August Recap:

August was a great month! It went by so quickly - I think good quality time with my family was partially responsible for that. Vacation and time away from the "real world" makes the month drag on a little less slowly.

It was a great month for my running, too. My mileage is not quite where I want it to be, but increasing it gradually is exactly what I need! I have a history of a foot stress fracture (vet school) and another glorious stress fracture of my right tibia (internship). The tibial injury was the big kicker for me - 6 weeks in a boot, some of those weeks on crutches, and some time with physical therapy. Needless to say, I listen to my body more than I used to and I'd rather take a rest day (or two) than have to take off 6 weeks. Regardless, I had a great month. Getting up early before the hubs headed off to work really helped me be accountable and kept me from avoiding running due to the terrible heat.

My total mileage for August was 65.3! This was a great increase over my July mileage of 49.6 -- actually an increase of around 30%! Woohoo! I'm not broken yet, which is also another bonus for me.

I really started concentrating on my diet in August, too. I gave up sodas on August 1. This was a big deal for me! I was slightly addicted - especially at work. For the first couple of weeks, I noticed that I would start craving a soda at work when I was having a stressful shift. I haven't craved a soda now for at least 2 weeks - score. I don't plan on having another one anytime soon, either. I have always drank a lot of water and I now drink half/half tea occasionally to break up the monotony.

I have also been focusing on increasing my vegetable consumption. My recent obsession is a delicious green smoothie. I have been trying to replace one meal a day (usually breakfast or lunch, sometimes dinner if I am headed into an overnight shift) with a smoothie. I have been putting a combination of kale, spinach, fat free greek yogurt, frozen strawberries, frozen peaches, banana, water, and chia seeds. I have also stumbled upon coconut water and have been using that for smoothies immediately after runs - supposedly it helps with hydration and has a high amount of potassium. It's yummy. We have also been eating at home as much as possible and we tend to eat pretty hearty, healthy meals at home. I've cut out almost all fast food (therefore fried food) - and have been getting healthier food (grilled, side salads) when I order out at work.

I feel better in general - but have not seen any weight loss (come on, every girl wants to lose weight)! In fact, I've put on a 2-3 pounds (depending on the day) this month, which is quite the opposite effect that I've been going for. My clothes fit better, though, which makes me think that there is some kind of water retention in my muscles from the increase in training. We shall see. I know I need to concentrate on what matters - how I feel, how my clothes feel, etc. - rather than the number on the scale.

Yay, that's the August recap. Don't you feel enlightened?

Now, it's time for my favorite time of the year - FALL!!!!!

September is one of my favorite months of the year. It's right when we start to have occasional cooler weather snaps, the days aren't as hot in general, and some of the trees start to show off their beautiful colors. We are already losing some leaves in our backyard and seeing acorns on the driveway. September also marks the anniversary of meeting my little monster - aka when I as no longer pregnant. Hallelujah on both accounts.

This week was a holiday week - which is great for most people - but not so great for someone who works emergency. I had an extra shift on Monday and the weekend was absolutely killer (mostly emotionally). I worked the swing shift on Monday, though, so I was able to have some family time and get a run in before work.

Workout:
4 miles, 38:26
Noon time - aka HOT/HUMID/STUPID CALL - 82 degrees/75% humidity. It was cloudy, which was a definite perk.
We were able to run as a family! Monster rode in the stroller, the hubs pushed that 60 lbs, and I ran alongside.

Family runs are my favorite. I love spending the time with the husband while running - it's almost like having a running partner. He doesn't enjoy running like I do, but does it out of necessity. He is a lot taller than me, so he does force me to push my pace a bit to keep up, which is also good for me. We have both noticed that the monster seems to be interested in running. She puts on my running gear (headphones, SPI belt, etc.) and runs around the house. She pretends to be sweaty and uses the foam roller. It's quite possibly the CUTEST thing ever. It also warms my heart and makes me feel like we are instilling great, healthy values for her. Running as a family helps to enforce that, too.

As a side note, I have noticed that I'm a lot more TIRED recently. Like, really tired - and no, I'm not pregnant. I think it's from the increase in my mileage. My goal for this month is to focus on getting more sleep. It's harder and harder for me to consider waking up early - my body feels like a sack of bricks.

I still haven't made it to the pool. I was ambitious and thought I would head over there this morning after finishing my 14 hour shift. Uhm, hello? That was dumb. I was so unbelievably tired this morning - I couldn't imagine how I would have kept my body afloat. I will be studying the pool schedule soon and working out a time with the hubs. I have to have someone hanging out with the monster while I swim laps - so it will require some coordination.