Rain, darkness, yes it's autumn!

Where's all the daylight gone?

Autumn is loved and dreaded at the same time. The beauty of the countryside undergoes quite a colourful transformation, but at the same time it's colder and there is less daylight and sometimes grey skies.

And there's the inescapable fact that winter is on its way.

So it's time to ponder a few things.

First, where can we ride and see great fall colors? This one is easy, everywhere in Quebec that is south of the boreal forest.

Next, what about that winter thing? Won't a state denial work wonders? Yes, but a bit of planning can leverage some good things for next year. yes, it is time for a little bit of long term planning.

Do these two things and you will be awesome next year (at least on the bike):

Get a training program and stick to it. You have six months to transform your muscles. That is enough time to do some very useful things to the muscular and cardiovascular systems. Remember to train your weak parts, not your already strong parts. After the first couple of weeks, remember that sweating and heavy breathing are essential to the improvement process.

Next, get your spring bike tuneup done now, or in the next couple of months. October should be a "get your bike tuned up before spring" ad campaign at bike shops. This will give you a well-tuned bike to ride when spring's dry roads arrive. Good bikes need a bit of annual inspection and maintenance, and if you are intimate with your bike (as opposed to merely blind in love) you probably know of one or two things that should be taken care of. Don't be shy, and go get it fixed. And then you can have a whole season of bike love next year. Maybe even your greatest year ever. And if you do it right, every year will be your greatest year ever, again and again and again. And then you die, which is unfortunate but inevitable, so get out and enjoy life now.

Close the PC, turn it off, do it now. Stand up...