Joggling in the rain – 10 tips to make wet runs welcome

Today was a ten mile run. I did it in just about 83 minutes. Not great but not too bad either. It was a muggy morning and about 5 miles into it I was pelted with a steady 10 minute shower of rain. It rained on and off the rest of the run.

Rain joggling is extra challenging. The bean bags get heavier as they soak up water, and you have to adjust your throws accordingly. This typically means throwing them with a little more power. It also means your arms are going to get more tired.

Another challenge to rain joggling is water getting in your eyes. If you need to look at the your juggling props while you joggle, the rain will definitely be a problem. Practice looking through the pattern when you run. This will not only help rain joggling but your joggling in general. The less you have to think about the juggling, the better you can run.

I found these running in the rain tips and will sum them up here as they apply to joggling in the rain. I’ve culled them to create the Top Ten Tips of Joggling in the Rain.

1. Get out and go. First, the way to motivate yourself to go joggling in the rain, is just to get out there and go. Getting wet during a run is not ideal but there is a fun element to it. Yesterday, when the rain came pouring down I just got this big grin on my face. I just pictured a guy running, juggling, and getting soaking wet by this pounding rain. It would make an amusing scene in a movie.

2. Don’t dry your shoes with heat. When you get home, your shoes may likely be soaked. Don’t bother putting them on some artificial dryer because that only helps break down the rubber and glue in the shoes. Better to just let them air dry overnight. You might also consider getting a second pair of shoes. They suggest taking the inners out and stuffing them with newspaper. It sounds like a lot of trouble to me. Don’t bother.

3. Wear bright clothes. If you are going to joggle on the streets or sidewalks, make sure you can be seen. It even helps to juggle brightly colored props. You don’t want to be hit by a car right?

4. Accept that it won’t be a great run. Reality is that you can not run as fast in the rain as you can when it’s dry. The water slows you down and so does the added obstacles of puddles. But you will still get the benefits of a good run so don’t be a couch potato when water falls free. You never cared about rain when you were a kid, why start now?

5. You can’t stay dry, but you can stay warm. Stay away from cotton shirts in the rain. I generally stay away from cotton shirts whenever I run. That’s because I sweat so much that my clothes actually get heavy and make running harder. Try a synthetic fiber like cool-max that doesn’t hold on to the water.

6. Stay away from cotton socks. If you want to get blisters, wet cotton socks are the way to go. But if blisters aren’t your friend, try an acrylic or polypropylene blend sock.

7. Wearing a cap keeps rain off your face. This comes in handy when you’re trying to joggle. Rain running with a baseball cap will help keep watery obstructions out of your juggling view.

8. Prevent rain induced chaffing. Chaffing is caused by the rubbing of your clothes on your skin. If you’re going to joggle in the rain you should slather on some petroleum jelly or runner’s Body glide to prevent the stinging of skin chaffing. I’ve gotten it on occasion and it sucks. Body glide works wonders.

9. Avoid lightning. Duh! I do like this passage that she wrote in the article. It appeals to the mathematician in me.

“Remember thunder and lightning as a kid? We counted aloud after each flash one one thousand two one thousand, three one thousand, then KABOOM! When the thunder slammed our ears we’d stop counting and figure out how far away the lightning hit. The system still works. To determine the distance count the seconds between the flash and thunder and divide by five. So, if you see the flash and count to 10 seconds before you hear the rumble, the lightning struck about two miles away “

Incidentally, the odds of being struck by lightning are about 1 in 83,000.

10. Watch out for hypothermia. Joggling in the cold rain is something I’ve done on many occasions. The weather here in Chicago is screwy. It starts raining out of the blue and it doesn’t matter what month of the year. I’ve been drenched many a time during a cold December. To avoid this try to run with the wind and much as possible. Run a loop route so you can get home fast if you need to. And when you do get home, change out of your wet clothes and take a warm shower right away.

Remember you can’t control the weather but that doesn’t mean it has to control you. Even if it’s raining, grab those juggling bags and get out there and go.