I still love fall running!

I know I go on about this every year, but I just can’t help myself. I love fall running.  I will try to keep the gushing to a minimum this year but seriously, I love fall running. Lovelovelove.

I know it isn’t technically fall yet – we still have two and a half weeks to go according to the calendar – but the weather is very fall-like.  And I love how the fall weather affects my running.

First of all, I feel faster all of a sudden.  I don’t have to chew the air, which helps a lot with that breathing-thing; somehow it seems like there is more oxygen available to me with every breath.  The same perceived-effort level yields faster times on my regular routes – and the sweat can actually evaporate a little instead of running down my skin, pooling around my eyes right before running into them, and soaking my clothes.

Secondly, I don’t feel sick all the time like I do in the summer.  Whenever I run in the heat and humidity, my stomach always feels a little “off” – like if I sip just a little too much sports drink or do something crazy like accelerate, I just might find the road in front of me becomes a little more colourful.  Magically, this is not the case when the air cools down.

And finally, it is just more invigorating!  Instead of feeling exhausted and run-down after a run, I just feel more awake, alive and enthusiastic!  The Runner’s High comes much more easily in the fall.

Since I could go on and on, I will stop there and leave you a chance to contribute – do you like running in the fall? Why?  Please share in the comments below!