The freak storm we had a few weeks ago has gotten me thinking about last winter and the endless piles of snow that first appeared in December and stuck around until the spring thaw. I’m not usually one to hide inside or run on a treadmill when fresh air and the open road beckon, but last winter was pretty gnarly and I spent a considerable amount of time wearing grooves into the belts of the cardio machines at . As I recall it, the TOBAY snow removal program was sorely tested by the sheer volume of the white stuff that fell almost constantly over the highways and byways of our fair town. The roads were a mess and dangerous to run on. When I saw the snow starting to fall on Saturday morning, it brought back some unpleasant memories of trotting into a strong rainy headwind on 106 and I spontaneously decided that an additional rest day was just what the doctor ordered.
I have been training for the Philadelphia Half-Marathon for the last eight weeks. Training for a half-marathon is easier than training for a full marathon, but it still requires carving out some time for a long run once a week to get the legs accustomed to traveling the lengthier distance. Finding the time for a 10-mile run a week has been a bit of a challenge, but a manageable one. I have been cruising the back roads in Brookville in the early morning hours and enjoying the increasingly brisk temperatures and fall foliage. Long Island running is at its best in the fall.
I have trained for spring half-marathons (like the Long Island ½) and fall ones and I far and away prefer training for the fall ones. Rather than slogging through the snowmelt and mud in March and April, you can cruise along with gentle breezes and drifting leaves in September and October, gradually adding a layer of fleece as the nights and early mornings turn colder. I encourage you all to get out there and go for a run, either at the , in , or around your own block. The fall is a great time to run, but it will soon disappear and it’s back to the fluorescent jungle. Be safe.
