Best Tips for Running in the Rain

Do people run in the rain? Sure, they do. You know you’re getting serious about the sport when the rain is coming down but you’re thinking you want to get out there anyway, weather be damned.

In fact, running in the rain can be one of the best ways to offload stress. It’s like pounding out your frustration on the pavement while taking a cleansing shower.

It’s definitely more fun to get caught in a summer downpour while jogging than it is to be hit with cold November rain or winter sleet. But even so, hard core runners will tell you that running in the rain is exhilarating no matter what the season.

Some tips for running in the rain:

Dress in layers. Your inner layers can be moisturewicking clothing that will prevent sweat from building up. Yes, you will sweat even if it’s raining, and you don’t want that kind of dampness lingering on your body. It’s a great way to catch a chill and lower your body’s resistance to cold and flu germs. Wear shoes with good traction. Runners will have to replace their sneakers more often than people who just buy sneakers to use a few times a year. Believe it or not, running shoes really do experience wear and tear just like the tires on your car. So you’ll want to replace yours when you start to see the tread marks smoothing out, or if you’ve begun slipping on smooth surfaces.

Bring a dry change of clothes. You might think this is unnecessary, especially if you plan to drive a few miles to

the exercise path and then drive home after your walk or run. Keep in mind though, there’s always the possibility that you will end up getting detained, or something could go wrong such as malfunction of your vehicle, accident, or something unexpected.

Because you never know what may happen, it’s definitely a smart idea to bring an extra change of clothes. Store them in a big inside your vehicle, along with a towel in case you end up soaked.

Don’t forget extra socks and shoes. Nothing like finishing a wet and rainy run, stripping away those soaked socks and then finding out that you’re now going to have to put your damp feet into clean, dry shoes.

Protect your phone and hair earbuds or headphones if you listen to music while running. One way to do this although it is not as fun, is to just leave your phone in your car and forgo music while you exercise in the rain.

However, if you have access to waterproof headphones and can put your phone in a plastic bag while you run, you’ll have the enjoyment of running in the rain.

Watch out for flooded spots. Exercising outdoors in the lowlands where big puddles and even small lakes are likely to accumulate can leave you with waterlogged sneakers when you accidentally plunge a foot into a puddle. At the very least, dodging deep puddles will interrupt your running flow.

Avoid being out during lightning storms. Running in the rain is fine, but it’s a different story if there’s thunder and lightning. Summer is the time of year when you’re more likely to get caught in a lightning storm. Or, if you live in a warm climate then you’re likely to get hit by electrical storms more often.

It’s really not safe to expose yourself during a thunderstorm. If you happen to hear thunder rumbling in the distance while you’re out getting some exercise, try to time the distance of the storm clouds. You’ll want to take cover as soon as possible and get somewhere safe like an enclosed structure such as a house, store or other protected, enclosed structure.

Your car is one of the safest places in a thunderstorm because it’s wrapped in a rubber gasket. This grounds your vehicle to stop the flow of electricity from lightning strikes.

Another good thing to do if you’re out running or exercising in the rain is to take smaller laps. If you’re unsure of what the weather is going to do but you want to go outside and exercise anyway, and you’d like to get a certain number of miles in, instead of making them straight miles, you can basically run-in small circles.

So let’s say you’re jogging your own neighborhood. Circle the block and come back. Check the precipitation status, then repeat, for as long as the weather holds out. You’ll be covering the same distance but over fewer miles. If it starts to come down, you won’t have far to make it home in time for the downpour or thunderstorm.