Fall Is for Runners

Happy Saturday!

I feel like a new woman after eight hours of sleep and a relaxing evening at home. I don’t think I realized how exhausted I was from the week until I sat down last night. Needless to say, by 10 pm I could barely keep my eyes open to finish this week’s Scandal.

Instead of waking up super early to finish our run, Bo and I worked around the house this morning while prepping the food for tonight’s party and sipping coffee. Since we are in between half marathons, we decided to keep things a bit relaxed with the distance but push the pace and ensure we included hills in the route.  Little did I know when we decided to run through Prospect Park, that I’d spend the entire run smiling.

This morning’s run made me realize that Fall truly is for runners. 

-Cooler temperatures allow mean you can sleep in as late as you want since you aren’t beating the heat! We didn’t start our run until 9:55 and it was still only 50 degrees!

-The fall leaves provide a colorful background to any path. Just two weeks after the Rock’n’Roll Brooklyn Half Marathon, Prospect Park took on a whole new look today, as all the leaves have quickly turned gold and red.

-The cooler temperatures also allow me to swap out the tank tops and shorts for crops and long sleeve shirts. After five months of wearing them, I’m tired fo the same few running outfits so opening a drawer of cooler weather running gear is almost as good as going shopping for new workout gear.  My crops are so much easier to run in with their hidden pockets, handy zippers and flattering lines.

-Farewell to pit stains, sweat and red faces. Even after running a hilly 6-mile route, Bo nor I were drenched in sweat. In fact, we easily ran errands in our clothing before coming home for showers. In the Summer nothing can happen after a run until we’ve showered as we are basically walking puddles of stinky sweat.

-Faster paces require far less effort. Our pace during this morning’s run was far faster than any of our previous training runs. I feel like 50 degrees is my running “sweet spot” where my body isn’t having to exert effort to keep me warm and the temperature allows me to push harder without feeling the effort in my legs or heart.

This weather makes me wish I’d signed up for even more Fall races, if that’s even possible. It looks like my friends running NYC Marathon next Sunday will have perfect weather!

How about you? What is your favorite running season?