2006 - September

[El Gordo]

This is indeed a good time of year for the Runner's New Year. Summer is a time for relaxation, not work. Surely Autumn and Spring are the best seasons for running. Extreme cold and extreme heat have their places in the catalogue of running experience, but they're a bit... extreme. Give me light rain and a steady breeze any day.

I agree. You only have to look at the race calendars, with the big clumps of events in March/April and September/October to confirm when the most popular running periods are.

Which is best though? I like the spring, and the great sense of relief as you emerge from winter; I like seeing things starting to grow when I'm out on the country lanes; I like the promise of summer.

Autumn has the threat of winter, but it's also a time of reaffirmation, of starting to make plans for the next few months. In my case, it's also the chance to get excited again after the holidays and the heat have done their damage to my routine. This year, as I've explained ad nauseam, it's been even harder, but the changing season really has helped to hand me back my enthusiasm.

Roll on Brighton (see separate theread at http://www.runningcommentary.co.uk/forum...php?t=1088).