My rain dance worked.
And, by rain dance, I mean, just writing about it.
This week has brought grey skies and drizzle to my lovely Seattle. This means I can run in peace without waking up before sunrise.
Monday I ran in the morning but not super early and there was hardly anyone else around in my neighborhood. On Wednesday I ran in the afternoon and unlike recent afternoons, I didn’t have to jump into traffic to avoid other humans. I could count the number of people I saw on one hand — something unimaginable when we had our steak of sunny weather.
It’s just me and my fellow runners and the dog walkers out now. I love it. And, even though it’s rainy, it’s not cold at all. My run on Wednesday was even quite muggy and I returned home regretting my decision to wear a long-sleeve shirt.
I still check over my shoulder every once in a while to make sure no one is coming up from behind. I still slow down when I make turns around a corner.
But, my runs are so much more enjoyable now.
I do not know how long this will last (i.e., when the sunny weather will return and hoards of people will be out again), but I am going to savor every minute of it.
Running (sort of) freely is the one bit of normalcy I am happy to have.
I cannot hang out with my friends. I won’t be able to do all the fun summer activities and vacations I had planned. I can’t celebrate birthdays in person with family.
But, I still have running. And, rain running has suddenly made everything right again — even if it’s just for three miles.
otter travel more 