Run Through the Rain

Are you the kind of person who will change or cancel plans because it’s raining? Most people probably do. And if you want to live life like most people do, it’s your right. I’ve just found that living life on my terms is far more rewarding. And this means that my plans are not hostage to the weather.

I made a deal with myself a few months back to run for 30 minutes everyday. This worked fine for about two months. Then rainy season struck. The choice was simple: I could do the sensible thing and stay out of the rain, thereby forgoing the run and breaking my promise to myself; or I could run in the rain. What would you do?

1. Be a champion

Champions keep their promises, especially to themselves. If you cannot keep a promise you made to yourself, how can you keep a promise to anyone else? I ran in the rain. My mum looked at me as if I was crazy when she saw me putting on my jogging shoes while it rained outside. Maybe I was. And I’m becoming crazier every day, as measured by the rain gauge.

The shower was mild the first day. A heavy drizzle. There were half a dozen other equally crazy joggers on my route. See, you don’t have to worry. Even if you choose to act crazy, you are not alone.

The second day saw heavier rain. This time there was only one other jogger. We didn’t even smile at each other though obviously there was a strong bond between us. We were too busy keeping our heads down so the raindrops wouldn’t enter our eyes.

Today is Rainy Day Three. I was the only one on the jogging track. Guess everyone else wimped out. I don’t blame them. It was really chucking it down. Parts of the track were flooded to above ankle level, and I sloshed my way through.

I almost stepped on a frog in one of the big pools of water. Thankfully I saw it in time to hold my step so it could swim safely out of the way. I’m glad. Squashing a frog would have been a yucky feeling, and not fun for the frog either.

2. Enjoy yourself no matter what

Towards the end of my last run, the exhilaration was greater than on any run I’ve done before. I was soaked through and my legs were splattered with dirt, But my heart was singing and I experienced one of those triumphs of the human spirit that we think are reserved only for those who scale Mount Everest.

I stomped my way through the last big puddle, deliberately splashing water all around me, knowing that nobody was around to see, and feeling the total freedom that is usually impossible to have in a big city.

The only wish I had was that my little nephews were with me, so I could show them how to kick up a puddle and celebrate the rain instead of hiding from it. I want them to know that life goes on, come rain or shine. I want them to know that nothing can stop them from doing what they want to do. Least of all the weather.

3. Expect some rain in your life

Enough of my crazy runs, and back to life. Rain comes into all our lives. We experience the pain of broken relationships, ruined careers, dying dreams. And just as people refrain from jogging when it rains, we put life on hold when there’s rain in our hearts.

Here’s the deal: run anyway, and live anyway. Don’t let the rain keep you home, and don’t let the pain keep you down. Forget what others tell you, unless you want the life they have. You can enjoy the rain, and you can make the most of your pain. It will show you a part of life and a part of yourself you never knew existed. And that itself is reason to be glad, for life is a collection of experiences and it is these that make us truly rich.

Am I saying pain is something to look forward to? Of course not. I really hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow. I prefer running in dry shoes. But running in the rain has shown me a part of life that good weather never did. And I know now that the rain has no power to stop me. The power is in me.



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Posted by Daphne | August 27, 2008 | in Think Deeply


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