Lessons learned...

Today's running was all about lessons for me.

1. I forgot how much fun it is to run in the rain.
2. 16 miles is doable, even in the rain.
   
3. Running early in the morning means you will see more runners with your same goal in mind.
4. There really is no substitute for properly fueling and hydrating during a run.

I got up this morning and saw that it was raining outside, which, prompted me to check the weather map and discern that it would continue. This left me with a choice, and as I started thinking about it I started remembering how I used to have fun and enjoy running in the rain. Eventually, after eating something and crawling back in bed for a minute of contemplation, I slipped into my gear and headed out the door. I was first greeted with the rain and when I got to the trail I thought I started seeing things. What could they be, but yes other runners braving the elements much like me. Personally, I find it encouraging when I see other runners on the trail because we both have the same goal in mind. This happens more often on early Saturday mornings in the summer, when everyone is trying to get there long-runs in before it gets hot.

It was nice to get my 16 miles in before it got hot, but today was a particularly "do or die" day for me. Last week I ran 14 miles and when I got home I was completely spent. At one point I was laying on the kitchen floor hoping I would begin to feel better, but this time I had a plan. We got some goo packets last night at the store, and I envisioned that they would help me make it through the run. My plan was to take one every 4o minutes with water. I stuck to this plan while stopping at most every water fountain along the way, and by the time I got home I was tired, but not spent like last week. As most runners know, just because it is raining doesn't mean you don't need to drink water. I could definitely tell this because the entire time I was running it was raining and I was drenched in water, but at the same time I was still sweating, as I could taste the salt.

Gladly, I was able to finish my long run and not be spent, but I did not notice that I ran quite a bit slower than last weekend. I am mostly blaming this on two things. One, the rain increased my overall weight and that slowed me down. Two, I had to make a stop in the port-a-potty. Overall, it was a great run that reminded me of why I really enjoy running.