Now There's a Real Runner

I ran three miles Saturday, and a 5K race on Sunday. Both times in pretty good rain. For some reason, humidity is just a killer for me. Many think the rain is refreshing, but I am just sweltering in any of my normal running clothes. Hence, within the first half mile of both runs I was down to my sports bra with my shirt tucked into the top of my shorts on one corner, flapping off to the side of me as I ran.

It's so funny to run in my neighborhood passed by cars during my Thursday and Saturday runs in pouring rain. Here I am, a kinda chunky girl, in a sports bra, in pouring rain, running through the streets. And my neighborhood's main street has those little reflector bumps separating the two lanes. And as a car passes by you hear "bump bump bump bump" for just a second as someone is obviously looking at the pedestrian on the sidewalk they are passing and swerves a little into the other lane. I notice that on runs in the neighborhood with friends even in nice weather. Everyone's just a little nosy and curious. You know there's a moment of "Hey, is that a neighbor I know?" And in just a sports bra and shorts, I think you just LOOK like a more serious runner, so the other common reaction happens from them of "Wow, there's a real runner, out in the pouring rain like it's nothing!" In the car, they don't know if you are going 6 min/mi or 14 min/mi, they don't know if you are miserable or enjoying the weather - they just know they aren't out in that rain and wind and you are. And most of them would NEVER be out in that.

So as I hear that "bump bump bump" in the road, I smile. Because that's when you know, whatever your finish time or pace in today's run, today you are ONE STEP AHEAD of so many out there.