Winter's Here - Almost.

Winter is finally starting to feel like it'll arrive this year. Autumn had been mostly an extension of Summer and it's only now, with Winter around the corner that we're finally getting those lovely crisp, clear mornings that Brisbane is renowned for.

And, quite coincidentally (not), the advent of the cooler temperatures is corresponding with an improvement in my running. Running feels so much easier when you're not having to cope with the heat and humidity. I ran a very comfortable 11k on Sunday (after Saturday's 20k) and at today's speed session I felt better than I had in a long time. Unfortunately feeling better doesn't always correlate to running faster but I 'm hitting respectable paces.

But it's not just the running that's better in Winter. Winter clothes are way better. Six months of living in jeans is my idea of heaven. Boots - love 'em and Iven finally talked me into a pair of longer boots. Man are they warm! Scarves!! I could fill a drawer with them - all colours of the rainbow. (except brown and orange and yellow cause I don't do naturals very well)

And then there's the food. I made my first big pot of soup last week. Curried chicken and barley - yum. And those old apples became a hot apple crumble served with custard. I've even extended my baking repertoire to include bagels. There's nothing nicer than a bagel fresh out of the oven with a bowl of home-made soup on a cold day.

The cooler weather just gives me this energy and makes me want to get stuff done where Summer just seems to suck the life out of me.

And the downside of a Brisbane Winter? Getting dressed for the early morning runs in a house that's not centrally heated. And that's about it.