Running in the Rain

Last year, my Beautiful Bald Husband and I signed up to run a 5k together.  It was a random race we had never heard of before, just something we stumbled on to. Cheap entry fee, close location, something we could do together and be together doing it.  I was excited (yet terrified) then to run it with him.  At the time, I had only been "running" for maybe 6 months off and on.  I had never made it up to three miles at that point, and wasn't really sure I could even finish it... much less the added layer of running with my marathon man husband. 

Well, fate stepped in, and I got sick.  We were unable to participate. We got the shirts, but never took a step on the course. 

This year, I got an email from the race organizers asking if we wanted to participate again.  I thought, well, heck yea! Time to redeem ourselves!! I talked to BBH, he was totally on board, and stoked as well. 

The race was on Saturday.  Friday evening, the weatherman said that Saturday would be a total wash.  Ran all day. Awesome. BUT, we trudged on, holding out hope that since the start time was 8am, the rain might hold off until we were done.

Saturday morning, we got up, got around, got dressed, pinned on our bibs and got ready to go. 

Thunder.

Lightning.

Pitter-patter. Drip. Drop.

Wiiiiind.

We got in the car anyway... hoping that maybe it would still hold off, or lighten up before we got there.

But, from the look of the drive there, chances were not good. 

We assumed that they would end up cancelling.  Especially with all the lightening, and the fact that we were running around a lake.  But, we pulled in to the (mostly full) parking lot, and it became crystal clear they were not calling this thing. Short of a tornado, it was happening.  On either sides of our car there were runners watching the rain pelt their windshields. We all had the same looks on our faces, the "What the hell am I thinking?  This is going to be miserable.  Am I REALLY going to do this??" looks.  I was not happy.

I'll tell ya, runners are friggen nuts. 

BBH ran out of the car and grabbed our timing chips about 20 feet away.  By the time he got back, he was totally drenched and shivering to the bone.  Great.  He then leaned over and attached the chip to my shoe. (Obviously silly enough to assume I was still going to be running this thing! ha!)

He said that we would need to decide about 5 minutes before they blew the gun... I told him then that if it continued like that, I was NOT going to run.  There was no way I was going to get my joints to agree to run in the cold and wet for over three miles.  It just wasn't going to happen.  Nope. No way.

He smiled at me with his sexy trouble maker smile, the same smile that has talked me in to most of the crazy things I have done in my life, the same smile that I fell in love with, and the same smile that gets me all twitterpated to this day when I see it, and  he said, "Come on, it will be fun."

It was 7:56.  Four minutes.

I turned to him, did my best to muster a smile back, and said, "Okay, let's friggen do this thing!"  And we flew from the car and lined up with the rest of the nutjobs at the starting line.

Before the gun even blew I was freezing, totally soaked, and regretting being out of the warm dry car. But before I could just say "screw this," BAM! We were off.

I am NOT going to lie. I know it was only a 5k, and for most runners that is not a big deal, but this was pretty brutal for little ol me.  The wind, the cold, the rain all reeked havoc on my joints.  I couldn't bring my music, I couldn't bring my pacer, it was just me, BBH, the weather, and the road.

It is a very different experience running without all of the distractions, and running with your best friend on the planet, much less the craziness of it all being in soaking wet shoes. But, I've gotta say, though it was different, it was exactly what BBH promised, fun as hell.

He was an incredible running mate.  I worried that I might begin to get in my head thinking I was "less than" or "holding him back" or whatever my stupid ego wants me to think about.  But in reality he set me totally at ease.  He took every step with me, distracted me with the perfect blend of humor, compliments, and love. And when we got to the finish line, he scooped me up for the best embrace and kiss.  He just beamed pride and love... even though the wind and the rain had made me numb from the cold, I felt warm in his arms.

So, I have to say, thank you to my Beautiful Bald Husband.  Thanks for running with me on Saturday, in the cold, in the wind, in the rain.  It was a beautiful testament to our love, and an example of how we do this thing called marriage.  Willing to not only endure, but to work, to push, to embrace, to support, and by golly just like our lives so far, it was FUN!