Monday, May 27, 2013

Running in the Rain?



If you are out for a walk and it starts to rain, should you run or walk home if you want to be hit by the fewest number of raindrops?

Does it matter which way the wind is blowing? Is the answer different for thin people and fat people? If the answer is running, would there be an optimum speed to run or should you just run as fast as you can? What if the rain is coming down sideways? Does it make a difference if it's large raindrops or just a light drizzle?


20 comments:

Keep Reaching said...

Do you have an umbrella? Are you wearing foul weather gear?

Doc Häagen-Dazs said...

Rain, especially a summer rain, is a pleasant novelty for me. I would stroll leisurely through any summer rain, even horizontal rain. My Doberwoman would stay at my side...

Baydog said...

Find a Starbucks. It's the most common remedy to get out of the rain.

ckh said...

I love running in the rain. I think of this question every so often though, because I think it's funny. It's even funnier to ask little kids what they think.

O Docker said...


Dude, this quiz is like sooo last year.

Just use ur phone 2 find nearest Starbux, K?

Tillerman said...

Foul weather gear and umbrellas are not allowed during the exam. Do not write on both sides of the paper at once.

Tillerman said...

Good lateral thinking. But it's a long way to that one in Idaho where they serve beer and wine.

Tillerman said...

I did actually go running in the rain this weekend. Quite a long run too. And then I was with little kids who asked me lots of questions. Both were fun.

Tillerman said...

Was it dude? I am alway the last to catch up with the latest trends.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, a very long way -- but oh so worth it.

Anonymous said...

k-bye

PeconicPuffin said...

First of all you buried the lead. "Does it matter which way the wind is blowing?" That's the whole story.

Rain is nice. Rain is nice as long as the rain strength/wind speed/boat speed/spray in the eye rate made good is not so strong that you can't squint out the corner of one eye to see where you're sailing.

Tillerman said...

If you could sail dead downwind as fast as the windspeed would you get wet at all?

Tillerman said...

Is wet wind heavier than dry wind?

tibfulv said...

The Mythbusters tested this, I seem to recall, way back in the early days of the show. It was retested in actual rain later on, and running is better, apparently.

Tillerman said...

Thanks Stephan. If the Mythbuster tested it then that settles it.


From what (little) I've read on this topic it's actually a very tricky question to answer theoretically.

bonnie said...

Oh goodness, I almost forgot that I want to go to MOMA. Thanks for the reminder!

Rain Room

Tillerman said...

I love Moma.

(MOMA is an affectionate nickname for Tillerwoman in our family.)

Tillerman said...

I like the museum too.

bonnie said...

I actually haven't been there in years, but that's a good reason to go in itself, and the Rain Room installation looks interesting.

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