Sunday in Philadelphia was heavy rain, thunder, and lightning; a thunderstorm. It lasted all day long and well into the evening. It was in the cool 60s all day long with a nice breeze. For me this was a perfect time for a beautiful 7 mile run.
I put on a pair of running shorts, socks, and my running shoes before stepping outside of my house. I was drenched in about 5 seconds. I headed out on a fairly solid 7:15 minute mile pace.
There’s very few things that I enjoy as much as long hard runs in drenching rain. I don’t like drizzles. If I’m running in the rain and getting wet, I want heavy down pours. Rain so thick that it’s nearly blinding. It is a nice change up to the usual running workout in the blistering summer heat.
The feeling today was incredible. There’s something so primal and adrenaline inducing about running through heavy rain with thunder roaring around you and lightning streaking through the sky. It just makes you feel alive and peaceful all at the same time. Nothing around you matters and yet the external conditions trigger your brain into a high state of alert.
There’s no restrictions when you run in the rain. You are drenched. You are wet. There is no reason to avoid puddles or mud or anything else — none of it matters.
The streets were absolutely empty. I ran from University City into the heart of Philadelphia, around, and back up to my house. I encountered maybe a few people out with umbrellas, but most people I saw were sitting in lobbies, lounges, or waiting by the windows of shops for the thunderstorm to subside. There was something cool about experiencing the streets and buildings of Philadelphia without anyone else around.
The run back was equally enjoyable. The rain started slowing somewhat and the sun began setting. Across the skyline of Philadelphia you could see one bright rainbow with another lighter rainbow looming above it. The angle of the setting sun cast a beautiful light across the glass buildings of center city with a dark backdrop set by the thunder clouds moving off in the distance.
I walked into my house and jumped into a hot shower to loosen my muscles so I could stretch well. Then I made dinner and plopped down to watch Olympic events.
Beautiful day.
