New miles, New Fun

I started prepping for my run after I finished yesterday's jog. Need to increase my distance today and it would be raining. Wake up 5 minutes earlier today ,4:40, I sense a trend.

The cat decided to get up with me and scratch at closed doors, thanks bro.

Check weather app, map looks like a green salad is over the city. At least it is 57 out. Throw on some jacket for the rain. My brain is getting pumped up for the rain and if you were to picture it, this is what you would see:

RUN NOW!

Life pro tip (LPT) time! Know your feet are going to get wet? Put produce bags from the grocery store over your socks and tuck the rest in your sneakers so you don't look silly. Find more LPTs here!

I step out, feels nice and just sprinkling. Legs are tight, good thing I planned out about a 1.5 mile warm up.
17 minutes in , rain and wind gets official. Smile perks up on my face, feel like a kid *let it rain over me , aye aye yai* (guess what song came on Pandora as I typed this)

Spend the next few miles picking up  my pace and trying to decide where to turn around today.. decide on the bridge between Fullerton and Belmont. I think it was 2 miles extra in total, so 9 miles.

Turn around, wind at my back. Still surprised at the other runners out in the rain. I got a new bro out there, he looks late 50s and putting it on the table. He gets a verbal yeaaa buddy ( or good morning)

Mind drifts, start thinking my legs are feeling a little tight again, when I see two runners maybe a couple seconds off my pace. This is always weird  do you back off and hang in their shadows, or try to speed  up for a few and get in front of them. I stall my pace and see what happens, looks like they are in a short battle, but is it sustainable.  I'm catching up, sigh.  Catching people is the fun part, you have markers to reach, adrenaline, but staying in front of them is always harder.  First guy done, seems like he's falling back. Second guy going a fair bit faster, I try to mimic his pace about 15 feet back for a minute, see how comfortable I am with it. Goes easy and he's losing a step every few moments.  I make the pass and am a little nervous he thinks I'm doing this to just be rude.  I keep going and don't look back for about two miles.  I finally take a peak and nobody is within two blocks of me. Good thing, its about time to hit my cool down.

Get home, decide to get a refreshing shower, which means, some Soap and Glory product and a lush face scrub! I planned on taking a certain bus that gives me time for a drink and snack.  I check the CTA bus tracker and it's not on the tracker, so the one in 4 minutes it is, and I'm a hot mess! Make the bus and write this blog post.

Cheers!