Do you get more wet....

[MilDoc]

If you run or walk (fast) when it's raining?

Assuming no umbrella, raincoat, etc.

[cgallery]

Absolutely!

[cabinetman]

If you run or walk (fast) when it's raining?

Assuming no umbrella, raincoat, etc.

Paul

Are you staring at the ceiling right now? The chemicals finally get to ya? Actually, I think I saw a test on that, maybe it was Myth Busters. If I remember correctly it depended on the severity of the rain, size of the drops, and if you could do the 100 yd dash under 11 seconds.

[Thalermade]

Well it also depends if you are moving in the same direction the rain is falling, or are you moving directly into the rain, or maybe moving perpendicular to the rainfall................... sheeesh, maybe you should take up a hobby, like maybe woodworking.....lol

Stay dry
Russ

[Anna]

CM, it was in the MythBusters.

We had this as a physics problem. You can assume the rain falling vertically (relative to the ground), then you can calculate how relative velocities will affect your "wetting surface" (as far as I can recall anyway; it's been a while). It did come out that running will get you wetter than just walking.

[LCHIEN]

maybe your front gets wetter but your back stays drier, it's all a matter of vectors.

[andrew.r.w]

Depends if you're talking a fixed distance or a fixed amount of time.

[MilDoc]

Well, not quite folks. There was actually a study done. Running keeps you dryer... but not by much.

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_395.html

Scroll down to the end.

[MilDoc]

Paul

Are you staring at the ceiling right now? The chemicals finally get to ya? Actually, I think I saw a test on that, maybe it was Myth Busters. If I remember correctly it depended on the severity of the rain, size of the drops, and if you could do the 100 yd dash under 11 seconds.

Nope. Not staring at the ceiling, no chemicals (at least not since college days!). I just like intriguing, controversial questions!

IMHO, I like Myth Busters, but the way they "experiment" often leaves a lot To be desired. Guess it amazes the scientifically uninformed. But that's what it's there for!

[cgallery]

Well, not quite folks. There was actually a study done. Running keeps you dryer... but not by much.

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_395.html

Scroll down to the end.

Boy, I think they got it wrong. Between the ages of 18 and 24, I ran either 5 or ten miles a day (sometimes I ran twice a day). Every day. No exception. 100-degrees? I ran. -20F? I ran.

Just think about the kinetics, first. When you're running, your legs and arms are horizontal much more often than when walking. Your legs and arms get wet very quickly when running compared to walking.

Second, when you're running you're running into the rain drops. Same way your windshield gets wet faster when you're driving compared to sitting at a stoplight.

It would be interesting to know how fast their participants were running.

Oh, and a misstep when running through standing water would soak your other shoe immediately.

[Anna]

I think one key assumption here is how much time is spent in the rain. If they spend the same amount of time, then the runner gets wetter (cf. cgallery's reference to the windshield). If the distance is the same, then the walker gets wetter as shown in the study cited.

But isn't it interesting that the walker got less than twice the amount absorbed by the runner? How much faster was the runner going - more than twice as fast? I wouldn't be surprised if the rain-per-unit-time absorbed was higher for the runner than the walker.

P.S. I just read the link again, and calculated the drops/time as reported by Cecil . If it's true that the discrepancy between walking and running is accounted for by drops drying out during the walk, then about 150 drops dried each time. I'm guessing that's not very likely.

[MilDoc]

In reality, there were no misteps into puddles. I wish I could cite the actual article, that I read long ago, but I can't.

[TheRic]

Boy, I think they got it wrong. Between the ages of 18 and 24, I ran either 5 or ten miles a day (sometimes I ran twice a day). Every day. No exception. 100-degrees? I ran. -20F? I ran.

Just think about the kinetics, first. When you're running, your legs and arms are horizontal much more often than when walking. Your legs and arms get wet very quickly when running compared to walking.

Second, when you're running you're running into the rain drops. Same way your windshield gets wet faster when you're driving compared to sitting at a stoplight.

It would be interesting to know how fast their participants were running.

Oh, and a misstep when running through standing water would soak your other shoe immediately.

I agree with what you are saying. But once the item is totally wet, it's not going to get any wetter. So once your front is totally soaked in rain / sweat the rest of the rain won't make no difference. Your back however will still be relativity dry.

Personally I think there is no major difference. Running on wet pavement increases your chance to fall down. As you get older you care less about running period. You would rather get a little wet, then fall and break a bone or several. Bones and injuries healing at 18 verses 30 verses 50 verses 80 is a BIG difference.

[MilDoc]

Running on wet pavement increases your chance to fall down. As you get older you care less about running period. You would rather get a little wet, then fall and break a bone or several. Bones and injuries healing at 18 verses 30 verses 50 verses 80 is a BIG difference.

But if you don't fall down?????

[LinuxRandal]

But if you don't fall down?????

What, fall up like Rod's dust in Austraila?