Running in the Rain: 7 Tips That’ll Make it More Fun

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Running in the rain happens, make sure you’re ready

Most runners love running in the rain, especially on a warm day. It also prepares you for what you might encounter on race day. If you’ve ever been caught unprepared in a rainstorm you know it can become a headache. You’re completely soaked, your clothes are heavy, you can’t keep your phone dry, the list goes on. Avoid the headache and enjoy running in the rain with these 7 tips. 

Check the weather

Screenshots of the KXAN Weather app, which runners should check before running in the rain.

Before you run, check the weather, forecast, and radar with the KXAN Weather app.

This should be an automatic, regardless of the weather. Get the latest information straight to your phone with the KXAN Weather app (Apple or Android). Make sure you know the temperature, humidity, winds, rain chances, etc. so you can plan your run accordingly. If there’s lightning, delay your run or move your workout inside. If there’s no lightning, get ready to have some fun! Running in the rain is great because it breaks up your training, helping you stay motivated.

Protect your phone

Or any other electronics you run with that can’t get wet. Most electronics are meant to get wet and can handle rain and excessive sweat. Make sure yours can do this before running in the rain! Get yourself a SPIbelt with Waterproof Accessory and you’re good to go. No SPIbelt? No problem! Just grab a Ziplock bag from home!

Wear reflective clothing

As always, wear reflective clothing. If it’s raining chances are it’s cloudy and dark. The roads are wet. Make sure drivers and anyone else on the roads can see you. And make sure you can see them! Your clothing should also wick away sweat from your body, especially if you’re wearing a rain jacket or trash bag.

Apply Body Glide

Prevent chaffing before it begins so you can still run your best! We don’t run in the rain all the time, so preparing for clothes to be soaked that aren’t normally soaked is a great strategy. They can rub in different ways or not protect skin like they normally do. If you know of chaffing areas, apply Body Glide to them before you head out the door.

Wear a rain jacket/hat

Runners wears layered clothing when running in the rain.

Wear layers that you can take off as needed.

The trick is to stay as dry as possible. We know, easier said than done. A good, reflective rain jacket will repel the water off of you, keeping your clothes dry. This is why you need your clothes to wick sweat. Don’t forget your hat, it’ll help keep the rain out of your face. Pro tip: if you’re at your race, wear a large trash bag that you can eventually throw away if the rain is expected to stop.

Dress in layers

If it’s chilly outside, dressing in layers can help your body maintain its core temperature. This is critical in ensuring you don’t get sick. It also allows you to take off layers if you get too warm. Running in the rain can be fun, but we don’t want you to get sick. 

Pack extra clothes/towel

You don’t want to be soaked all day! Whether you’re going home or headed to the office, having a towel and spare clothes will make a world of a difference. The faster you can get out of your wet clothes the better. You’ll immediately feel better once you dry off and put on fresh clothes.

No need to get bummed with rain in the forecast. You’re now armed with 7 tips that’ll keep you running in the rain. Your training for the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon can proceed! It’s better to be prepared and have it not rain than to be unprepared and caught in the rain. Is there a tip you use that we didn’t mention? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.

This One is for You Dad: Running to End Pancreatic Cancer

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Tom began running after his father’s pancreatic cancer diagnosis

Tom and his wife, Laura, after running a race for Project Purple, a nonprofit whose mission is to find a cure for pancreatic cancer.

Tom and his wife, Laura, after running a race for Project Purple.

Everyone runs for a reason. Sometimes you run for yourself, sometimes you run for others, sometimes you run for a cause. Like many runners, Tom Hamann does all three. Tom runs to improve his health. He runs to honor his father’s memory. And he runs to end the disease that took his father (TBird), pancreatic cancer. Read Tom’s edition of My Running Story and learn why he lends his legs and his miles to a cause that’s near to his heart. Lend your legs and miles during your Austin Marathon training when you run on behalf of an official Austin Gives Miles charity.

