Clouds, rain, rain, RAIN, SUUUUN! clouds, rain, rain RAIN!
What a run! I lived up to the domain name today - the term "gully-washer" is apropos.
As I started out I thought I would miss the worst of it - it was looking dark to the south, so I figured I'd head north for the first 1/2 of the run, then turn south after the fatty cumulus had scooted through. Little did I know what was on the horizon to the northeast - the cumulus' kid brother was blowing over just as I finished mile 2. It started sprinkling as I crossed the Green river, then started raining in earnest. I hit Willis at 2.6 miles into the run and turned to head back south, into the thick of this cell. Once I turned, the mild northerly wind that until then had been soaking my back, was now drenching my front - and doing a lovely job of it. There was no hail, but the rain was hard and big. I took my Garmin watch off and tucked its watchband into the waistband of my shorts so that my shirt would protect it from the brunt of the storm. I continued running, listening to a new audio book from Audible.com called "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" which is a very quirky-cool read. I noticed that the volume started to diminish until it was a whisper. I thought I had shorted out the Ipod. I had not, or at least the internal speaker worked well. My earbuds were toast - at least my Ipod was OK I unplugged and moved on.
The rain stops and sunshine starts - I take this moment to shed my t-shirt and wring it out. I put it back on wishing I could ring my shorts out as well, but discretion is the better part of valor and I decided against that. The sun felt awesome! I did note that my shorts stayed soaked for the rest of the run - afterwards I found the beginnings of road rash on my thighs. As I pass back by my truck (5.6 miles) the warm sun is starting to hide and a cloud to the north appears to be chasing me south. I keep going and find that I am outrunning the squall! Except... I'll have to run back through it to get to my truck... Well... it'll blow over by then.
I head down to 15th ST SW just south of the Supermall (8.2 miles) and turn to head back. The sky to the northeast is dark, and you can see the rain falling from the clouds, heavily. The rain starts as I hit Main Street in Auburn (9.1 miles) There's not a lot of it at the start, but the drops are huge. by the time I get to 15th ST NW it is coming down very nicely, not so much the big drops anymore - this is the medium sized soaker-hose rain that is typical of mid-squall. Up ahead I see that the view is obscured by rain, looks like I will hit the tail end of the squall as I end the run - the rain starts pounding, so much so that my tech gear - made to wick away moisture is now pasted to my body. as I finish the rain lets up slightly but I am a drowned rat! luckily I keep a tarp in the truck, under the back seat. I spread it out and hop in, start up the truck and immediately turn the heater on high-defrost. I am wet.
SQUIRREL!----->
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