Why I train in rain

Yesterday was one long misty drizzle.   

It was slate gray all day – it was Sylvia Plath personified by weather.

   

I had recently read a blog about training outdoors when it rains, something that, quite frankly, NEVER occurred to me.  It just seems silly -ride a bicycle in the rain?  The motorists already hate me. Insert a rainstorm and I’m sure every driver on Bay Road would be angling towards enormous puddles to create optimal splash patterns all over my brightly colored lycra riding gear!  (the riding gear IS a little ridiculous sometimes)

Anyhow, something came over me yesterday.  It may have been that my house smelled like WEED.  (I can’t go into this online, just know, I was not a happy well adjusted mother yesterday)  So I got on my gear and I grabbed my oldest’s Rugby jacket. I hopped on my bike and started pedaling.

The rain was pretty solid at this point.  The rugby coat worked to deflect SOME of the drops, and to make me feel twenty again-- but my socks and shoes were soaked through in a matter of minutes.  Cars drove by me.  I got splashed.  I got dirty.  Then one girl in the passenger seat of a SUV game me a wave – not a “you’re insane” wave, but a “you’re awesome & not afraid of the rain” wave.  I pedaled harder.  My legs looked strong with all that water beading on them. I was shocked at what a great workout I was having.  I learned what to do with a big puddle – stand on your pedals and use your knees as shock absorbers – after all it may be a giant pot hole under all that water.  I got wetter and wetter.  It was laughable after a while, all that grime, my ass killing me -- but it was fun!

So here’s what I learned.  Don’t give up the rainy days.  There is work to be done.  When I got home, I felt like a rock star!  A dirty smelly sore rockstar, but still a rockstar.  And who knows, my next race may be conditions like this...and I'll be ready!  

And the best quote I heard yesterday, which I want to share is this:

Climb the mountain so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.  It’s true -- a fulfilled life will happen, when you’re thinking of bigger things.