The Virtues of Running in the Rain

With the ING Georgia Half-Marathon only two weeks away, I had little choice but to tough it out and run today. To be honest, I was not a big fan of running in rainy weather. Wet clothes and even wetter feet was not a pleasant thought. I became slightly more open minded to the idea when I remembered the great blog post from Beth Moore at Traxee.com about why she loves running in the rain.

Once I got outside and settled into a pace, it wasn’t so bad. In fact, it was rather refreshing. Rain provides a much needed cleansing of Atlanta’s notoriously smoggy air. The air was clear and easy to breath. I also found that I didn’t get quite as soaked as I imagined. Traffic was light and the temperature was cool yet comfortable. Only towards the end did the wetness start to bother me, but I kept thinking about the hot shower and coffee I’d enjoy soon.

Lesson learned today – don’t be so quick to judge an unfamiliar circumstance. Every situation has a few good points.

This week’s route is the 9-miler I ran today. It travels through Decatur, Candler Park, Little Five Points and Druid Hills. You’ll find a map for the route at Map My Run under my group Atlanta Running.

Decatur to Little Five Points – 9 miles

· Start at Fellini’s at Commerce St. and Sycamore Place
· Turn right at Howard Ave.
· Stay on Howard/Dekalb Ave. for approximately 2 miles. Pass the East Lake Marta Station
· Turn right on Ridgecrest Rd.
· Turn left on McClendon Ave.
· Stay on McClendon for approximately 2 miles. Pass Flying Biscuit Café and Candler Park.
· Turn right on Moreland Ave.
· Turn right on Ponce de Leon Ave.
· Take Ponce de Leon Ave. through Druid Hills
· Turn right at Clairmont Ave and head towards Downtown Decatur
· Turn left on Commerce
· Take Commerce back to Fellini’s