Stop and Smell the Rain

When I started running in April of 2006, it was a very rainy spring. I remember those early days of struggling through one- and two-mile runs in torrential downpours. I'd come home and dry out my shoes only to get them soaking wet again the next day. At first I dreaded those runs in the rain. Being a beginner runner is hard enough without having to dodge puddles.

I gradually began to love running in the rain. A lot of runners will take those days off, so I feel like I have the world to myself. I love the sound of rain and my feet hitting the pavement, and the quiet of a rainy spring morning. And the smell - that's the best. It's all of those great spring smells of lilacs and trees and freshly cut grass mixed with the rain. 

As life gets crazy (as it so often does), I find myself looking forward to rainy days. Obviously there's nothing like a warm sunny day to lift the spirit, but when I wake up to clouds and gray skies - those are the days when I'm most excited to lace up my running shoes.

These days my thoughts are zipping through my head like cars on the freeway, and it's hard sometimes to take a deep breath and enjoy the moment. Because in the words of one of my favorite songs of all time ("Take It Easy" by The Eagles): We may lose and we may win, but we will never be here again.

When life is passing you by at warp speed, put on your running shoes. And don't forget to stop and smell the rain.

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