Running in the rain

I woke Wednesday morning to the sound of rain on my tin roof. It was about 10 minutes before my 5:45am alarm. Wednesday morning is my long run time slot. But it’s raining. Do I still run?

If you know me, you’d know that was a rhetorical question. Of course I bloody run!
Since becoming a father my windows of opportunity have become less abundant and less flexible. If I don’t run Wednesday I miss out. So rain, or even hail for that matter will never stop me from running.

Over the years I have had many runners tell me that they couldn’t get out for their run because it was raining.
That’s fine, but let’s clarify what actually happened. It’s not that the runner couldn’t get out because of the rain- it was that they didn’t want to get cold and wet.
Rain is not a reason to miss a run, it’s an excuse.

If you don’t like getting cold and wet, I think that is completely reasonable and rational. But don’t absolve yourself of responsibility for your choice. It was not the rain’s fault you missed your run, it was your choice. Own it.

I choose my words deliberately both with my clients and myself. And for good reason. As a practical exercise to illustrate this, read the following two sentences and reflect on how they make you feel.

• I couldn’t run because it was raining.
• I chose to miss my run because it was raining.

What do you think?

For me, the first sentence just doesn’t compute.
The second one actually annoys me a little bit. I want it to rain now just to prove a point!

We are only just entering winter in Adelaide. For the sake of our environment, hopefully it’s a wet winter.
That means lots of sliding-doors moments for you to choose between staying warm and snuggly in bed or getting soggy outside. The choice is yours. But remember- THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

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Photo by Cristi Goia on Unsplash