Who has the Best Winters? We Do!

We had our first serious taste of Winter the last two mornings. Now you in the northern hemisphere may scoff at what we call Winter but can you please hold your derision down to a dull roar? Thursday morning was 11 degrees and this morning we dipped into single figures (Yes, it is only celsius but honestly that's often as low as it gets.)

I have had to make a few changes with the onset of the cold. I have retired my shorts and singlets and replaced them with capris and long-sleeves. I have pulled out my trusty jumper/cardigan that I've worn to training for the last 4 years. I am wearing jeans again - my Winter uniform. (I always try them on with trepidation - will they still fit? They do!) Scarves have become my accessory of choice. Nelson, our dalmatian is wearing his coat to bed (and sometimes for the rest of the day of I forget to take it off) All the windows in our house have now been closed and will probably remain that way until August-ish.

I do think that Brisbane has one of the best Winters in the world. The nights are crisp and fresh but the days are usually sunny and if you can find a spot in the sun it can thaw you out. We have plants that flower all through Winter - orange trumpeter vine and bougainvillea look magnificent against a blue sky. Very few of our trees actually shed their leaves. Really the worst thing about Winter is that it's too short.

Running is best at this time of year too. I get up before the sun and get to see the sunrise. There's often fog over the Brisbane river to provide a bit of atmosphere and it feels so much easier to run when it's cool.

Tomorrow's run is going to be a 15 or 16 k run along the river. Coach Chris has cut back the distance this week to help with recovery. The plan is to have 3 weeks where I push it and the fourth is a recovery week. Hopefully this will stop OTS recurring.