Rain can be a great excuse from another workout. But if it were impossible, unpleasant, or unhealthy to run in the rain, no one would run at all in cities like St. Petersburg or London. Neither would cycling.
Why do some athletes love running in the rain and others hate it? Obviously, it’s a matter of perception and general attitude.
In general, training in rainy weather is not fundamentally different from a sunny day. You don’t even need specialized clothes and shoes for this. However, very cheap sneakers in a wet state can lose their shape and turn into galoshes.
Running sneakers for rain
Of course, there are special shoes for running in the rain, but this applies more to trail running in mud and slush. In the case of classical urban training, there is no need to change or additionally purchase anything.
Asphalt running sneaker options for wet weather exist on the market and involve membrane fabrics. And you can splurge on them if you’re afraid of getting your feet wet. But in summer your feet are as quickly soaked from sweat as conventional sneakers from the rain, and no technology will not help. Therefore, they do not enjoy much popularity. Especially when you consider that ordinary mesh dries many times faster than any membrane and is much cheaper.
Completely bald soles are not the best option, because slicks don’t hold up well in the water. But if the tread has a depth of at least 1.5 mm, it is already quite a working running shoes for rain.
It is important to remember that soaked shoes should not be dried on a hot radiator (which is not particularly relevant for summer, of course) or similar methods. To prolong their life, they should dry naturally, and to speed up the process you can put crumpled newspaper or other adsorbent in the sneakers.
Clothes .
You should not dress warmer for rainy weather than you do for dry weather. Be guided solely by the temperature and dress as if it were not raining. In general, the less clothing you have, the more pleasant it is to run in the rain. But in strong winds it is better to wear a windbreaker, because the wind takes heat away from the wet surface several times faster.
A few more nuances
A jacket for running in the rain does not have to be waterproof, but it should be windproof. As in the case of winter running, you can especially not splurge on expensive waterproof membrane fabrics. They still do not cope with the removal of heat and moisture from the body when it comes to loads above the minimum. An ordinary running windbreaker with good ventilation on the back and sides is enough. Kalenji has them at Decathlon.
The benefits of training in the rain
There are a few other nuances, such as the unsuitability of cotton clothing. And not only in the rain, but in general for running. Or especially for girls, we can remind you that white clothes, getting wet, become transparent. However, no one has anything against it.
The importance of the other little things, like sealed smartphone bags or protective goggles, is up to everyone, there are no secrets here. But perhaps the most important nuances are to run carefully, with shorter strides, and to choose equipment as brightly as possible so that you can be clearly seen by drivers of all vehicles.
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The main advantages are the same as when training in dry weather. And the secondary ones are hardening the body and adapting to working in different conditions, which is most important for competitive athletes. Another pluses are that there are fewer passersby and it’s just plain fun.
Generally speaking, most athletes like to run in the rain in the summer, as our survey confirms. Many notice that in such weather it is easier to move, and after training the body is especially full of energy. And they don’t understand why anyone doesn’t like to run in the rain. After all, don’t you just love taking a shower or bathing? It’s the same here. So the best advice is to stay kids and run regardless of the weather.
