A Rainy Day

A Rainy Day

I wrote this on May 2, 2004, but I try to apply this mentality to any day that I just don’t feel in the mood. It had rained really hard during my run the day before & the forecast called for plenty more of the same. With that, I knew that there would be two options. Stay inside and be mad at myself all day or get wet. I chose the latter.

I needed to cover the store in the afternoon, so we planned on getting an early start on our training. We both had planned to do a brick (bike/run). Rona headed out on the bike at 7 a.m. Camille (our 15 month-old daughter) awoke shortly there after, so she & I spent the next 90 minutes reading the NY Times, eating breakfast & just being together (clearly the highlight of my day).

It began to rain rather hard around 8:15. My bride arrived back at home about 5 minutes later to transition from bike to run. As she opened the front door leaving for the run I could hear the rain really coming down. Damn, I thought! It’s gonna be a wet one!

While my bride was out for her run I started the process of getting my gear ready. I was totally unmotivated. I was asking myself, “Why do I do this? Why train in the rain? I’m not going to win a World Championship; I’m not even going to win a local sprint triathlon.” I couldn’t come up with an answer that satisfied me.

My bride returned & I headed to the garage. As I stood straddling my bike at the threshold of our garage the rain was coming down in buckets. Well, it’s now or never. I clipped in, started my HRM, hit the end of the driveway & took off. The first three minutes I was in such a pissy mood, but then something happened. I was already soaked to the bone, my glasses were fogged over, but I was alive! I cruised out to Borland, threw the bike in the big chain ring & stood up. 2:25 later I was at the top of the little climb. The ride just got better & better from there. I was spinning circles, it felt like I was flying & I felt great! I hadn’t...