Thumbing my nose at Ma Nature

Yes, you read that correctly. Yes, that’s the PG version of the original title that came to mind.

Disclaimer: If you’re a runner, you’ll totally understand what I’m about to say. If not, well, your loss. 🙂

There is something completely empowering about running in bad weather.

As most people will attest, there’s a general mark of dedication when you actually decide to speak of yourself as a runner. One of my college roommates was famous for yelling at people running on the street, “Hey, whatcha running from?!?!” Or the perennial person who’ll comment, “I only run if I’m being chased and running for my life.” Every runner’s heard them, smiled, nodded, and thought, “Yeah, but….”

Then within the greater world of runners, there are those who are fair-weather runners. It can’t be too hot, too cold, too dark, too windy, too anything, or they’ll call off their run. Maybe it would be better to call them the Treadmill Types.

On the other end of the runner spectrum are the Die-Hards. These are the people who run 50K trail runs (No, that’s not a typo, five-zero kilometers, or 31 miles and 120.6 yards on TRAILS, of all things!) Who can pick up and run a full marathon without much thought or prep time. Who must have knees and ankles of steel. I do not carry citizenship in this strange land.

I fall into a middle category of “Bring-It” runners. Take tonight’s run for example.
50-degree weather? Bring it.
Rain? Bring it.
Complete darkness at 6pm? Bring it.
It’s crazy, when I’m out running in the weather that sends most people scurrying into their house, where their fastest movement is to get out to the garbage can and back while getting the least soaked, here I am, voluntarily hitting the concrete for 35 minutes.

As a mom, I know I’m not alone in my many reasons for loving running. My friend over at ChambersMade, who I’m going to run a triathlon with in June (was that out loud?), has also discovered herself as a runner. RunningRachel amazes me with her dedication and discipline. For me, running brings silence. Running brings clearness to the brain. Running, by definition, means you don’t have children clinging to your person. Running re-connects us to ourselves as women. Just women. Strong, powerful, graceful, vibrant, alive, WOMEN.

So, if Ma Nature wants to throw a little bad weather my way, so what? Not gonna stop my run. Bring it.