Running to honor his father’s memory

In 2016, my dad – who I always referred to by his nickname “TBird” – was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I started running soon after. It helps keep me positive and healthy. Last February, I planned to visit TBird in Austin with my wife Laura and our boys Max and Joe. We live in Michigan. I thought this might be our last visit with my dad. I signed up to run the Austin Marathon 5K during our visit. My boys were registered for the Manzano Mile. 

Tom's father, TBird, with his two grandsons before he lost his battle with pancreatic cancer.

Tom’s father, TBird, with his two grandsons.

My dad didn’t make it that long. He declined rapidly the weekend before the race. Laura and I flew down right away to be with TBird. We were with him when he died on February 14, 2019. Worst Valentine’s Day ever. I decided to run as many events as I can to help raise money for pancreatic cancer charities. I’m doing this in my dad’s name and to help others suffering from this terrible disease. In May 2019, I did my first half marathon in Chicago, running for Project Purple.

Returning to Austin

My family is coming back to Austin to honor my dad on the first anniversary of his passing – Friday, February 14th. Max and Joe are going to do the Manzano Mile on February 15. I will run the Austin Half Marathon on February 16th. We’re excited for this trip back to Austin; I just wish my dad were still here to join in the fun. 

My Running Story is a series of blog submissions from runners just like yourself. They submitted their inspirational running stories as part of a contest to win an entry of their choice to the 2020 Ascension Seton Austin Marathon. Their stories range from crossing their first finish line to drastic lifestyle change due to running. Everyone’s story is different and unique, impacting them in a specific way. While each story is specific to the author, everyone can resonate in some form or fashion because of the power of running. Other My Running Story submissions include Kayleigh Williamson, Kirsten Pasha, Michael Coffey, and Samantha Santos.

6 Awesome Austin Places You Can Visit On the Marathon Course

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Experience Austin when you visit these 6 locations along miles 6-13

Austin is growing, but that doesn’t mean it’s losing some of its more well-known locations. Whether you’re a bookworm, trying to play a round of golf, or looking for some new shoes, we cover six must-visit locations along miles 6-13 of the Austin Marathon course. If you’re an Austinite, just moved here, or planning to visit during Austin Marathon weekend, put these places along miles 6-13 on your to-visit list!

View from the top floor of the Austin Central Library, located near Miles 6-13 of the Austin Marathon course.

View from the top Austin Central Library’s top floor.

1. Auditorium Shores

This slice of heaven in downtown Austin is home to the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Statue and the Zero Mile Marker, a common meeting place for runners. You can start here and run an uninterrupted, 10-mile loop around Town Lake. Auditorium Shores (900 W. Riverside Dr.) is home to a leash-free dog park and numerous concerts and festivals. Auditorium Shores will be on your left at Mile 6.

2. Austin Central Library 

The Austin Central Library (710 W. Cesar Chavez St.) is one of the city’s newest jewels. In addition to its books, it features sweeping views of Town Lake. It’s also home to gallery space, a rooftop garden, downtown Austin’s largest solar installation, and a bar and cafe. In 2018, it was named one of the greatest places in the world by TIME. A Seaholm District staple, you’ll pass this beautiful 6-floor book hotel at Mile 6.5.

Runners test their speed on the Austin High Track, located near Miles 6-13 of the Austin Marathon course.

Runners test their speed on the Austin High Track.

3. Fleet Feet Austin

They opened their doors in July 2018 and have been so busy you’d swear they haven’t closed them since. Fleet Feet Austin (211 Walter Seaholm Dr.) is a great place to get fitted for the shoes that are perfect for you. They’re also the Official Running Store of High Five Events, supporting athletes of all abilities. Visit Ari and his team and let them know the Austin Marathon sent you!

4. Austin High Track

Athletes of all levels have completed a speed workout or two at the Austin High track (2100 Stephen F. Austin Dr.). This includes Olympic athletes and runners training for their first marathon. It’s downtown location and proximity to the 10-mile hike-and-bike-trail makes it one of the most-used public tracks in the country. You’ll pass Austin’s fitness hub at Mile 7.5.

