Mother Nature called: Your diet is on hold
- John Lorson: The Rail Trail Naturalist
- September 25, 2020
- 980
These soybeans reveal what many of us already know: Autumn is here, and winter isn’t far away. Fortunately, some of the best weather of the year awaits folks who travel or play on the area’s rail trails.
After a nice run of steamy days in late August when it was easy to lull in the rhythm of grabbing nothing more than a pair of cycling shorts and a jersey to head out in the morning, a turn of the season and the slow slide of morning temperatures demands a little more thought for my morning wardrobe. Having officially said goodbye to summer as we passed the autumnal equinox last week, it now feels entirely appropriate to be pulling on another layer of clothing for my bike rides into work.
I’ve talked a bit about “what to wear” on the trail before, but that was in pre-COVID days before the popularity of bicycling, walking and running on the trail mushroomed into a megatrend. I’ve been thrilled to see so many new folks out “doing,” and I’m hoping to inspire as many as possible to keep it up.
One message I hope everyone takes to heart is that all of the fun you had on the trail during summer doesn’t need to end with the season. As a matter of fact, some of the best conditions of the year are right around the corner. And even though rough weather may loom in the distance, there will still be plenty of days before, after and even during more challenging conditions for you to enjoy the trail.
The simple addition of an undershirt along with woolen knee warmers and arm warmers can carry me safely along the way in temperatures through the low 50s, and I also carry along a light-weight, rain-resistant nylon vest too, just in case I get stuck in a passing shower.
The added bulk does a great job of masking my own “added bulk” as — just like my fellow mammalian neighbors — the cooling temperatures and lengthening night seem to trigger a primal need to eat everything within arm’s reach and pack on a few extra pounds each year at this time.
Don’t despair if you’re seeing the 10 pounds you lost along the trail this summer slowly reappearing on your bathroom scale; it’s an instinctive response to the change of seasons. Homeotherms (organisms that maintain a constant body temperature) stock up on a little “extra energy” in the form of fat stores within the body as a survival strategy dictated by nature. It allows us to continue to function through periods when food might be in short supply. (In today’s human terms that translates to those mornings when the snowplows haven’t made it past the drive and you’re out of milk, bread and peanut butter.)
Fat is a valuable and available source of energy within our bodies, and that added layer of “insulation” also helps us maintain the constant 98.6 F where we function at our best. We get into trouble with fat when we pack on the extra pounds outside of the appropriate season or fail to lose it back to increased outdoor activity when the world warms and the days grow long. (So if anyone gives you grief about that extra doughnut with your apple cider, just tell them you’re doing it for survival purposes only.)
Beyond clothing and appetite, some equipment adjustments should be made at this time of year as well. I’m sure you’ve noticed what to me has always seemed like the slow leak of daily sunlight from the length of each day. By late September we will have already lost 3 hours of daylight since the end of June, and our days will continue to whittle down as we lose another 3 hours before bottoming out on the winter solstice just before Christmas.
If you want to hit the trail after or before work, you’ll need to light your way and make certain other travelers can see you too. Please, if you’re in the market for a light, look for something rechargeable. Each year Americans send 3 billion batteries to the landfill. Anything we can do to slow that wave seems like a good idea to me.
Another great feature to look for is the ability to easily move the light from your handlebar to your head. My favorite unit has a bayonet-style mount so you can switch from bike light to head light in an instant. The strap-mounted headlight can come in handy as you wrap up your ride in low light and fiddle with the knobs and straps of the bike rack on your car. I also use mine at home for work around the yard throughout the season of shorter days.
Stay safe, have fun and I’ll hope to see you out there in it, whether day or night.
Remember, if you have comments on this column or questions about the natural world, write The Rail Trail Naturalist, P.O. Box 170, Fredericksburg, OH 44627, or email jlorson@alonovus.com.