The air is cold, the light is dim, and the assault of mass bugs flying at my face feels like a sprinkle of fall showers on my skin. The end of the season is nearing at a rapid pace, and I

Decorated with a smattering of bugs from my early morning ride.

don’t yet feel ready to move my training to the boring confines of indoor tracks, treadmills, trainers, and bland artificial-blue pools. One more race on Saturday, and then winter maintenance kicks into high gear. I can already feel my motivation fading, and I know that I’ll have to dive head first into inspirational videos, music and colourful tri books and magazines, just to keep myself craving the next race. I don’t know what it is, maybe it’s the change in weather, or the darker and colder mornings, but I’ve hit a bit of a mental wall. On top of that, my muscles haven’t been cooperating, and I have tightness and annoying pains all down my quads and calves. It’s just been tough lately to find that ounce of drive to get moving. I am also slightly jealous of all the pros heading down south for their winter training. If only… *sigh* Perhaps a jaunt down to my local run shop for some retail therapy will help the slump. In the meantime, I’m giving my new ‘runsie’ a test drive tomorrow morning.