The emotional stages of a running in the rain

It’s April, which means if you’re not in the part of the country that’s still getting spring snowstorms, you’re likely getting rain — and lots of it. At this time of year, it’s tough to avoid running on a rainy day, so unless you decide to hang up your shoes until summer, you’re bound to have a few soggy runs. Here are the stages most runners experience when running in the rain.

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Stage 1: It’s not as bad as I thought

Unless you head out the door during a complete deluge, we all have that moment at the very beginning of the run when we think, “Oh, it’s not raining as hard as I thought it was,” and we stride out confidently, wondering why we even considered staying inside.

Stage 2: Is the rain getting harder or is that just me?

After 10 or 15 minutes of running, you start to notice some key areas, like your head, the tops of your shoulders and the front of your thighs starting to get pretty wet. You think to yourself, “It definitely wasn’t raining this much when I started.” Looking down at the few dry spots still left on your clothes, you think, “It’s still not that bad, though,” and you carry on.

Stage 3: The first big puddle

So your clothes are pretty wet at this point, but at least your shoes aren’t squishing with water. That is, until you come up against the first big puddle, which is more like a small lake in the middle of the sidewalk. Flanked on either side by swampy, grass-mud, you have no choice to run right through it. So much for having dry-ish feet.

Stage 4: I guess I’ll call this a swim now

Your clothes are so saturated with water that they feel like they’re hanging off of you, swishing around in the wind. Your hair is matted in strands that are stuck across your face and your shoes are oozing water with every step you take. To lighten the mood, you make the joke every runner has said at least once in their life: “Thought I was going out for a run today, but it seems like I’ve gone for a swim instead.” FYI, you only get to use this joke once per year max, so choose your moment wisely.

Stage 5: Everything is chafing

Your clothes are soaked, your skin is wet and now everything is rubbing together as if you’re trying to start a fire with your thighs. You make a mental note to coat yourself in Vaseline for the next inevitable rainy run and carry on.

Stage 6: You’ve earned your Brownie points

You finally make it to the end, sopping wet but full of pride. You could have stayed in. You could have skipped your run. You could have let the weather scare you off, but you didn’t. As you triumphantly wring out your shirt, you give yourself a mental self-five for not being afraid of the elements, and in a weird way, you’re already looking forward to your next rainy run.

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