Are We All Getting Soft?

Do you ever feel like there is so much convienience in the world these days that everyone is getting soft?

Case in point. I am truly a fair weather runner. I ran through rain and snow and searing summer heat all through high school. I was TOUGH. Then, I graduated and no one MADE me do it anymore so I just ran on good days... not rainy days, or cold days, or days that were too hot and humid. Of course that made all my times suck but the running was more enjoyable.

Now that I want to be fast again, I tried running on a schedule. THAT was tough. Luckily, alot has changed in 25+ years and I can now run indoors at the fitness center on the "bad" days. I decided last week that I couldn't get up at the crack of dawn to run while it was still cool outside. It was 80+ degrees by the time I was awake and motivated enough to run. I tried running outside one day at 10 am when it was hot and humid and all I could do was run - forget about tempo! So then I decided to run indoors. It was air-conditioned, I could breathe and I was able to push myself and get a good workout in. So, I made a conscious decision that if the weather isn't ideal, I'm just going to run indoors. Am I getting soft?

Saturday was the Abby Brinkman 5K in Columbus, IN. The weather report predicted rain. For some strange reason I don't mind racing in the rain in the summer time. I worked Friday night until midnight. It was after 1 am by the time I got to my in-laws' house in Columbus. I got up at 6 am so I could eat and get my body woken up before showing up to the race location at 7 am. I was prepared. I had towels and a full change of clothing with me for after the race. It was pouring down rain as predicted. No lightening. No wind. Just a steady rain.

I get to the race location and I don't see anyone else. I drove part of the course and I don't see markers or anything indicating there will be a race. I finally drove back to the parking lot where the race was suppose to start and found a woman who was telling people that the race was called off - on account of the rain. Part of the course goes off road around a field and it was "flooded with water." Seriously? Are we ALL getting soft?

I had my 13 year old daughter with me. She was ecstatic. She had said she wanted to run the race but I had asked her three times if she REALLY wanted to run the race before I paid to pre-registered her, t-shirt and all. Then, the night before, she had second thoughts. On race morning, she REALLY didn't want to go. I made her get up and go. I told her she was committed. I was really annoyed when the woman told me the race was called off. I looked over at my daughter and she was beaming ear to ear. Ugh!

The race has been rescheduled for June 22nd.

So are we all getting soft?