Summer is not my favourite season to run in, I’ll be honest, but it definitely has its perks.

I’m reporting and writing from a small city on the Canadian prairies, a place that often feels in the middle of nowhere, and that feeling is exacerbated and magnified in the depths of winter when travel is harder and just going outdoors is a health risk. We run all year round, but fighting blizzard squalls and icy sidewalks and five pm sunsets is a physical and mental challenge.

Summer is mostly just easier. The days are long. The heat is a struggle, but for the most part one can find an hour or two on most any day when it isn’t a barrier.  The paths are busy but they are also clear of most  environmental hazards. And everyone is just more ready to train for something.

These factors also drive the fact that the local race scene peaks in summer. Don’t be fooled. We race year round, one local half marathon actually embracing the bitter cold as part of the “fun” but the busiest and most inviting of races start in the late spring, run through the summer, and tail off as autumn weather becomes unpredictable.

I like summer, but I don’t love it. I don’t mourn it when autumn arrives and I can find more excuses to put on a cozy sweater and hunker down with a hot tea and book. But I do kind of miss it, too. And I’ll definitely welcome it when it comes back next year.