We all look forward to the vernal equinox, which is the first day of spring and a sign of good things to come.

But when you look out the window on this first day of spring, it's hard to get your hopes too high. In Butler County, it usually delivers more of the same: gray skies, intermittent rain and, if we're really unlucky, spitting snow.

Instead of trying to put a good face on a dreary date, runners should celebrate a different holiday of hope. It's a holiday I call First Day of Shorts.

This new holiday doesn't necessarily coincide with the first day of spring, but it must occur after the change to daylight-saving time. Any opportunity to wear shorts in public before that date is a weather aberration or a sign of lunacy.

First Day of Shorts isn't forced to abide by the calendar. The holiday is traditionally celebrated on the first day of sunshine with temperatures moderate enough for even casual runners to feel comfortable running bare-legged. That's somewhere between 45 and 50 degrees.

The holiday doesn't mean an absolute end to winter's slogging. When I conducted my first run in shorts a few weeks ago, North Park Lake still looked like a skating pond and youngsters on the playground near the tennis courts threw snowballs at one another.

First Day of Shorts marks a change in attitude rather than a change in the calendar page. It's the first step toward a more relaxed running regimen — one that doesn't require a lot of forethought or afterthought.

Face it; winter running requires planning. What to wear to prevent frostbite or will one pair of gloves be enough?

And it means extra work. There's all of those sopping, soggy sweat clothes to wash and shoes that never seem to dry completely.

First Day of Shorts means safely striding out the door in minimal coverage and a ton less laundry later on. You feel light and unfettered, as carefree as the summer days to come.

First Day of Shorts also opens that small window of time in Pennsylvania running between too cold and too hot. While you don't need extra gear to brave the cold, you don't need extra fluids to keep going either.

Then, after all the practical reasons to celebrate First Day of Shorts, there are the aesthetics of the occasion. After a winter of viewing other runners lumbering along like polar bears through the snow, it's good to view those sinewy legs once again. Everyone looks and feels a little lighter, a little slimmer, without their winter coats.

And everyone seems just a little friendlier once they've shed their cocoon of winter clothes. It's hard not to smile when passing another runner wearing shorts on the First Day of Shorts. It's like greeting someone who knows a secret sign, the sign that spring is here or at least right around the corner.

How to greet another runner on First Day of Shorts? How about the smile and wave I got from a passing runner around North Park Lake who said, joyfully, "Woo-hoo! You've got to love this!"

Friday, 12:15 p.m.: Lunchtime run, Cabot. Run 6 to 7 easy miles with me from St. Luke Church. 724-352-2777 or pneubert@stlukecabot.orgMarch 22, 7 a.m.: Lt. J.C. Stone 50K UltraMarathon, North Park. Honors Vietnam War hero. 412-366-8740 or LouDAngelo@aol.comSaturday, 8 a.m.: Up-N-Running Group Run, Valencia. 724-898-2525 or www.runpa.comSaturday, 8 a.m.: Hot Harry's Group Run, North Park. Run from 7 to 20 miles. Leaves from Lt. Stone Field.Wednesdays, 12:15 p.m.: Lunchtime run same as Friday 724-352-2777 or pneubert@stlukecabot.orgSaturday, 10 a.m.: Shamrock Shuffle 5K, Hopewell. 724-378-9306 or shamrock5k@yahoo.comMarch 29: Fools Run 10K, Indiana, Pa. Also 3-mile walk, first leg of Indiana County Triple Crown. 724-349-0501 or jswauger@comcast.netMarch 29, 8:30 a.m.: Climb Pittsburgh II, Pittsburgh. Climb 760 steps (38 floors) in Gulf Tower. 724-933-6180, Ext. 2 or ldaly@lunginfo.orgMarch 29, 8:30 a.m.: Just a Short Run Half Marathon, North Park. Choice of 5K, 13.1 miles or 30K. 412-490-0881 or info@justashortrun.netMarch 29, 11 a.m.: Cook Forest Half Marathon and 5K, Cook Forest State Park. 814-393-2081 or jroesch@clarion.eduMarch 30, 1 p.m.: Ken Brumbaugh Memorial Race, Altoona. Choice of 5 miles, 2 miles or 2-mile walk. 814-695-4467 or contactus@hollidaysburgarea.orgApril 5: Campus Classic 5K, Schenley Plaza, Pittsburgh. Benefits Hillman Cancer Research Center. pittcampusclassic@gmail.comApril 6: Run for Someone Special 5-Mile and 2-Mile Run-Walk, Sykesville. Benefits Jefferson County Association for Retarded Citizens. 814-938-6578 or frhet@comcast.netApril 12, 8:30 a.m.: Martha's Run, Mount Lebanon. Choice of 10K or 2-mile race or 1-mile walk to honor FBI Special Agent Martha Dixon Martinez. 412-456-2859April 19, 9 a.m.: Genesis Riverside Run, Heinz Field, Pittsburgh. 412-766-2693 or tricia@genesispgh.orgMay 11, 8:30 a.m.: Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K, Pittsburgh. Largest running-walking event in the area. www.komenpittsburgh.orgSend comments and suggestions to: 435 Cherry Valley Road, Saxonburg, Pa. 16056. Phone: 724-352-4395. E-mail: bigp16@connecttime.netPat Neubert is the running columnist for the Butler Eagle.