I've heard there are runners who like to run in the rain. I have yet to meet one, but I've heard they're out there.

Most runners can handle extreme temperatures, wind and snow, but rain is a different story. I've been caught in it enough to know running in the rain is a miserable experience (with the exception of very hot/humid days when it feels kind nice). And, cold rain is downright dangerous.

Despite the 59 degree temperatures (in February! in Erie!) this morning, all of the various runners who meet at the Pennbriar to run in the a.m. were indoors running 'round and 'round on the big, black track.

"It's 59-freakin' degrees outside...this just isn't fair," I whined as I ran. But, the alternative was to get soaked -- and 59 degrees is not warm enough to go running around Summit township soaking wet.

I can't say I'm much for track running. It's about impossible for me to keep track of my laps when I'm busy yakkity yakking to the person next to me. When I swim laps, I can't talk, so I count to myself in my head continuously. The entire time I swim I am thinking, "22, 22, 22, 22, 22, 22, 22, 22, 23, 23, 23, 23, 23, 23, 23 ..." It's actually very relaxing because I think nothing but numbers for 45 minutes.

But something tells me that if I spent my entire morning run counting 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 ... I'd soon be known as the running Rainman, er, woman.