Walking or riding in rain
kimmaltsev
Posts: 57 Member
How do you make walking or riding in rainy weather more bearable or more fun. I personally don't like exercising in the rain. I can do it mostly when it's just drizzling out which don't mind me much. But when it's coming down fast it doesn't really motivate me. How do I get myself in a motivated mood to get out in the rain like that? Any suggestions will help.
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I'm weird, but I like to imagine I'm in some dramatic scene from a horror movie where I'm running away from something. Let's face it, all horror movies have three types of "OMG! Something is after me" run scenes: scary building/woods, night or rain.
But, like I said, I'm a bit weird.14 -
I have to say, I have definitely done that! I love running in the rain, hard to be too hot and sweaty when it is raining. I sometimes listen to the Zombies, Run app, so running in the rain, while listening to a story about the zombie apocalypse is just perfect!3
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Think of Wuthering Heights or that scene in Sense And Sensibility when Marianne gets soaked in the rain and is rescued by Alan Rickman, but without the fainting, lol.5
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Fenders. Water resistant jackets, not waterproof ones.2
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I avoid rain if I can but there is a limit to how wet you can be. Once I'm wet it doesn't matter. On hot days the rain can be a nice respite.2
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Start with some good rain gear. Getting the soaked is not fun. Then think about the benefits. How good you feel afterwards.kimmaltsev wrote: »How do you make walking or riding in rainy weather more bearable or more fun. I personally don't like exercising in the rain. I can do it mostly when it's just drizzling out which don't mind me much. But when it's coming down fast it doesn't really motivate me. How do I get myself in a motivated mood to get out in the rain like that? Any suggestions will help.1 -
Florida cyclist, and I love riding in the rain because I'm going to be soaked through at the end of the ride regardless, either with sweat or rainwater, and it's cooler in the rain.
On the mountain bike I have some fenders I clip on to help keep the mud off. Road bike, I have a set of blinky lights I turn on for visibility. I also wear glasses with clear lenses to keep the raindrops out of my eyes, though they do tend to fog up on the mountain bike. We don't have much use for jackets here, it only gets cold enough for them for about 3-4 weeks in January and February.
As far as motivation, think of Rule #5: Harden The *kitten* Up, and Rule #9: If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Really though, I just love to ride, and not going out in the rain means one less day I get to ride. 4 -
kimmaltsev wrote: »How do I get myself in a motivated mood to get out in the rain like that? Any suggestions will help.
i live in a temperate rain forest and bike commute [more or less] year round. in fact i bike commute year round BECAUSE i live in a temperate rain forest. ain't no way to not get wet here. riding in the rain is the most reliable way i've found to make me a lot more impervious to being out in the rain, period. it kills the psychological demon of it, or at least shrinks it down to defeat-able size. so things i've found or figured out over the years:
1. almost no ride has ever been as bad as i thought it was going to be.
2. it's only going to last for as long as it lasts. and really, that's never more than an hour at the most.
3. in every winter, there's only been a couple of days over the entire course that were truly unpleasant. and in those cases see points 1. and 2.
4. if you have to be out in the rain and the cold, it's much better to be exercising because you generate your own microclimate that way. that's much warmer than what you'd be surrounded by if you were not.
5. waterproof bike pants are worth it.
6. wool is my friend. especially when it comes to socks.
7. there's just nothing as psychologically empowering as being outdoors and realizing it's objectively 'cold' but being so cardio'd up that you actually seek out and welcome the sensation.
i've honestly learned that the first 10 minutes are the worst. and after that everything improves really dramatically.7 -
Start with some good rain gear. Getting the soaked is not fun. Then think about the benefits. How good you feel afterwards.kimmaltsev wrote: »How do you make walking or riding in rainy weather more bearable or more fun. I personally don't like exercising in the rain. I can do it mostly when it's just drizzling out which don't mind me much. But when it's coming down fast it doesn't really motivate me. How do I get myself in a motivated mood to get out in the rain like that? Any suggestions will help.
Yep ... dress for it.
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I have had a couple rides (bicycle) in the rain which were awful, but out of all the riding I've done, that's a small percentage.1
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Florida cyclist, and I love riding in the rain because I'm going to be soaked through at the end of the ride regardless, either with sweat or rainwater, and it's cooler in the rain.
This is a conversation I had with my son a couple of days ago when we were planning a run. He said that it was going to rain, I just said that he should get his shoes on, rain doesn't matter as it's only water and we'd be getting home wet anyway even if it didn't rain. I prefer to run in rain as you said, because it's cooler.
I don't mind cycling or walking in the rain. I don't wear any special gear, I just get out there. I have tried to wear waterproof clothing but find that it makes me really sweaty so don't bother anymore. If its really cold I'll wear a fleece and maybe a hat for walking/running but other than that I don't worry about the weather too much. My only issue is my glasses (I'm short-sighted so need them when out and about) - the rain drops tend to cover them making it hard to see. I hate stopping when I'm cycling to wipe the specs.As far as motivation, think of Rule #5: Harden The *kitten* Up, and Rule #9: If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period. Really though, I just love to ride, and not going out in the rain means one less day I get to ride.
Love these! Share your sentiments as well about cycling. I've had many occasions whereby I've got home soaked to the skin and freezing cold. Hasn't killed me and hasn't put me off either.
