Running in the Rain

I used to run cross-country in high school and college. I was mediocre at best, which still earned me the distinction of being the first four-year letter winner in cross-country at Illinois College and the team captain my senior year.

With my bad ankles and knees, my running days are over. Some people have dreams where they are flying. Not me. I have dreams where I’m running.

The absolute best was when a light rain would start. It would be in the dead heat of summer, and I’d be on one of my long runs to try and keep in shape before the season started. I’d be overheating, and that first drop would cool me down, then another, and another. Before long, I was feeling good. Sweat was rushing off of me in rivers of rain.

I loved running in the rain. I never felt uncomfortable unless I stopped. It was a partner in running longer, faster, and free. I’d run with the storm, not stop and look for a canopy to hide under.

Storms come in all shapes and sizes: A failed relationship, an unexpected bill, work piling up day after day.

How do you deal with the storms of life? Do you stop and take cover, waiting for it to let up, or do you run with it as an inevitable partner, splashing puddles all the way? I’ve always run with the storms. I try to make the best of the situation, learn from mistakes, and be better next time.

The only way to grow is to become a little bit more comfortable in areas where you are uncomfortable.