Running News Daily

Five reasons why running in the rain isn’t so bad

As the winter season moves on toward April showers, we are here to let you know that you shouldn’t let the rain, rain on your parade. A bit of rain has never hurt anybody, and it is certainly no reason to skip your run. Running in the rain is a great opportunity to boost your mental confidence and physically prepare yourself for harsh conditions on race day.

Here are five reasons why running in the rain isn’t as bad as you think:

It’s fun and refreshing

We’ve all been out for a run on a hot day, looking for water to cool us down. When you head out on a rainy run, it’ll help your body remain cool. If you can have fun with rain-running and ignore the fact that your shoes are wet, it isn’t as bad as you think.

Most runners will avoid going out and head to the treadmill, but those who run in the rain, usually deserve extra kudos. 

You are going to shower anyway 

You are likely to shower after your run regardless, so what does a little rain hurt? The rain will only feel uncomfortable for the first couple of minutes, then you are wet. Getting into a warm shower or bath after a rainy run can be one of the best feelings. 

It can help your immune system

Rainy runs train your immune system to grow, just as it does your muscles and endurance. The combination of movement and the differences between the temperature outside and your body temperature, force it to adapt to rainy conditions. The more you expose your body to train in different weather, the better you’ll be able to perform, no matter the conditions.

Rain helps performance

If it is raining during your speedwork session, the rain might help you more than it’ll slow you down. This is because your body temperature rises as you run, and the rain naturally keeps you cool. The warmer the temperature is, the more you have to sweat to cool off, especially if you throw humidity into the mix. Rain acts as Mother Nature’s air conditioner to keep your body temperature down during a workout, therefore you can keep your effort up.

Mental preparation

The strategy behind running in the rain is all mental. Going for a rainy run can strengthen both your body and mind, which can prepare you to face the fiercest conditions during training and on race day. To gain that mental strength, you first need to convince yourself to get outside. Then, you need to tell yourself that running in the rain isn’t too bad.