There are times when sheer devotion turns out as a folly.

The race did not go well. We had to run in the rain today, and I did that in my wet clothes and squishing shoes, even though my mind was already telling me that it was probably a good idea to just take a train and go home when the rain got heavy in the first mile.

In those early miles today, how I was going to write this post was already taking shape in my mind. I was going to call it “a race that did not go right”, but that makes it sound like everything that could go wrong indeed went wrong. In retrospect, it was not really that bad. It was the start of the race that was messed up for me, and I had to run with its effects thereafter.

I have been following the weather forecast for several days and all said that rain was expected this morning. I bought some trash bags last night, took two of them and cut holes for my head and arms in each of them. These would be my disposable raincoats to keep myself dry in the rain.

After finishing my race preparation, I went to bed around the 11-ish and not without having set my alarm clock to wake me up at 5 am. It was two hours before the start time of the race was when things started going wrong. This was where my plans started to mess up:

1. At 5 am, my alarm clock did not sound. (Or did I turn it off subconsciously and went back to sleep?)
2. At 6.30 am, woke up and checked the time. First thought in my mind – I would not make it. Race was to start at 7 am. It takes 30 minutes to get to the start from home. Still, I decided to give it a go and got up to get ready.
3. Weather before leaving home: no rain yet, temperature around 13 degrees. Nice.
4. Arrived at the starting area about 10 minutes late. Weather: drizzling.
5. Put on my Addidas ClimaProof running jacket. It is supposed to keep light rain from seeping through the jacket and keep the inner layer clothing dry.
6. Did not stretch, did not warm up. Instead, joined other latecomers in running towards the starting line. Crossed the line around 7.15 am. Weather: raining.
7. Did not bother to put on my trash bag raincoat. Felt too harried by my tardiness.
8. Weather shortly after crossing the start line: pouring.

I was wet by this time. Putting on my trash bag then was too late and would be of no help. Water was already squishing from my shoes with every step I took. That was barely around half a mile into the course and I was contemplating on abandoning the race.

I was thinking of the consequences if I were to carry on running in this condition for another 12 miles or so. I could feel too cold running in wet clothes; I could fall sick; I could get nasty blisters on my feet running in wet socks etc. Some of these worries would not have bothered me should I have had the sanity to pause earlier and put on my trash bag. That would have kept me drier and kept me in a more desirable state psychologically.

It turned out that I kept going despite me questioning myself if I was doing the right thing. I was mad, I was telling myself. Was it worth falling sick for the sake of completing another half marathon? I looked around me. There was no shortage of people who, like me, were running on the the rain. Some of them had raincoats on, while the majority of them did not. Their clothes were wet, and they were running. WHAT ON EARTH MADE US DO THIS?

The rain later became intermittent. Today is the first time I put my moisture-wicking shirt and jacket to a rain test. They were definitely not water-proof, but they were good enough to keep water away from the inner surface of the fabric and keep it from sticking to my skin. I was wet but not drenched. It was not too cold either and my jacket could block the wind that blew only occasionally. I figured that as long as I carried on running, I should be able to keep myself warm.

There is something to learn from every race. My race today is, by no means, anything heroic to boast about. I still do not understand why and what made me continue with the race, all wet, in the rain during the early miles. Will I do this again if it is raining on the day of a race? Yes and no. Yes, I will still run my race if it happens to pour. No, I will not continue running without putting on something that can help keep me drier. This is lesson number 1.

Today, I was materially prepared for the weather condition during the race. However, I was not mentally prepared for what I really needed to do if rain ever falls – and it did. The rush in the morning hindered me from thinking rationally early in the race. Lesson number 2 – be early, do not rush to get to a race. I ought to have done anything that was possible to ensure that I woke up on time.

Albeit uncomfortable, the run was still manageable. Doing 13 more miles in this kind of condition would have been a very different story. I do not wish that to happen at Disney!