Today’s run was unique; after my first quarter mile, it began to rain. And not just a little bit; it was a torrent. My neighbor was out running and he ran straight indoors when the rain first started falling. I thought of doing the same for a moment and then thought, “Fuck it. It’s only water,” and I kept on running. It was more difficult than I thought it would be, with my sweat mixing in with the water dripping off my head, but I persevered and just kept going. At times, the rain came down exceptionally hard, while at other times, it was a gentle drizzle. The wind was also kicking up every now and then, driving the rain like little bullets into my eyes. I just squinted and kept going.
By the time I was done with 3 miles, the rain had all but stopped. I decided to go another half mile just to get a little more distance in and to get past 30 minutes. My pace was okay; a little slower than my last two runs, but I still had some PR’s for first half mile and 1k and 2nd’s in three other areas. All in all, not a bad run.
I did 70 push ups, not because I couldn’t do more, but because I wanted to take it easy on the arms. I’ll likely only do 70 on Wednesday unless I’m feeling exceptionally strong. I also am expecting my Wednesday run to be a light one: a very slow 2 miles just to get ready for my APFT on Saturday.
I found out after posting this that my son had taken video of me running in the rain. I know, it’s not the best quality, but it’s pretty funny to see me getting soaked while I run.
This is a big week for me. As a new National Guard soldier, I will be taking my first APFT, or Annual Physical Fitness Test. Since I’m an old guy, the standards are a little lower for me, but basically I need to do 61 sit ups and 61 push ups in 2 minutes and complete the 2 mile run in under 19:40. Well, as of my last few runs, I was completing the run closer to 16:30, so I think I’m going to be in good shape. As for my weight, I’m a good 6 lbs under my max, so even there, I’m in good shape. My body fat is around 15%, well under the maximum allowable for my height/weight.