Running After 40

Rainy Night Run After 40: 7.54 km Under the Riverside Road

It was a rainy night.

Usually, rain gives me many excuses not to run. The ground is wet, the air feels heavy, and it is easy to tell myself that I can run tomorrow.

But tonight, I went out anyway.

In my neighborhood, there is a small running track under the road along a river. It is about 1 kilometer long, and because it is covered by the road above, it becomes a useful place to run when it rains.

The track was quiet.

The lights were on, the rain was falling outside, and the long path under the road felt almost like a tunnel made for running.

I ran there with the person I love.

Before starting, we left our umbrella near the exercise equipment at the entrance of the track. It was raining, but the track itself was dry enough to run.

After about 40 minutes, we came back.

The umbrella was still there.

It was a small thing, but I liked that moment.

Sometimes, a run is not only about pace, distance, or heart rate.

Sometimes, it is about the place, the weather, the person beside you, and the small memory that stays after the run.

Here is the key Garmin data from tonight’s rainy run.

Category	Metric	My Data
Run Summary	Distance	7.54 km
Run Summary	Time	42:34
Run Summary	Moving Time	42:28
Run Summary	Average Pace	5:39 /km
Run Summary	Best Pace	4:00 /km
Effort & Load	Average Heart Rate	148 bpm
Effort & Load	Max Heart Rate	174 bpm
Effort & Load	Training Effect	Base
Effort & Load	Aerobic Effect	3.4
Effort & Load	Anaerobic Effect	0.5
Effort & Load	Training Load	110
Impact	Actual Distance	7.54 km
Impact	Impact Load Distance	8.87 km
Running Dynamics	Average Cadence	175 spm
Running Dynamics	Max Cadence	186 spm
Running Dynamics	Stride Length	1.00 m
Running Dynamics	Vertical Ratio	8.3%
Running Dynamics	Vertical Oscillation	8.2 cm
Running Dynamics	Ground Contact Time	255 ms
Power	Average Power	292 W
Power	Max Power	434 W
Environment	Average Temperature	25.5°C
Feeling	Perceived Effort	2/10 Easy

The run felt easy, and I rated the effort as 2 out of 10.

But the data still showed that it was not a meaningless run.

My actual distance was 7.54 km, while my impact load distance was 8.87 km. My average heart rate was 148 bpm, and Garmin marked the training effect as Base with an aerobic effect of 3.4.

That means this was not a hard workout, but it still helped build my aerobic base.

As a runner after 40, I am starting to appreciate runs like this more.

Not every run needs to be fast.
Not every run needs to be a personal record.
Not every run needs to feel special from the beginning.

Sometimes, the important thing is simply going out.

Tonight, the rain could have stopped me.

But instead, I found a dry track under the road, ran for more than 40 minutes, and shared the run with someone I love.

That made the run meaningful.

The numbers matter, but they are not the whole story.

Garmin showed me the distance, pace, heart rate, training load, and impact load distance.

But the memory of this run came from something else.

A rainy night.
A quiet riverside track.
An umbrella waiting at the entrance.
Two pairs of running shoes after the run.

This is why I want to keep running after 40.

Not just to run faster, but to collect small moments that make me feel alive.