the rain thing

the thing about rain is that it's really wet.
and wet is fine for certain activities, say swimming, boating, showering, things like that. but wet is not fine for others. it can get uncomfortable, and it can get cold. and when you mix rain and wind it can be miserable. rain and wet pavement combinations get slippery. rain and wet pavement and bicycle tires equals a dirty, wet rooster tail up your back. you know where I'm headed.

biking in the rain is fairly low on the list of "things susan likes to do."

but apparently more people would rather bike in the rain than bike in the dark.
I have seen so many people riding in the rain today I lost count. and I saw them not just riding along residential streets, but riding up and down emigration canyon. in the rain. this is not a mist, not a light sprinkle, not a refreshing little shower, this is rain.
I want to tell all these people that they have an option: they could get up earlier on their weekdays and come ride in the dark, when at least it's been dry. but then again, do I really want them all up there with me? no, not really. I will keep my mouth shut and let them ride in the rain.
and I have ridden in the rain, and I know what it's like to have the free time and want to cycle and to not want to be limited by the weather. but I also know what it's like to get home and peel off layers of saturated clothing and shoes, to make a puddle in my laundry room, and to have to stand in the shower under a hot stream for a good twenty minutes to unthaw my bones.
and if I weren't ready for a day off today, I might have been out there this morning, too.
but I've ridden every day this past week except monday, and I've ridden 11 of the past 13 days, so my body deserves a rest today.
I have become a weather watcher, always keeping an eye on highs and lows and storm systems on their way to us. every night I check the weather news to see how warmly I'll need to dress in the morning, and what I can expect for the next few days of riding. I've known all week that today and tomorrow are rainy days, so I purposely saved my day off the bike for today.
now tomorrow might cause me some difficulty, as to have two days in a row off my bike might throw me into some kind of physical shock. however, since there's currently only a 60% chance of rain tomorrow, I am hoping that at some point the skies will stop sending wetness down to earth and I will be able to get out.
and if it doesn't clear? will I ride in the rain?
tune in tomorrow, when you and I will both have the answer to that question.