kill us makes us stronger”. The victory over the weather often has a positive ripple effect into other areas of our lives.

Just as important – you won’t get psyched out by unfavourable weather on race day. While others around you are freaking, you’ll say: “No problem. I’ve run through this before and I’ve triumphed. You will have the advantage over those who stayed in bed those rainy mornings.

Note: I’m writing about running in the rain and snow. Running in the heat requires runners to take precautions, in order mitigate against the potential danger of heat stroke. I’ll devote an article to this subject in May.

Are there any weather conditions that I won’t run in? 1) Blizzards and torrential rains, because cars will have difficulty seeing me. Not a battle that I want to fight. 2) Thunder and lightning storms. I carry my house or car key in the inside pocket of my running shorts. ‘Nuff said.

Happy Splashing!

* Established in 1894, Around The Bay is the oldest road race in North America, three years older than the Boston Marathon.

The Roads Scholar trains and coaches runners in Toronto, Canada, primarily with Marathon Dynamics, a Toronto-based training organization. incorporating the latest running-related research into his coaching and writing, he debunks many myths that are counterproductive to training, helping women of all ages increase their enjoyment and fulfillment of competitive, recreational running.

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