August was a good month. I turned 35 and left a trail of accomplishments in my wake, I completed the 21 Day Challenge for Change, and I started running and training again!

Running was slow and sort of weird at first (but not as weird as I thought it would be), and it's definitely still not speedy by my previous standards, but it's getting better. Running feels normal again and it didn't take long for my racing spirit to return. I'm already registered for two races this fall, with more to come, I'm sure. But I'm still taking it easy and trying not to push too hard or do too much too soon. There's just no need for that and I don't want an injury or recovery setback.

What sucked: 

• The snail's pace of the first several runs. 
• The humidity. Oh, the Charleston humidity in August! 
• The extra baby weight that's hanging around. It's not much, but I feel it when I run. I just feel heavier (because I am) and it seems that a lot of it is hanging around in my thighs, so um...chafing. I've never had that before, so I had to find some different running shorts for the time being to alleviate the issue. I refuse to buy BodyGlide because once the weight is gone (which it will be), the chafing will also disappear and I'll have a bunch of unneeded product. So yeah, it will be nice when that weight is gone. 

What was awesome:

• It didn't take long for me to get my regular easy runs down to under 10 minutes per mile. Still not the easy runs of my pre-pregnancy state that hovered around an 8:30-9:00 minute mile depending on the day, but I'm super pleased with the unexpectedly quick improvement. 
• Participating in the 21 Day Challenge for Change really kickstarted my re-entry into fitness. By the end of that, I had lost about two pounds, which doesn't sound like much, but I lost several inches everywhere and got back into several of my pre-pregnancy clothes (not all of them, though - yet). And I know I gained back some muscle mass because I was decidedly stronger by the end, as proven by my 4 minute improvement in my fitness test. I also capped off the challenge by running my first 3 mile run postpartum. 
• My body remembered how to run! I'm serious. I was afraid it would have forgotten and I'd be this awkward bumbling mess coming down the street. But that didn't happen. Well, at least I don't think it happened. Maybe onlookers would tell you otherwise. 
• Sprinklers. Running through sprinklers in this weather is awesome. Bless those neighbors who keep this runner cool during August runs. 

Monthly stats:

• Run count: 11
• Distance: 23.76 miles
• Average distance: 2.16 miles
• Average pace: 10:22/mile
• Longest run:  Tuesday, August 19 - 3.02 miles
• Fastest run: Thursday, August 28 - 9:38/mile
• Core workouts: 5
• Crosstraining workouts: 6

Weekly workouts (last week of August, postpartum week 10):

• Monday: BodyFlow
• Tuesday: PureBarre
• Wednesday: Rest
• Thursday: Run - 2.06 miles, 9:38 pace
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: Run - 3 miles, 9:57 pace
• Sunday: Run - 1.8 miles, 9:44 pace

In addition to running, I'm making a stronger effort this time around to make sure my workouts are more balanced. It so easy to just run, run, run. I'm a runner, after all. But in my postpartum state, it's more important than ever to get my core back into shape. And I know all of that will help my running, too. I'm excited to see what September training brings. Cooler weather, maybe? Maybe? Bueller...Bueller? Eh. Maybe in October.