long run that ended in the rain

I headed out this morning for a long run, aiming for 20+ miles. It was 70 degrees and overcast, but the humidity was ridiculous. I started off on a route I've run before. It was a fairly slow start, but after mile 2 I picked up the pace. We had a big storm last night with over 3 inches of rainfall. So I had to stop by Buttermilk Falls since I knew the falls would be raging.

I headed up a part of town called South Hill and found the South Hill Recreation Way, which is a 3.5 mile trail built on an abandoned rail road bed. I didn't know it existed before now, so I ran out and back. It's a really pretty trail, with a lot of shade and flowing creeks.

Once I got back to the roads, I started winding through town and it started to rain. It was light but steady, so I decided to head back toward my car so I could ditch my phone and headphones. I figured I would just finish the run at the park, since I know the path there is 2.2 miles. By the time I got to my car, it was raining harder. I was totally soaked. The park had some areas that were flooded and there were huge puddles on parts of the path. So I spent the last 2.2 miles of my run jumping in every big puddle I came across. It was by far the most fun part of my run. I mean that's what any almost 30-year old would do, right?