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I don't mind running in the rain as long as it's fairly warm. But there's nothing worse than when your socks and shoes get completely saturated.0
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Wool socks keep your feet feeling good even when you have to walk through a creek.1
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I wear glasses and get annoyed if they get water on them, so wearing a cap to keep the rain out of my face makes a big difference to me. I'm thinking of getting a waterproof one, but for now I just use a normal baseball cap.1
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CattOfTheGarage wrote: »I wear glasses and get annoyed if they get water on them, so wearing a cap to keep the rain out of my face makes a big difference to me. I'm thinking of getting a waterproof one, but for now I just use a normal baseball cap.
Yeah, I use a baseball cap when running/walking in the rain. Doesn't quite work the same with a cycling helmet though 0 -
I sweat a lot so actually kind of like it when I get rained on. I end up soaked regardless so might as well get cooled off in the meantime.
Exercising in the rain also makes me feel super hardcore. All of the softies are dry and warm in their houses but not me!6 -
Before you go, put a little shampoo in your hair and some soap on your body. Then you can exercise and shower at the same time.
But seriously, the rain isn't going to do anything. And once you're fully drenched, it doesn't feel bad at all. I've had some of my best run times in the rain too! It made me move much faster.2 -
Madwife2009 wrote: »CattOfTheGarage wrote: »I wear glasses and get annoyed if they get water on them, so wearing a cap to keep the rain out of my face makes a big difference to me. I'm thinking of getting a waterproof one, but for now I just use a normal baseball cap.
Yeah, I use a baseball cap when running/walking in the rain. Doesn't quite work the same with a cycling helmet though
I know. My helmet has a slight peak at the front, but it doesn't really do anything. I end up taking my glasses off if I cycle in the rain, which is annoying in its own way.
I need that 'impervius' charm from Harry Potter. Or a tiny pair of windscreen wipers.0 -
CattOfTheGarage wrote: »I need that 'impervius' charm from Harry Potter. Or a tiny pair of windscreen wipers.
i bought this pair of ski gloves once off the 'one buck, get this stuff out of our inventory' table outside some store once. they were the BEST. they had this little exactly-that - a two-inch ridge of some kind of plastic on the outside of the right thumb.
a glasses squeegee. gaw, i loved those gloves even though they weren't waterproof.
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I really dislike riding in rain and as enjoyment is a big part of my cycling I very rarely go out when it's certain to rain.
I also overheat very quickly in a rain jacket, tend to end up carrying it rather than wearing it!
And if I don't dress for rain wet shoes/socks and gloves increase the wind chill enough to trigger my Raynaud's.
On one particularly annoying ride I got caught in a cloudburst, lost all feeling in feet and hands, got a puncture and couldn't repair it because my hands were dead and useless. Even using a phone to call for a pickup was problematic.
If it's raining then that's time for me to train indoors.
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I don't if I can help it. I'm currently training for a half marathon and try to build my training plan around the weather as it's usually cold, windy and rainy here in Scotland. If the weather forecast for my long run looks bad for Friday I do it on Saturday or Sunday. If there's rain every evening then I might do my hills run during my lunch break, or decide to still do it as I prefer running in the evening after all.
I did live in Copenhagen a few years ago and always cycled to work, in every weather: rain pants and jacket, rain cover for my backpack, office shoes at the office and a pair of dry socks there. Worst case I'd cycle out in flipflops to keep my shoes dry
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If I'm cycling in the rain in summer I tend to go for sandals and short trousers, as I don't care about wet skin and would rather do that than wear full waterproofs and be sweaty.
In winter it's full waterproofs!0 -
canadianlbs wrote: »a glasses squeegee.
That's fabulous!1 -
CattOfTheGarage wrote: »I wear glasses and get annoyed if they get water on them, so wearing a cap to keep the rain out of my face makes a big difference to me. I'm thinking of getting a waterproof one, but for now I just use a normal baseball cap.
It gets to the point that I just can't see to my satisfaction (and I have very bad eyesight I can't just see around my lenses), even with a cap. Hats don't really help when there's the slightest bit of a breeze with the rain anyway.
I stay inside and use my treadmill to run when it rains.0 -
CattOfTheGarage wrote: »canadianlbs wrote: »a glasses squeegee.
That's fabulous!
i have found some good winter bike stuff by side-eyeing the snowboard/ski types of aisles, actually. but i guess the gap is still there via the reasonable assumption that snow isn't going to get you as wet as rain can . . . unless it's the kind of snow you wouldn't be out doing your thang in anyway. i tend to appreciate their gloves and mitts though.
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I don't have a dreadmill would love to get one though but my place is to small to have one.0
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I once read “there is no such thing as bad weather - there are just bad clothes”. That’s mostly how I feel. Dress for the weather (but not for the first 10 minutes) and get on with it.2
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Maybe I'm just weird, but I love running in the rain (at least until the chaffing starts, but that's for another post). Cap helps with glasses issue. It's just water, and it helps keeps me cool.
Riding in the rain is another issue. My bike doesn't have a fender so I get mud all over me, and it's almost impossible to wash out.2 -
rain, snow, wind... running and riding - no worries.
I just avoid extreme heat, which to me is anything over 100 degrees.0 -
It depends on the rain if I will enjoy walking in it.
I walk to appointments across town sometimes and got caught in the rain when it was extremely cold. It came down very hard and the wind was blowing hard. It was very miserable. I had to stay wet for over an hour and then walk home. I guess coming home to a nice cup of tea and dry clothes made me appreciate them more?
A summer rain as long as it is not a violent storm can be kind of meditative to walk in I think. I notice the smell and sounds. Very present in the moment.
My mother always told me I was not sugar and would not melt as she pushed me out the door to walk to school in all weather. I think of that and smile a bit at the memory of her.2
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