5 Things I look forward to in the Fall

~ Chocolaterunsjudy

I make no bones about it: Fall is not my favorite season. Sure, it’s pretty. But as I’ve commented again and again, pretty has to be raked. And bagged. Just when I’m trying to rest up for my Fall Half.

The days are getting shorter and shorter (until it’s dark at 4:30 in the afternoon — seriously, who wants to move after that?). So when Cynthia from You Signed Up for What?, Courtney from Eat Pray Run DC, and Mar from Mar on the Run, came up with Favorite Fall activities, I knew it wasn’t for me.

I do try to be a positive person, despite everything that poured out of me in I thought I was glass half full, but I’m spilling it! So I decided to simply write about 5 things to like about Fall. Because nothing is ever all bad.

 Fall into Fall Running

Great Running Weather!
In Winter it’s so hard to will yourself out into the cold. It’s never that bad once you’re actually out there, but just getting out the door is really hard. And don’t get me started on the gazillion layers I have to cocoon myself in.

Spring is lovely, but it lasts about 2 weeks in these parts (if we’re lucky).

Summer can be nice, too, but the bugs! The sweat! Having to carry water all the time! The chafing!

But Fall, ah yes, that’s what we train all year for. For those lovely Fall days where running feels so good (and faster after slogging through even a mild summer).

Please God, let my Fall half really be a Fall day: not too hot, not too cold, just right.

Bootie with the fringe on top
Bootie with the fringe on top

Booties
What you may not know about me is that I love clothes. And shoes. Any kind of clothes or shoes. Casual, dressy, fitness.

My husband was so proud when we moved here and I didn’t have that many shoes. Well, that changed pretty quickly. Losing and maintaining that weight loss meant I had to rebuild my wardrobe and now my shoes practically need a room of their own.

And I especially love booties. They’re easy to get on and off, they’re really cute with boyfriend jeans; they just scream Fall!

Leaf Peepers
So technically leaf peepers are the people who visit New England when the leaves change colors. And we aim to be leaf peepers this year. I specifically chose a Fall half in VT around the time when hopefully the colors of the changing leaves will be at their peak.

Just understand that leaf peepers, to the people who actually live there, is a derogatory term.

Fresh Air
Most of the winter and most of the summer our house is locked up tight. Our bedroom is on the second floor and even on mild days it heats up and we have to run the AC to sleep comfortably. In the winter, obviously, we don’t want sub zero winds blowing into our home (or snow).

In the Fall, though, I can leave windows open and get a much needed breath of fresh air into the house.

Less Danger of Chafing
I sweat. And I sweat heavily. Believe me, I don’t glow, I sweat. And yes, I’ve even chafed on a winter run. But it’s much, much, much more likely to happen during summer running.

So there you have it. Just a few things I actually do enjoy about Fall.

Nothing to do with Fall, but I wrote a guest blog on ways to start running for Ellyn over at In Fitness and in Health. Feel free to send over someone who is looking to get started running!

 What’s your favorite season? Why?

27 thoughts on “5 Things I look forward to in the Fall”

    1. To me it is really just a harbinger of winter.

      I lived in TX 17 years, and quite frankly, I just never missed fall at all. Although TX has its own fall, it’s just very different than fall up here.

      In today’s world, you can have pumpkin year round. Don’t like cider, although I do drink more tea in fall/winter and I like that.

      Pretty leaves? I think I’ve made myself very clear on that one.

      Cooler weather is nice, but it makes dressing so complicated. Give me no socks, a dress, or shorts & a tee & life is just so much easier.

      Hey, to each their own!

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    1. We don’t even have very deep woods at all, but geez it’s all a lot of hard work.

      We don’t have a pool. Someday if I were to win the lottery, which I won’t because I’ve never played it, I would have a pool house complete with a pool boy. 🙂

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    1. Remind me where you live?

      Yeah, that’s part of my problem with fall. That and the dwindling daylight. I find it so much harder to be active when there’s no sun!

      And winter here IS bad, at least most of the time. Every once in a while we get a mild one (upstate NY).

      They keep saying this winter won’t be mild. And last winter certainly wasn’t.

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    1. It’s already too cold for that here!

      It’s been in the 40s a few times already. Which I do like, but we’re running the AC at night so we can sleep (just right before bed) and then it’s cold when I wake up!

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  7. I sweat a lot too, I always have to body glide thickly lol Even in winter. I do love the evenings right now, the humidity burns off and it is pretty nice out, but i have yet to try an evening run.
    The windows being open – love!
    I agree I do dislike raking and bagging…but, it beats the heat.

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    1. Since I’m walking the dogs in the evening most days now . . . but even the afternoons aren’t as bad. Of course it’s cooler up here than it is down there anyway.

      We had a relatively cool summer. Except most of September, go figure. But the weather actually cooperated once fall arrived & now it’s actually chilly in the mornings!

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  8. That was a really positive 5 things, despite your intro! I am in total agreement on the chafe! I love fall running- way better in so many ways than the other 3 months!

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  10. Hey look a there Judy you came up with a great post even if you didn’t want too! Leaf peeper? I have never heard the term before, wow learn something new! We down South call all the Northern folks that camp or travel and stay here over winter SnowBirds, That was a great post too on ways to start running! I hope you have a great weekend and look forward to seeing how you Wrapped it up 😉

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    1. I lived in VT when we first got married. Here ‘s another term: if you weren’t born there, you’re a flatlander.

      There are a lot of retired folk up here who winter in the south – yes, we call them snowbirds too. Wish I could be one.

      Although in TX northerners were Yankees. 🙂

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  11. You are so right. Pretty does need to be raked and bagged ! But the foliage is one of the things I definitely miss not living in New England any more…

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  13. reading your posts makes me realize that I may love fall a lot more than I realize 🙂 I also love booties and cooler running weather! It’s pretty glorious 🙂 I’m not looking forward to winter. I’m pretty weak when to comes to cold weather. It better be at least 40 degrees out or you can find me on the treadmill!

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