Sun 31st Jan
It is raining heavily this morning and forecast to remain so for the rest of the day. Not exactly what I would call an inspiring day. Mid afternoon is scheduled for a run today and whatever the weather the decision is made. Choosing the exact moment to step out into the continuing rain does not seem to matter as getting wet is a given. It’s not as if we are experiencing rain showers, this is just rain varying randomly between medium and heavy. The best to hope for is a slightly less heavy period of rain.
Judging the a least worst moment I step out into the continuing rain, dancing on the pavement in front of me. Wet through in no time at all, there is a perverse enjoyment from running in inclement weather.
The grass can only be described as squelchy. Each step sending up little splashes and my running shoes are saturated as well in short minutes. Just about as wet as I can get now after about 10 minutes running. The rain gets heavier. As I cannot get any wetter I might as well enjoy. I will need a shower afterwards anyway.
Past the tennis centre, with the courts heavily puddled, with rain dancing happily off the wet surface. It really is not a day for even the hardiest tennis player to be on court.
If this were a tennis playing day the situation would be very deflating. I don’t know if I am alone, on days when matches are cancelled due to rain, it is difficult to find any replacement activity that entirely removes the sense of disappointment. Today though thanks to the continued lockdown, no tennis players are disappointed by the wet weather. There would be little joy to be had in hitting heavy wet tennis balls spinning with spray. The arriving ball splotching on the wet court, before being returned with effort. Perfect conditions to pick up an injury. A silver lining of sorts maybe that there is no play today.
Glasses wearers like myself are even less enthusiastic than most when out playing in the rain. Though sometimes the thought of the disruption from rain can be greater than the reality.
Ideally I would play wearing contact lenses which is what I used to do. The difficulty now is that a combination of extreme short sightedness and astigmatism means that lenses do not provide guaranteed good vision. I try occasionally to return to lenses with little success and end up reverting to glasses. The nature of the vision between glasses and lenses differs sufficiently to need time to adjust between each. It is not possible to make an instant switch without some time for adjustment, measured in days, due to the differing perceptions. The unreliability of my current lenses means for the moment at least it is glasses for tennis and lenses for running.
Splashing onwards I am surprised at the number of people out running on this Sunday afternoon. I pass a couple coming the opposite way, dressed as casual joggers, wrapped up against the rain, with hats, bottoms, gloves, and thick tops. Their attire is the giveaway, in my mind as to the casual nature of their jogging. An alternative of less layers is more suited in my opinion to the prevailing wet conditions. What is surprising is that given the now heavier rain, my impression is that this couple have stepped out deliberately into the heavy rain. There would appear to be no way they had been jogging for at least 20 minutes, as their clothing is not yet saturated, indicating they have stepped outside only recently. Great respect to them then and even more for committing while it was tipping down.
On the seafront now. Motion to wring out my shirt, though this is not particularly successful as these technical shirts do not hold much water. The wringing motion more an automatic gesture than anything, as little water is wrung out. Taking care now on the wetter parts of the field as there is virtually no grip from my shoes.
Onwards again, no respite just continuous rain. Splash, splash, splash! Puddles everywhere, rain running along roadsides, everything wet through. The rain itself is not unpleasant, once accustomed to it, quite refreshing really in many ways.
I am near home and overrun my turning initially before switching back to stop the watch at just over 40 minutes. Sunday drenched. A beautiful moment to be alive!
