Already?

Yesterday my training venue was Johnson's Mound Forest preserve for some hill repeats. This is home of one of the largest hills in the area right here in Elburn. A whopping 750 ft elevation! Yea whatever, it is still a hill. It is the best sled hill in the winter and lots good hill repeat workouts of all sorts and types over the past few years. Luckily my recovering hip is happier doing hard efforts on hills vs. flats where you stride out more. The workouts are always tough there but I love running there where there are no cars, and very few people. Its sort of like being in the mountains? (not quite but I pretend) Driving up there I actually saw some red and yellow leaves on a few of the trees. Can that be so? Already? I love this time of year late summer and early fall; but already?

Here are some sure signs summer is coming to an end:

1. Being stopped by school buses on the way to work

2. Having to turn the lights on earlier in the evening

3. Chicago Accenture Triathlon is this weekend. Back in my early days of triathlon that used to always be my last race and I would actually take significant down time afterwards.

4. Halloween stuff and scarecrows in the stores. Now I love fall and its probably when I get into the "home stuff" the most but........really already. For sure one of our neighbors will have the scarecrows and hay bales on the porch Sept. 1

5. A bit more stiff and achy in the mornings getting out of bed... a sure sign of late triathlon season!

6. The corn fields are very tall and smellier.

7. The butterflies are out and yes....and I've started seeing the caterpillars and grasshoppers out crossing the roads when i'm out riding

8. Clients are thinking about next year's races and goals (thats a good thing :)

9. Jack starts kindergarten on Monday.

10. The closets and cupboards have gotten completely out of control. They need my desperate attention once tri season ends