Runnin' in the Rain

Other than possessing some incredible dance moves and an impressive list of movie credits, I don't really have that much in common with Gene Kelly. I don't wear a fedora, don't carry an umbrella, and don't wear a necktie to work each day. And if I ever run across a two-foot high talking mouse, my response would likely involve baseball bats and D-Con, rather than tap shoes and gayness.

But that said, I have to confess that I do appreciate the joy one can experience while exercising in a rainstorm.

My brother and I had a track practice scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. While we knew that thunderstorms would be moving in, we decided to try to get in a few laps before the skies opened up. We almost made it.

We completed our warm up and a few initial sprints before the drops began to fall. I was still tired from the Triple Bypass, but did the best I could to complete the workout before the heavens really opened up. But more and more drops were hitting us, and we still had a couple of 600s to run. The intention was to hold our goal mile pace for the first 400 of each one, and then just hang on with whatever we had left. When the rain began, the cooling effect probably helped us achieve extra speed. But the deluge moved in quickly, and we were soaked to the bone and running through puddles by the time we started our last repeat. Pat ran fast, and left me far behind. But I was having fun, and almost broke into song as I squish-squished my way around the muddy oval.

Hey, once you're wet, you're wet...might as well enjoy it, right? It was a good workout, and I was grinning like an idiot as I slogged around the track. I was pleased at how my legs responded after the bike ride, and I'd have been happy to do more, but the lightning was drawing ominously near. Neither of us had any desire to partake of 50 million volts, so we called it a day and went out for tacos instead. Overall, I'd rate it as an excellent experience, and an enjoyable connection with the elements...and with the spirits of movie star hoofers of the past.

Have fun, my friends, no matter what the weather. And you can always sing if you want to. Have a great day!