AUTUMN'S ARRIVAL AND THE POTENTIAL 'NORTHERN LIGHTS EFFECT' ON WORKOUTS

Aurora borealis II Milan Nykodym https://flic.kr/p/pKPkLx

AUTUMNAL EQUINOX AND THE ‘NORTHERN LIGHTS EFFECT’. Thursday September 22 is the 2018 date of the Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. The article “September Equinox: 10 Facts About the First Day of Fall” from Timeanddate.com provided some bits of information about this astronomical event that surprised me; specifically fact No.9.  It states, “the chances that one can catch the aurora borealis (northern lights) display increases for those located at high Northern Hemisphere latitudes.”  It goes on to say that, “according to NASA, the equinoxes are prime time for Northern Lights – geomagnetic activities are twice more likely to take place in the spring and fall time, than in the summer or winter.”
 
There are 9 other facts, some being more familiar than others; check them out in the article to see if there are surprises for you.
 
The increased likelihood of seeing the Northern Lights around the time of the September equinox is a plus, something to rejoice in. No matter that at lower latitudes, which could apply to my location, the chances of visualizing the phenomenon may not be as good. The fact alone adds a bit of shine and creates a slightly brighter attitude toward the season’s turn that’s replaced a usually glum anticipation of the coming of Fall.

I don’t really know why it's happened; suddenly I am looking forward to later sunrises and not upset by earlier sunsets. Weird. Maybe it’s an effect of the invisible geomagnetic activity that brings the Northern Lights?

Here’s a short list of some other potentially positive running/walking/fitness-related aspects to the coming of shorter days and longer nights:

• it will be less difficult to fall asleep early and get more time in recovery
• it will be wonderful to sleep in a bit and not miss sunrise runs on weekends
• running/walking/exercising outdoors in dark mornings/evenings will require less attention to personal grooming and choice of apparel
• the stars will be seen in the sky earlier on clear evenings and later on clear mornings
• coming back home after dark-time workouts, to timer-switched-on soft lighting,  will be cozy and inviting
• hot cocoa, cider, and spiced milk drinks make perfect post-outdoor session refreshments in the evenings before bedtime

In the past I have mostly focused on the coming crisp clear DAYS of autumn to find good in the end of summer.  Surely there are other ways (than listed by Earned Runs) that the coming darker months will bring warm and happy feelings that compensate for the loss of a high-in-the-sky shining sun.

What would you add to this list?

RUN & MOVE HAPPY!

https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/facts-about-september-equinox.html