10 Tips for Training Parkour in the Rain
Here in the Pacific Northwest, we get plenty of practice staying motivated when the weather turns rainy. Coach Jason Budd from our Portland branch created a video to share our methods. Here are his top 10 tips for training parkour in the rain.
#1: Layer Up!
“There are no bad training days, just days you're less prepared to train,” says Jason. If you’re warm and dry (or at least not TOO wet), you’ll stay happy. Jason suggests a waterproof jacket with a fleece layer or other lining underneath.
For more layering and gear tips, read Best Gear to Keep You Training Parkour All Winter.
#2: Always Check Your Surfaces
Water affects every surface differently. Stand on every obstacle, wiggle around, do small jumps and vaults. How do your shoes and hands feel? Are you slipping or skidding? Make sure you’re comfortable and feeling safe before increasing speed or power.
“Getting too confident before you're comfortable is a really big injury risk,” says Jason. “Check your surfaces diligently before you go to do these bigger jumps or movements.”
#3: Adapt Your Training
Some styles of movement work better in the rain. Try flow lines, games, and even conditioning or mobility practice. Feel free to get silly and creative with weird or low-impact challenges.
#4: Plan Your Training Session
“If you plan your training session effectively before you go outside, you're more likely to get off the couch and get it done.” Put all these tips together and think about where you want to train, what you want to practice, and for how long.
#5: Warm Up Well
Warm-ups are always essential in parkour. They are even more essential when it’s rainy. A good warm-up will help you stay safer and perform better in less-than-optimal conditions. It also keeps you motivated by sending happy chemicals to your brain.
#6: Commit to Getting Dirty
Jason says it best: “It's wet, it's rainy, and you don't have to look good at everything. The first step to looking good at something is actually looking bad at it. So do it while it's wet and rainy, and when it's dry and awesome outside, you'll look amazing.”
#7: Scale Down Your Training Session
When you adapt your training to the season, you’re able to maintain your training throughout the year. Winter is a great time to scale down and focus on technique. When spring and summer come, you’ll be a stronger athlete.
#8: Bring a Training Partner
While misery loves company, fun loves company even more. A training partner gives you a morale boost and a bit of positive peer pressure.
#9: Bring a Spare Change of Clothes
When you’re done training, it feels wonderful to change into dry clothes and shoes. You could also switch out halfway through your session (in which case you’ll want to bring two changes of clothes or shoes).
#10: Always Have Fun
Remember that you’re doing something amazing. Not only are you doing parkour, which is already wonderful and unusual, but you’re also braving the elements. You’re a hero, and you deserve to enjoy that! Maintaining perspective will help you keep a positive, playful mindset.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jason Budd has been training parkour since the age of 14 and has been coaching parkour for almost nine years. Jason sees parkour as a way of getting his anxieties out while also being creative and self-expressive. Jason also enjoys gaming, skateboarding, and making YouTube videos.