Signs of impending autumn:
- I need to charge my bike headlights for riding home after evening rides
- It’s getting cooler and I’m enjoying the hot tub again in the evenings
- I get to wear my favorite leather jacket. Old friend, I missed you. But I’ve also turned on the heat in the car and closed the bedroom windows.
Leather jacket love - I just sent an email to my sports ethics class letting them know about our class Facebook page (anyone can “like” it, so go ahead)
As a long time student, then university professor, autumn has a special place in my heart. New classes, new students, new school supplies. Though I’m usually an electronic device user, I’ve just ordered some of my favourite notebooks.
And as blog readers know fall is my favorite bike riding season. All those beautiful colours, all that summer fitness, and sunshiney cool weather. So much fun. See Reasons to start riding in the fall and Looking ahead: The quiet season and the joys of fall riding.
But this year, I’m also feeling not quite ready. It’s been a rough summer health-wise for my family and me. I’m okay though others aren’t and I’ve been staying closer to home than I usually do. I think I’d be ready for fall if a) I’d had enough time at the beach, in the water (I haven’t); b) I’d actually had a vacation (just the bike rally which was fun but not quite a holiday and a weekend in Algonquin which was lovely in its own way but not quite long enough); and c) winter didn’t come after fall. Brrrr!
It helps that I have some active stuff planned for the fall. There’s the Halton Epic Tour in September, 110 km of hills, up and down the Niagara Escarpment. And I’m going to run my first 5 km in awhile, on Halloween with Tracy who is running the 10 km.
This year, as in past years, I pledge to do more outside. Ride my cyclocross bike! Cross country ski! Camp in a yurt! I am going to have an active outdoorsy winter. I’m going to try to commute on my bike, on the path, through the snow. Fat tires may be involved.
And I’m also looking forward to trips south. I’ve trips planned to San Francisco, Tucson, and South Carolina. Biking might just be involved. I might also do something every much out of character for me, fly away to warm weather and a beach. We’ll see.
Yeah, fall is also my favorite season…Cool weather track workouts, hiking trips, playing guitar on the porch (no sweating on my Larivee, yay!), a couple of contra dance weekends with my Sweetie, and snugging up on the porch under an afghan, with a fresh cuppa coffee and a good book.
Sounds great!
I love fall but it’s always over too fast. Plus my summer fun was also curtailed by minor but roller skating incompatible health issues. I’m ordering a commuter bike though, so I’m going to take your advice and start riding in fall.
I was out yesterday and was wearing a much loved hoodie and two thoughts occurred to me. 1. How long will it take to fix my flat front tire so I can try some Fall riding? (Answer: all day as they didn’t have tubes for my bike so serious patchwork involved. What an adventure!) 2. When will Samantha post about fall riding and back to school? (Seriously!) Summer was way too short so I’m going to try and maximize my co-favourite season of Fall. It also provides some spectacular photography opportunities!
Fall is my favorite time of the year. The scent in the air, the temperature, the colors, and the entire mood of fall. Congrats on running your first 5k. 5k’s are so much fun. My running partner and I have been doing 5k’s for the past year and are courageously taking on a Half Marathon in South Carolina this October.
Pumpkin all the things! 🙂