The Deluge

You'd think it was Vancouver, the way it's coming down. There's been a rainfall warning in effect for over twenty four hours, and it finally started coming down late last night. I hesitated over getting out, but only for a few moments.

Well, actually, it took an hour to get going. I got a delightful call from my oldest to wish Happy Father's Day with a long call, so I got a late start.

It's not so much the rain as the wind. Very blustery from the north, and what ever side was exposed to it was cold. My left arm ached a little as I ran east toward the zoo. I was on a walk break, just passing the foot bridge to the zoo island (the bridge on the short zoo loop) when someone came up from behind telling me to get running.

Gigi (I'm guessing at the spelling, but it's pronounced "jee-jee", with a soft G sound) was just finishing up a run and on her way home to Inglewood. Turns out she was just getting a run in before her last day on her job as the veterinarian at Stampede Park. They are shutting down the horse racing facility because the track is too short and there's no room for expansion. Anyway, we had a nice run and chat until she peeled off toward home.

After that, it was cold, wet slogging. Running in the trees was a mixed blessing. The wind wasn't so biting, but it shook the rain out of the canopy, so my waterlogged state was maintained.

It wasn't raining so hard that my feet were totally soaked. Occasionally, I'd get a bit of a splash over one foot or the other, which felt really good - ice water on hot feet - aaahhhhhhhh.... But after a few steps the cold would be gone, and then I'd worry about a wet sock sliding down and bunching up under my arch, like they did when I ran the Vancouver Marathon. Never got quite that wet, thank goodness.

There were surprisingly several other runners out. I think the Running Room groups are mostly die-hards, who are out no matter what. Even a few walkers out. Of course the dog owners are stuck with that duty, but there were others too.

Once I was home, it was one long hot shower.

Today's run:
Distance: 23.82km. Time: 2:17:11. Average speed: 10.4 kph.
Rest distance: 1.56 km. Rest time: 15:00.
Total distance: 25.38 km. Total time: 2:32:11.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Light rain and 9 throughout, with a blustery wind from the north.

The Calgary Marathon is in 20 days.