Rainbow rewards Lynn Woods runners

It was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen at Lynn Woods … a rainbow curving over the softball field.And it came at the most opportune time, namely, just before the start of this week?s summer cross country races.Torrential downpours, thunder and lightning had all made Wednesday afternoon a good time to stay inside. Only that night, I was going outside, wondering what the woods would look like.I wore a ballcap and light jacket. I brought a second jacket in the car; my girlfriend Laura had suggested it, as something dry to put on after the race.It seemed that the rain kept some folks away, as it was easier than usual to find a parking spot at the Great Woods Road entrance. I did some warm-ups, and said hello to running friends Dottie and Kathy. I jogged partway up the notorious first hill that rises out of the parking lot.Then the weather shifted. The precipitation stopped and the temperature rose. The aforementioned rainbow shone magnificently in the sky. I realized that it might feel very uncomfortable running in a jacket. I ran to my car, dropped the jacket in the trunk and ran back, with perhaps more speed than my hill jog. The long race had already begun when I returned … good thing I was running the short course!In the story of Noah?s Ark, the rainbow is a sign that no more floods will cover the earth. The rainbow over the woods Wednesday night made good on its promise of no more wet weather, although there were plenty of puddles on the 2.7-mile out and back course.We runners need to remember the variability of summer weather. Storms can strike suddenly, and they can subside just as quickly. Bringing layers can help. I was glad I wore my jacket going to the woods in the cold rain, and just as glad to remove it when the rainbow, and heat, appeared.And keep in mind the special way Mother Nature lets us know the rain has stopped.?Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue,” Judy Garland sang in “The Wizard of Oz.” “And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.” Like the dream of running rain-free in Lynn Woods.