Dedicated or Just Plain Ole Crazy????

I am sorry that I didn't write this post when the run was still fresh in my mind.

So here goes: Lat Thursday I had an 8 mile run. Nothing out of the ordinary until..... With about 3 miles to go I noticed a huge black cloud that looked very ominous. I wasn't worried about it because the cloud wasn't that large. I could see puffy white clouds and the sun shining around it.

With 2.5 miles to go I feel a couple drops of rain fall on my head. Within a minute the rain was coming down sideways from the river and visibility was no more than 10 feet. The trees were bending over sideways, and the temperature dropped ten degrees easily. I start to feel hail and see lightening. I was cold and confused....

I rack my brain trying to remember whether I should be under a tree when there is lightening????? I decide that it is not the right choice and keep running home. I have one hand covering my face.... because hail hurts. After (what seemed like hours) the hail and lightening stopped. The rain was still quite heavy but visibility had improved. Parts of the road were flooded and almost every car that went by, sprayed me. I started to laugh out loud.... what could I do??? How ridiculous was this??? I am soaked to the bone and running in weather that only a crazy person would be out in.

As I am running my left ear bud dies.... bummer. Shortly thereafter, my iPod followed suit.... bigger bummer. With just over a mile left a Police car pulls up alongside me and stops. I step up to the window, take my sunglasses off (was still wearing them) and wipe the rain off my face (even though it's still pouring on me) and say "Hello". The officer asks me if I wanted a ride home. At this point I am not concerned about things getting any worse.... I just wanted to finish my run. I politely declined. He looked at me like I had 3 heads then shrugged his shoulders and drove off.... Obviously not a dedicated runner.

I admit that I would have taken the ride had he shown up when the hail and lightening started!!!!

Here is the best part..... as I am running up to my driveway the rain all but stops (still spitting) and the skies clear and the sun starts to shine.

There is nothing more to say about that!
Gotta run.

"In a country where only men are encouraged, one must be one's own inspiration."
- Tegla Loroupe, Kenya, 1994 New York City Marathon champion