View of Deep Eddy Pool, located near Miles 6-13 of the Austin Marathon course.

Deep Eddy Pool is the oldest pool in Texas.

5. Deep Eddy Pool

This man-made swimming pool is the oldest in Texas and features a bathhouse built during the Depression era. Today, Deep Eddy Pool (401 Deep Eddy Dr.) is popular with swimmers for its lap swimming pool and families for its large wading pool. Clear, cold, non-chlorinated water from two different wells fills the pool. The water temperature varies from 66-75 degrees, making it usable year-round. Runners can find this watering hole near Mile 8.5 of the course.

6. Lions Municipal Golf Course

This is one of Austin’s most popular courses. Lions Municipal Golf Course (2901 Enfield Rd.) opened in 1924, making it the city’s first public golf course. This 18-hole course is listed on the Registration of National Historical Places by the National Park Service. Miles 8.5-10.5 wrap around the course as it reaches its furthest point west before participants turn easy, heading back downtown.

Miles 6-13 of the Austin Marathon course showcase some of Austin’s oldest and newest locations you need to visit. Whether you’re getting new shoes, checking out a book, or going for a swim, pay these places a visit! Reach out on Facebook or Twitter and let us know your favorite.

Building an Unbreakable Bond through Running

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Running hundreds of miles has created an unbreakable bond between Samantha and her daughter

It’s no secret, running brings people together. They meet at a run club, on the roads, or at the Austin Half Marathon. Whether runners become fast friends or fall in love, it’s obvious running can build an unbreakable bond. Read Samantha’s edition of My Running Story to learn how running helped her and her daughter create their unbreakable bond. They’ve accomplished a lot and Samantha has her eyes set on a major goal on Austin’s streets on February 16, 2020!

Samantha's daughter loves running, it helps build their unbreakable bond.

The contagious smile of Samantha’s daughter when they’re running.

Never thought I would be a runner

I never thought I would be a runner, but my daughter changed all of that. I vividly remember our first run together. Lacing up a beat-up pair of sneakers, getting her little arms and legs inside her snowsuit (spring in Wisconsin), and slogging down the street just trying to sneak in one, maybe two miles. And why did I think that running with a stroller would be easy? Momentum or something? I was so wrong. I was also five months postpartum and had only ever gone for one intentional run before. 

Sure, I ran here and there, but never had I set a mileage or pace goal. That morning in March 2017 was the start of it all. That April we ran our first 5K together and somehow snagged first in our age group. That June we ran our second 5K in our new home: California. Then the miles just kept adding up. We have seen so many miles of California coastline, the Midwest, and New York City strictly by stroller and street. We have completed 5Ks, 10Ks, and a half marathon together. For others, she has waited for me at the finish line.

Her smile is contagious

She has been my biggest cheerleader and coach. Her smile is contagious when she’s taking in the sights on a training run or amidst other runners in the middle of a race or listening to the cheering at the finish line. Running has brought so much joy to both of us. I am forever grateful for my daughter and the unexpected gift she has given to me with running.

Now here I am one month postpartum with our baby boy. We are moving to Austin soon. A new baby, a new home, and a new jogging stroller. There truly is no better way to see a city than by running through its streets. So much adventure, challenge, and joy lie ahead as we get ready to discover the streets of Austin by stroller and street. And what better goal to have than to run the Austin Half (or perhaps I will finally check that full marathon off my bucket list!). Update – Samantha has committed to the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon!

My Running Story is a series of blog submissions from runners just like yourself. They submitted their inspirational running stories as part of a contest to win an entry of their choice to the 2020 Ascension Seton Austin Marathon. Their stories range from crossing their first finish line to drastic lifestyle change due to running. Everyone’s story is different and unique, impacting them in a specific way. While each story is specific to the author, everyone can resonate in some form or fashion because of the power of running. Other My Running Story submissions include Kayleigh Williamson, Kirsten Pasha, and Michael Coffey.