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Summer is officially over.
Now you may be sad about that – I know I can say I had a pretty awesome summer! But the good news is that we’re officially in the fall season, and if you’re a runner, this is the best time of the year!
I’ve come up with a list of 10 reasons why running in the fall is so great! Take a look and see if you agree with me!
Fall is THE best running season! #runchat #fitfluential #sweatpink Click To Tweet
I absolutely love running in the fall and it seems that I’ve been waiting for this moment all year! It can be a really exciting and rewarding time of the year for runners – here’s my list of why fall running is so awesome!
If you’ve been training for a fall race, there’s a good chance that you spent several weeks working hard in the summer, often enduring the bright sun, unrelenting heat, and oppressive humidity. The good news is that your hard work really pays off in the fall!
Once you get to the fall, your training runs will feel so much easier, and when race day comes, you’ll be very well prepared! Suffering in the summer can lead to a fantastic fall!
Fall foliage, anyone? The changing of the leaves is always an amazing sight and I must admit that I like the sound of leaves crunching beneath my feet! Running along Kelly Drive on the Schuylkill River Trail this time of year with the reds, yellows and oranges is a must-see!
I’d highly recommend stepping away from the treadmill and enjoying the beauty that’s right outside your door!
Confession: When I run, I sweat…a lot. And it doesn’t take long to start! Am I alone in this?
So needless to say, the temperature drop that comes along with the fall season is a godsend! No more stepping out of the door and feeling absolutely gross from the heat and humidity…a run can actually start out feeling comfortable!
When you’re trying to beat the heat and high UV rays, you have to rearrange your runs to early in the morning or later in the evening.
But the great thing about the fall is that the moderate temperatures will give you more flexibility when planning your training runs. Lunchtime runs should be much more comfortable! It’s great to have more flexibility.
There are SO many races to choose from in the fall! In Philly, you’re likely to find charity 5K’s on almost every weekend in October and November, plus the popular Rock and Roll Half Marathon and Philadelphia Marathon as the major Philly fall races.
All I can say is go for it! Last year, I didn’t race much in the fall because I was still easing back to running consistently. Now that I’m healthy, I can’t wait for all the fall races!
We won’t “fall back” until November (assuming you’re in a place that honors daylight savings time!), but the great thing about DST ending is if you run in the morning, you’re no longer starting off in complete darkness – unless you’re a very, very early bird! I’ve recently started running at 5:30 am during the week and the darkness does make me uneasy.
So another benefit of running in the fall is that you can feel safer when you’re knocking out your morning runs!
Sometimes running is the last thing you want to do. You’ve had a long day at work, the kids need help with homework, dinner needs to be made, you’re mentally exhausted. Add in 90-degree temperatures and it’s a no-brainer, right?
But if you’re training for a race or really getting serious about running, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, and you gotta get out there.
This is SO much easier to deal with in the fall! The weather is awesome more often than not, so blaming the heat is not going to work! Get out there and run! It’ll be so pleasant and can possibly relieve some of that other stress!
In the summer, it’s so easy to get dressed and go out the door for a summer run. I think my main dilemma is whether I want to wear a shirt with or without sleeves, haha.
But once that autumn chill kicks in, a little more thought is required. Windbreaker jacket? Earmuffs? Gloves? Arm warmers? I actually enjoy putting on a little bit more when I got on a run. Mentally, it feels like I’m putting in more effort to be ready for my run, and I like that it takes a bit of care. I know for others it’s more for the fashion show!
Running in the summer can be tough because you’re juggling vacations and you’d probably rather lay on the beach than worry about working out.
Getting out of vacation season and having more moderate weather this fall should increase your likelihood of making the time to run consistently. I’ve shared my time management tips for race training and I think they’re really effective for this time of year.
For better or worse, it’s football season and as much as I deny it, I do enjoy watching a few games. My boyfriend is a Nebraska Huskers fan, so he watches a LOT of college football. We’ve also got a “vested” interest in the Chiefs, the Eagles (just awful), and the Buffalo Bills (my hometown team that finally doesn’t stink!).
If you run long on the weekends, I highly recommend celebrating with a football marathon! If you’re a fan, you’ll be entertained post-run and if you hate it, you’ll have a great opportunity to take a long nap!
Do you enjoy running in the fall? Are you glad that summer running is over?
Linking up with Jill Conyers for Fitness Friday, Heather for Friday Favorites, and Mar for Friday Five!
