WinforKC Wed: Rain Delays

Hey WinforKC women... sorry about the break of the last two weeks. I'm back.

Let's talk about rainy days. Just about now you may have been getting some momentum in the early phases of triathlon prep. We had a couple of weeks of unbelievable warm weather, and with the time change, maybe you (like me) got excited about getting out in the sunshine.

And then we get a week of rain. We're indoors. We're scrabbling around for our light sweaters in the winter clothes we had already packed away. So what happens to our enthusiasm for exercise?

I think one of the best things about being a triathlete is that you always have options for workouts. When life hands you rainy days (or crazy work schedules or unexpected visitors or whatever), triathlon gives you options.

What to do on a rainy day?

SWIM. Really, that's the no-brainer. If you're a swimmer already, put in some yardage. If you're not a swimmer, find a pool at a gym and go splash around for an hour. Swim the strokes you can. Grab a kickboard and race your friend. If you don't know how to flip turn, give it a try. Get used to moving in the water.

STRENGTH WORK. Lifting weights is a great thing to do when you can't get out. You don't even need a gym membership to do squats, lunges, step ups, push ups, leg raises, planks, and tricep dips!

STRETCH. Yoga class is a great rainy day activity. If that's not in the cards for you, do some warmup (dance in your living room!) and then spend twenty minutes stretching. Stretch your arms, your upper back, your lower back, your glutes, your hamstrings, your quads, your calves, your shins. Slow and relaxing, a luxury of stretching.

RUN. Not in a thunderstorm, sure. But in a light rain, you won't melt. You might be surprised how good it feels to run in the rain... not just the refreshing feeling of the rain on your skin as you heat up, but also the freedom of doing something that people aren't "supposed" to do. When you get home, stuff your shoes with wadded up newspaper and they'll dry out in no time.

What not to do on a rainy day? Sit around letting your happy exercise chemicals wear off! Smile and keep moving, and I will too.

P.S. My races are all mountain bike this year, and rain makes it impossible to ride the trails. Fingers crossed that my first race this weekend isn't rained out or routed onto all-gravel! I will be on the bike trainer in the morning, and my abs are super tight from a rain-day workout on Monday. And I am watching our grass grow, which means it will be time for lawnmower cross-training very soon.