Shaun, Katherine, Andrew, Bickford, and Valliant after a Sunday run from Easton to Oxford. Photo by Dominic, who got in an early run and then provided shuttle services.Fall. School. Dark earlier. OctoberFest beer. Cooler runs. Racing season. Fall has always been my favorite time of year. As the last week's runs will attest to, weather-wise, we ain't there yet. She's still "close" out in the mornings. But motivation is kicking up. Runs that start in the dark are starting to cool a bit. The trail running circuit will be on point soon.
This past Tuesday, we were back to 5 runners meeting at 5 a.m. Dominic, Lori, Andrew, Shaun, and Valliant. The first time we achieved that distinction (5 at 5) was spring 2008 and the runners were Dominic, Joel, Landy, Valliant, and Don Marvel. That's been one of the interesting things as the group has grown--meeting new people, mixing things up, and getting a charge when different people make it out.
Sunday, we kicked in a run from Easton to Oxford, saw the return of Dominic, post fractured foot, and got to catch up with Mike Bickford and Katherine Binder, who have each been logging the miles and increasing their speed. It will be fun to see what races folks pick as a focus for their running fitness. Katherine is focused on the Rehoboth Beach Marathon; Bickford, like me, hasn't signed up for any fall races, though it seems just a matter of time.
This past week has also seen an RUR return to the track for some speed work. I think we have Shaun to "thank" for that ;)
Though we've got until September 21 to claim it's summer, there's a change going on. Kids and teachers have returned to school. Long runs are getting longer. Fall is the season, for some of the best running. Enjoy!
