Jogging in the Rain

I am back out on the jogging trail for my second jog this week. My legs are a little weary from the four miles I did yesterday, so my first mile is a scorching 13:43. I walked a little to warm up.

It’s cloudy today, and the skies are looking stormier by the step. I’m getting close to the end of mile two, as I glance down and see I’m averaging 13:14 pace when the first raindrops hit me. I’m making the turn and heading back, as the bottom literally falls out. It feels like someone is dumping buckets of water on me as I jog (trudge) back for the final two miles.

My running shoes are drenched, heavy and squishing, my shirt completely soaked and dripping, my hat is heavy with water, all of this in the first quarter-mile of my return. Yet, I’m enjoying this run, it’s not as hot and I have discovered that when I do jog in the rain it begins to set the stage for clearing my mind. It’s almost a spiritual experience as the rain washes me of my anxiety, fears and troubles.

As I finish my last mile, I’m focused on what I want to wash off my calendar. What can I move around to generate some real focus time for creative thinking? What have I committed to that will not have an impact? What is simply busywork that is better done by others or left undone? We don’t have to run in the rain to have a similar experience. What activities can we wash away on our calendars that lead to stress, busyness, or distraction? What are we procrastinating on that leads to stress?

Let’s commit to working in the rain a little more often and letting it wash away anything that doesn’t create true impact.