Unexpected rain

I wrote this post a couple of years ago and never posted it. When I came across it today, I remembered the lesson I learned from it and how it's stuck with me ever since...

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where life just stops? Maybe you're having the greatest day ever and you get a flat tire...or you are enjoying time laughing with friends and your phone rings with horrible news. Life has a funny way of keeping us all humble.

I was out on a 16-mile run last Saturday and the weather could not have been better. Gray skies and even a light sprinkle of rain had me feeling great after the recent heat wave. My training has been disappointing to say the least, so I knew a good day would give me some much needed confidence. As I jogged out of my neighborhood in the early morning, the thunder rolled and I couldn't have been happier.

Fast forward two hours into my run and the rain picks up as I run by El Camino Park. I happen to love running in a light rain, so I continued on, until I was hit by hard rain. And by hard rain I mean hail.

In Orange County, we are used to sunshine and the three or four days of rain per year. We're even accustomed to a few weeks of temperatures below 60 degrees, but this ice falling from the sky? Completely foreign.

I decided to take some cover rather than getting pelted by hail...now there's something I never thought I'd say when I set out on my run. Eventually the hail subsided and I was left with a very heavy rain that I sludged through the final couple miles. I arrived back at the house drenched, but thankful for the life lesson.

You see, life has its obstacles. Sometimes the obstacle is like rain and we can run right through it. Other times the challenges are so tough that we must change course. The moral of this story is that no matter what life throws at you, adjust and keep going.