Running within the Rain: 8 Suggestions From a Running Coach

But did you realize that it also applies to the weather?

Obviously, it’s inconceivable to manage and even predict what raceday weather will appear like. The one option to ensure you’re prepared for all possible conditions? Train in all possible conditions (except when it’s unsafe, after all).

“I feel it’s to athletes’ profit to experience every little thing,” says Elizabeth Corkum, aka Coach Corky, a Latest York City-based running coach and private trainer. “Because on race day if it’s a component you’ve never experienced before, that’s one other variable that you just just don’t find out about.”

Even if you happen to don’t have any races planned, running within the rain is usually just a part of being a runner. “If we wait for ideal conditions, we’re never going to be as consistent with our training,” says Corkum. “And depending on where you reside, sometimes there are rainy seasons, and that’s just a part of reality.”

Running within the rain doesn’t must feel like a slog. The truth is, in response to Corkum, it will probably unlock a brand new, playful side of running. Use her suggestions for fun, secure, and chafe-free rainy runs.

Ward off chafing

Should you’re a heavy sweater who has run in hot, humid summer weather, you realize that the sensation of being soaked to the bone isn’t reserved for rainy days. The identical gear that you just depend on to stop chafing in sweaty weather can do the identical within the rain. Meaning avoiding cotton and any non-technical fabrics, which might chafe and get heavy with moisture. (And don’t forget: Anti-chafing products are your friend.)

If it’s a warm, rainy day, Corkum says less is more—that way there’s less material to carry the moisture. “I’m on the market in a sports bra and shorts,” she says. “The rain has a cooling effect on the skin, which is sweet.”

In colder weather, you could need to go for a water-resistant layer. “But watch out, because if you happen to’re on the market for a speed workout or a protracted run, you’re going to start out heating up and sometimes those shells hold in our body heat.” Determining what gear works for you could require some experimentation and suppleness, says Corkum, especially since conditions can change midway through your run.

Prioritize visibility

Having to squint through rain that’s blowing into your eyes goes to make your run harder than it must be—and will pose a security risk if it’s keeping you from seeing where you’re going. Go for a visor or a hat to maintain the rain out of your eyes as much as possible, suggests Corkum. “You don’t need to miss a step, or roll an ankle on a pothole since you weren’t capable of see clearly,” she says. “And also you don’t need to waste energy worrying in regards to the variable of vision.”

Should you’re going to be sharing the road with cars, do not forget that drivers’ visibility will even be impacted by the rain. Corkum recommends wearing the identical sort of brilliant colours and reflective gear that you just’d use on a nighttime or early morning run.

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Go for grip

If you’ve a pair of waterproof shoes in your arsenal, you’re in fine condition for a rainy day run. But it surely’s also normally advantageous to wear your regular training shoes, says Corkum. So long as your shoes fit accurately and also you don’t wear cotton socks, blisters shouldn’t be an enormous concern.

What’s more essential than waterproof shoes is grip. “Make sure that you’re in shoes that aren’t super old where the grip is worn down,” says Corkum. Should you’re running within the rain in a brand new pair of shoes, take it easy at first to ensure they provide enough traction to support you on slippery roads.

Plan a secure route

A rainy forecast could also be reason to rethink where you’re going to be running. Corkum’s ideal rainy route? A park, where you don’t must worry about drivers’ lower visibility, and the trees can provide you with some coverage from the rain.

Wherever you’re going, be mindful of areas that could be at lower elevation and liable to flooding, says Corkum, and avoid running on busy roads or roads with higher speed limits (and as all the time, run against traffic so that you see what’s coming at you).

Trails could be fun within the rain, says Corkum, so long as you’re already comfortable on them, and have good trail shoes that you just don’t mind getting muddy. Just take it slow and be extra cautious on slippery rocks and wet leaves, she suggests, and in heavier rain, leave your ears open so you’ll be able to be alert to the chance of falling branches or debris.

Select your workout correctly

Whether or not the rain changes the variety of run you had planned for that day largely will depend on your experience as a runner, says Corkum. Veteran runner with plenty of rainy runs under your belt? Attempt to proceed with whatever workout you had planned. Especially if you’ve races on the horizon, “you would like to know what it appears like to run fast in those elements,” says Corkum.

Latest to running—or to running within the rain? Corkum suggests sticking with a simple run, or at the least a gradual pace, and save your speed workout for when the conditions are more optimal.

Hydrate and fuel as usual

Should you typically use how sweaty you are feeling as a gauge for a way much water and electrolytes you would like, you’ll must change your strategy when it’s raining and also you won’t have the option to feel yourself sweating. Attempt to stick to whatever hydration and fuel typically works for you, says Corkum, even if you happen to feel such as you don’t need it within the moment. Same goes for if you happen to’re running a rainy race—don’t change your fueling plan simply because you don’t feel such as you’re sweating.

When to hop on the treadmill

Some conditions just aren’t secure to run in. rule of thumb, says Corkum: If the weather is bad enough that a race could be canceled (so thunder, lightning, or high winds), your run must be canceled, too. And while running in freezing rain could be secure with the correct gear, be cautious and look out for symptoms of hypothermia, says Corkum, and don’t hesitate to chop your run short or take it inside if it feels dangerous. (Should you do run in cold rain, be sure you take off your wet clothes and warm up as soon as you’re finished.)

“It’s advantageous for runners to select their battles,” says Corkum. “If it’s going to be a monsoon for five days, I get a runner not wanting to be on the market five days in a row. It is likely to be that you just select three of those days to be on the market in the weather, after which hop onto a treadmill for one in all those runs to present yourself a mental and physical break.”

Make rainy runs fun

“When you’re wet, you’re wet,” says Corkum. So, embrace it, she suggests, and approach your rainy runs with a way of play—whether meaning traipsing through puddles or airplane-arming through the downpour. “Then if it happens on race day, you’ll be able to tap into those memories of it being a positive experience and never being this thing that you just dreaded,” she says. “Because if you’ve that negative feedback loop going, you’re not setting yourself up for an amazing day.”

Plus, “there’s something that feels really badass about being on the market within the rain,” says Corkum. She points out that if you happen to typically run on a busy path, you’ll have it almost to yourself on a rainy day. “It appears like the park is yours,” she says. “And the few people you see on the market running with you, you are feeling like we’re a part of a tribe that’s embracing the weather—we’ve found out the key that this is definitely really fun.”