With more days of rain and overcast than days of sunshine, many use the excuse I don’t want to get wet or even worst get sick. Yes, there are some cases of hypothermia but that is because they aren’t prepared for a cold run or a run in the rain.

No matter what unless you are running with an umbrella or running indoors, you are going to get wet when you run on a rainy day. It is natural to layer clothes when it is cold, but when it is raining it may not be a good idea. When you wear layers and you run out in the rain, your layers act as a sponge and become wet, and worst they become heavier.  Wearing a thermal and a waterproof rain jacket would be better than a several layers.

At first, when you run you might feel chilly, but as your run your body natural becomes warm and you might not even notice that it is cold.

Hypothermia is caused when your body temperature drops and it has to push blood to produce heat which in some cases is fatal. An easy answer is again to dress appropriately. Cover all parts of exposed body, including a beanie or hat, some gloves, thermal pants, or waterproof pants, socks. Many fatal cases are due to runner’s feeling that the cold will not affect them if they are running so they wear small shorts and a thin shirt.

Another obstacle to running in the rain is injury like slipping or falling. Running on a trail might be too muddy, running on the track might be too slippery, and running on the sidewalk might have to many puddles. Easy, avoid trails with a lot of dirt which will become mud in the rain, avoid tracks with less traction, and just avoid the puddles if possible.

So when you run in the rain use common sense, dress appropriate and run in an appropriate setting. You can dodge working out with an easy, “oh, it’s raining” or you can say “oh good its not snowing”.