Dedicated or Demented?

This morning it was raining...a lot.  Yesterday was sunny and warm and bright, but this morning was cold and wet and not so bright.  The problem was, though, that I had scheduled a run for this morning.  An easy fix would have been to hop on the treadmill, but I really didn't want to.

You see, I had really been looking forward to this run.  I thoroughly enjoy taking Cody and one of the other dogs out for a jog.  I enjoy seeing the people in my neighborhood.  I enjoy feeling the sun on my face and the wind in my hair.  I enjoy seeing the end result as to how many miles I went and what my average pace was.  Today, however, it was raining.

I thought about it for a few moments, and finally decided that I wanted to run more than I cared about getting wet.  So, I started putting the layers on. 

By the time I was dressed and had the dogs ready the rain was really coming down.  It was coming down hard enough to give me second thoughts.  I had made up my mind, though, and I was going!  Out the door we headed!

The run wasn't all that great, admittedly.  I had to worry about puddles, and while Cody did fine, my other partner seemed to be trying to dodge all the big drops.  My phone and run tracker seemed to be confused by the weather, and really didn't like getting wet.  I started off kind of cold, but luckily I warmed up quickly.  I had to worry more about cars that might splash us than running.  Plus, there must have been some wind last night because a few of the trees in the area had lost some larger branches.  Basically, I couldn't focus and my run suffered.  I ended up walking more than I would have preferred. 

Still, though, I was out for 33:00 minutes.  I came back wet, and the dogs needed a towel.  I jumped straight into the shower to warm up, and I let myself relax.  The dogs were happy and wanted to play a little, so that's what I let them do.  The run may not have been great, but I still had a good time.

I realized that, despite all the distractions and the fact that running in the rain isn't easy, I enjoy it.  I enjoy hearing the rain drops hit the trees and the streets around me.  I enjoy the solitude that running in the rain provides.  There aren't any other joggers, no one else is walking his/her dogs, no one is riding a bike, and even the squirrels seem to be quieter.

So, I may be super-dedicated, or I may be slightly demented.  Either way, this morning I went for my jog and I'm happy about it.