The fall is my favorite season of the year, hands down. I realized this after living in San Diego for 4 1/2 years in my early twenties. Though I loved the hospitable climate of San Diego, if you are from the Northeast, the San Diego weather does get a little monotonous. Seriously, how many times can you listen to a forecast that says that today will be sunny and in the seventies? Believe it or not, we used to love the rainy days in SoCal, at least it was a change from the norm. Growing up in the Northeast, I couldn't shake the sentimental four season feeling. Fall is my favorite season for a number of reasons. I personally think it is the most beautiful time of year in my hometown of Falmouth, Massacusetts (Cape Cod). The temperatures are cool overnight for sleeping, yet pleasantly warm during the day. The humidity is low and all of the tourists have headed back to school and work. I love running in the mornings, and they are nice and cool and crisp--especially nice for the weekend long runs!
One of my favorite places to run in Falmouth (in the fall and pretty much any other time of the year) is the Shining Sea Bikepath. You can run on the bike path all the way from North Falmouth to Woods Hole, with gorgeous scenery the whole time. I also enjoy running up to Falmouth Heights, over the finish line of the famous Falmouth Road Race. For those that love the Falmouth Road Race, the course is just as beautiful in the fall. In fact, Falmouth in the Fall is a race over the exact same course, that is held in the beginning of November.
Running in the fall also allows me to feel less guilty about indulging in the Halloween candy and the great food that accompanies the holiday season. Completing a nice long run on a Sunday morning makes the Reese's Peanut Butter cups taste that much better!
Lastly, fall means racing season! I find the fall racing season to be preferable to the spring season, at least in terms of weather. I have wrapped up most of my season by now. I did consider doing the Monster Mini Dash in downtown Providence, but the race just didn't seem to work into my current training plan. I am going to enter my 3 1/2 year old into the mini dash. He has been asking me to run a race forever. I think that kids' race will be perfect, and as a bonus he gets to go trick or treating in the convention center after the race! What's your favorite running season and why?
