Running To My Youth

Remember when you were growing up and you had summers off from school and obligations, and all you had to worry about were doing your chores, and making it home before sundown?  Reward for completed chores in our house was dessert...picking out our favorite color Pop-Ice Popsicle after dinner and then sitting out on the back porch to savor its sugary bliss as it melted down our hand, forearm, and ultimately took up residence in our laps.  Ah, summers of yore.  Watermelon seed-spitting contests and tree climbing time trials with siblings were an everyday thing, as were racing up and down the block on a rusted-out tricycle while my older brother smoked me on his rusted-out banana seat bicycle until the sun went down.

That's what summers were like growing up.  I also remember whenever we had a warm summer rain shower, a few of us would huddle under the back porch overhang daring each other to run out into the now muddy backyard and play in the rain when mom wasn't looking ("No playing in the yard when there's lightening or thunder!"). 

I loved playing in the rain. 

Doesn't this little guy look happy?!

The other night, Geof and I headed out for our second run of the day, looking for an easy five miles.  As we stepped out onto the street, the drizzle began and it felt a little cooler than it was when we got home an hour earlier.  We're not going to let a little water get in the way of our run :)

As we made our way under Lake Shore Drive and headed south on the path, the rain picked up, pounding straight down on us.  Feeling warmer we started to laugh and enjoy the sloppy mess we were running through.  The path was almost entirely clear of people as we hoot-n-hollered, splashing in all the big puddles, laughing all the while.  This was FUN!  Rounding the curve below the Shedd Aquarium, the drainage pipes were bursting with water, drowning the lower path, and Geof plowed through each one, shouting as he went, "woohoo!"  I was getting a stitch in my side from laughing so much.  At the turn around, we headed back and marveled in how much fun we were having.  Each puddle brought a surge of warm summery water into my shoes, squishing between my toes, not to mention the monsoon-like rain falling from above.

Almost home, we cut through the park across from our apartment.  The park has these decorative fountains that shoot water out in big arcs down wide, decorative stairs.  Geof ran through the fountains and I followed suit, feeling like a kid again!  I always wanted to run through those :)  Walking back into the lobby, we squished and squirted with each step, soaked completely through. 

What stress?  What woes?  What sore muscles?  I felt renewed.

Never underestimate the healing powers of a good run in the rain :)

Crash, out.