Fall Mornings

As much as I love summer, this past season was warmer than I can recently recall (my age aside, Lakeside is hot in August…just August…and usually for a week, not a month and a half…ugh!). Now that fall seems to have finally arrived, I am loving that the nights are cooler and that the air in the morning is crisp and cool. My lungs love it, my feet love it, and I am sleeping so much better!

If there is one detractor between now and the time change is that it’s just dark Vampire bat at 5:00 AM. The dark is different. You are not quite sure how far you have until the next cross street, your light is limited to a flashlight or headlamp, and sounds are much louder…coyotes, bunnies, birds in trees, footsteps of other walkers and runners all seem ominously louder in the dark. It’s good in a way because adrenaline is coursing through my veins due to my constant vigilance and hyper hearing and that makes my feet move ever so much faster Surprised smile. It makes me happy that my times are better but then I giggle at the thought that it is artificially produced by adrenaline surges and fear of the dark…hee hee hee.

I guess one of the things I value most about being able to run outside is that the atmosphere changes even if the route doesn’t. The sunrise looks different every day, the clothing needs change depending on the humidity or the temperature, it’s darker or lighter depending on the time of year and just when I think my runs are getting repetitive something else changes: The owls start flying around silently from power line to trees, dogs are quiet because they have not been let out of their houses yet by their owners (sparing me the heart attack I would normally get when they start barking suddenly from their fence barrier), and cars are very much fewer. This is the time of year when everyone starts to hibernate just a bit and runners come out to play.

Happy playtime fellow early morning friends. Whether your time is in or out of doors, enjoy the new season, the new stillness and the new vibe. We shall persevere and not hibernate this year. We shall drag out the sweatshirts and the long pants and relish the coolness of the morning…even if it’s a little too dark, a little too quiet, and bit of a charge!

Have a fantastic week and happy feet!

Stacy

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