Forums >Racing>Racing in the rain
Weather forecast calls for 60% chance of rain on Sunday... which is when my race is scheduled (half marathon). This year, I haven't had to do training runs in the rain, but last year I did. So I have the waterproof ball cap and jacket, and it worked OK. But the shorts got drenched.
I remember reading an article a while back in Runners World on running in the rain... they didn't exactly recommend water proof shorts, but some kind of tights that won't soak so much water... anybody have any recommendations on what shorts to wear during the rain?
Thanks!
Feeling the growl again
I don't wear anything different. Wet from rain, wet from sweat, what's the different? I never got hurt from being wet.
If I'm concerned that the temp is too cold during the rain, an extra synthetic shirt may be in order but that's it.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
I wear wind pants over my shorts if it is raining, cold and/or breezy. Keeps the cold, wet rain off of my legs but still allows them to breathe. I think I bought mine at Dick's Sporting Goods, but any large sporting goods store should have a decent selection. Hope this helps and good luck with your race!!
I don't wear anything different. Wet from rain, wet from sweat, what's the different? I never got hurt from being wet. If I'm concerned that the temp is too cold during the rain, an extra synthetic shirt may be in order but that's it.
exactly. only thing I add is something for chafing points. soaking rains don't wick away as quickly as sweat.
Get off my porch
Legs rarely get cold enough above freezing temps. So normal shorts for all runs (haven't run in temps under 25 so wouldn't know any better for those conditions).
I tend to get really cold fingers, ears and nose etc to the point of being painful, and if the temps are below 35 I might be wearing some gloves. and if temps are below 30 (remember I live in the South where it rarely gets below 30), need a long sleeve compression shirt under the normal long sleeve shirt and a ski cap.
MTA, all that does not change if its raining, may change if windy, I don't do well with wind. and Body glide/vaseline like oldman recommendedd, unless you are into that whole bloody nipple thing.
Options,Account, Forums
The differences that I noticed in rain are -- and these have really already been mentioned:
PS: Yeah, I see similar effects with sweat, but rain can get more extreme, because there can be a lot more water source
It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.
Depending on the wind and your race pace, you might consider a ballcap to keep rain out of your eyes.
"I want you to pray as if everything depends on it, but I want you to prepare yourself as if everything depends on you."
-- Dick LeBeau
Thanks for the replies. Weather report has refined a little and calls for afternoon showers, so I might be able to avoid the rain during the race.
Really, the big problem for me with running in the rain is that the shorts get wet, heavy, cold, stick to my skin, etc. and as someone else mentioned, it's a friction problem... all of which is very different from the shorts getting wet from sweat.
I got some gore-tex pants on sale and cut the legs off & hemmed them- turned them into shorts. Works great in wind and rain.
A Saucy Wench
i wear the same clothes although I dress for 5 degrees colder and I wear way more bodyglide.
what kind of shorts are you wearing that they get heavy when wet? Any kind of decent tech short ought to not absorb much
I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets
"When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7
Ran the race today, and the shorts didn't present a problem (they're from Race Ready). There was light, but persistent rain for about an hour, so the permeable gear worked really well (jacket, ball cap, and gloves). I only ran the half. Don't recall if the people who ran the full got a second bout of rain.
Many people were wearing trash bags or some other type of plastic to protect themselves from the rain. Many others just wore their regular running clothes.
Sorry...I thought it said The Art of Racing in the Rain
Which was a great book by the way...
Listen. Yeah, it's gonna hurt some. That's the marathon business. But here's the thing. When it starts to get intense, that's not time to panic. This is what you wanted to happen. It means that all the training, all the miles, all the wakeups, all the cold, all the wet, all the sleep-deprived days and all the shit you've done to yourself over the last 6 plus months is finally about to pay off. It means you've put yourself where you wanted to be. You've given yourself an opportunity that very few will ever have. You've given yourself a chance. Now finish it.
All I do is wear a rain cap. Necessary because of my glasses.
That's all? Just glasses and a rain cap?
Depends on the race.