There are millions of people worldwide that enjoy running for a variety of reasons. Some individuals have been running for years as a way to stay in shape, while others go for a morning run to clear their head before an intense day of work. As the winter cold is well and truly here, how can you ensure that you keep running even when it might be more challenging?
You might wake up, notice that it’s a rainy day, and decide that it isn’t a good time to go running. What are some things that can be done to help your motivation when it comes to running in the rain?
Ditch the Cotton
Let’s say that you have made up your mind and that you are going to go running. Why not make running in the rain as comfortable as possible? In order to make this happen, you should not wear cotton shirts.
But what should you do instead?
A much better idea is to wear wool or polyester since they have thermal qualities (polyester is no.1). This will help prevent you from being cold AND wet while you run. Wet cotton can make you feel cold and soggy, so to prevent this miserable feeling, avoid wearing cotton in general for outdoor activities in the rain.
Wear a Hat
This might sound like common sense to most, but always wear a hat when you run! (Not a woolly hat a baseball cap). This isn’t just about comfort, it can prevent rain from getting in your eyes. This tip is even more important for those who wear contact lenses and want to be motivated to run.
The rain can irritate your contact lenses and eyes, and it might make you rethink the idea of running in the rain. Keep an extra baseball cap around to run with on rainy days.
Switch Your Mindset
There are all sorts of useful tips for running in the rain – but it first requires changing your mentality. You may be used to running only during certain kinds of weather, but it might be worth it to consider running in the rain as a challenge to embrace. You may find that not running in the rain leads to you not running for days, (especially in England!) Which means that you aren’t as likely to stick to your training or fitness goals.
It’s important to stay active, no matter what. If you can embrace this mentality, then you won’t mind running in the rain as much. At this point it becomes useful to think of the reasons why you started running and understanding the benefits eg. how it makes you feel better throughout the day. You might even start thinking of the rain as a way for you to remain cool so that you can remain excited about your morning, afternoon, or evening run.
If you open yourself up to excuses, then you will probably end up missing countless days of your training. If you can run in the rain, then you will have no problem running in the wind, heat, and other conditions. Once you run in the rain several times, you will find that your body has acclimated to it. This will further improve your mental strength and a mere rain shower will never stop you running again.