Sideways Rain: 2/26/08

Have you ever been outside in a hurricane? I haven't, but this morning felt like it. I've been out in the heavy rain before, but I have never been out in weather like this. Especially without some type of rain coat or umbrella. I don't even think an umbrella would have done me any good anyways. The ripping wind would have probably blown the umbrella right out of my hand. If I could have held on to the umbrella, I would have probably done a horrible impersonation of Mary Poppins.

We were doing the long run around Atlantic Station today at boot camp. We had about 3/4 mile left in the route before we got back, and the bottom dropped out. I'm not talking about a normal rain; it was a downpour. Within a couple of minutes, my clothes were completely soaked and my shoes had filled up with water. It made it extremely tough to lift heavy, water soaked shoes after already having run 3 miles.

The heavy rain continued to pour down, and, after a few minutes, the wind picked up. The rain was blowing sideways and the power lines were waving as the wind was blowing extremely fast. There was a flag at the corner of Howell Mill Road and 17th Street that looked like it was about to blow off the pole! Given the fact that I was already completely soaked from the rain, the stinging rain made it that much worse. I had to adjust my hat to deflect the piercing rain from hitting me directly in the face. Needless to say, I quickly picked up my pace and raced to the finish line. It's amazing what kind of motivation a soaking rain will give you.

For some strange reason, when we got done, all I could do was laugh. Everyone was soaked and it was a little chilly. We were all miserable, but most of us had a positive attitude. Collette said that it was the most fun she had ever had doing the long run, and I believe her. I would probably even have to agree with her.

After surviving a jog in the storm that brought tornadoes to several different areas of the state, downed trees and a loss of power to thousands around the Atlanta area, I really don't have an excuse to not work out in some of the worst weather that mother nature has to throw at us. It's the type of mindset that some people may say makes me crazy, but it gives me an incredible amount of motivation to get out there and work out. Like the United States Postal Service motto states: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. " This is the kind of motivation that I am going to have to keep in order to complete the goals which I have set for this year.