Another turning point

Well, rats. When I started my taper - and when that decline in mileage coincided with darker and colder mornings - I vowed that I had done my last early morning run for a long time. I am here to report that today was the last long morning run for a long time. Because of my upcoming travel plans, it just made more sense to squeeze in my last long run of the marathon training cycle before the weekend.

In one word: Brr!

The temperature was 31 degrees when I started, and that made for good outfit practice in case similar temps stick around for the next week or so. I ended up wearing running tights, a long-sleeved shirt, a light jacket, hat and gloves, and that was pretty good with the exception of cold hands by the end. But - disclaimer - I fully recognize and concede that in a few months 31 degrees will be nothing to shiver at.

But anyway, I got going and meandered through several St. Paul neighborhoods and the river road. I always have a little sentimental moment at the end of marathon training cycles when I notch what will be my last run for a long time with a bunch of miles on the river road. It's easy to feel that way, too, during such a pretty season.

The pink stripes in the sky this morning were out of this world!

I haven't actually partaken in many sunrises lately, so it was fun to see the pink clouds against the fall colors on the river: such an unusual color combination.

When I got my first glimpse of the Minneapolis skyline, by the way, everything was still dark with the lone exception of the early morning sunlight reflecting off the skyscrapers. Oooh. But here's the view from later in the morning:

And then the sun came up, and I saw something that I know has been lurking on a couple of recent mornings, but this was my first sighting of the season. Frost. Frost on the leaves! A whole new world of leaf- watching possibilities!

I also love leaves on the ground, which I don't think I've documented too extensively in the 2012 leaf cycle at Miles and Laurel. It looks like confetti to me, especially when they're all still different colors and not just crunchy and, well, on the decline.

There you have it. Next time I lace up my running shoes, I'll be on the streets of Montreal, a week out from the Mankato Marathon!