Summer slog

Here it is, August already. I'm sad that the summer days are dwindling quickly, but it sure has been a heck of a hot season! Since early July, we've been (mostly) in a hot, humid, muggy heatwave here in Connecticut, and it has made for some pretty difficult running. Most days I try to get out as early in the morning as possible to beat the heat, but even then, the air is still thick (albeit not quite as hot), and I come home sweatier than a sweat hog! (All due respect to Arnold Horseshack & co.).
But press on, I must, and so I slog through my miles. I took about a week off when we went on vacation last week. I didn't plan on taking the whole week off, but being away with the family and just spending time seeing the sights of Niagara Falls & the surrounding area were enough. I was itching to get back to hitting the pavement this week, so as soon as we were back I was out there. Of course, the heat was back, too. It has just been relentless!
Another challenge I've been facing this summer is plantar fasciitis in my right foot. I think it started quite some time ago, but it wasn't more than an occasional ache in my heel. Last month, it really became painful and tender. I consulted with my massage therapist, who did some amazing work on it, and I've been wearing various inserts in my shoes ever since. It seems to be helping, but I still feel the ache/pain sometimes. I've cut back on long runs, and truth be told, it was probably a good thing that I took time off over our vacation. (As much as I hate taking time off...). I've  still managed to meet my monthly mileage goals, but I'm not trying to go too far overboard with them right now. I hope the issue will clear up in the weeks to come. 
I booked my next two races, both of which are coming this fall. In October I will head to Minnesota with my cousin Andrew for a race, and in November I will head to Nashville, Tennessee with my friend Amy (hopefully!) for another race. (You might remember Amy from my very first half marathon here in Hartford all those years ago). :) I'm super excited about both of these upcoming halfs. It will be so nice to have company this time around, both locations are going to be super fun, and it will be a return to racing after a three month break this summer. Can't wait!
In other super cool news, I am starting a running club at the school where I work this fall. Yay! I reached out to the Hartford Marathon Foundation (local running organization here in the state) to inquire about their Fit Kids program. This is a program available for schools, where a coach (me) is given training materials to encourage kids to run. It is a non-competitive running plan with the goal of getting kids to reach 12.1 or 25.2 miles of distance in their practice training time. In October, a large event is hosted by HMF where all the kids who participated run their "last mile" to complete either a half or full marathon. I think it is going to be a blast! The kids receive medals for their achievement, and hopefully begin on a path of health, wellness and movement for life. I am so excited to start up this program in our school. I will keep you posted about how it is going. Our school is also planning to do a color run as a fundraiser this fall, so the running club will double to help students get in shape before that event comes up. It should be a busy and fun fall semester!
So in this last month of unstructured time before school starts back up, a lot is happening in the background. I will continue to slog through those steamy miles and post my progress. Thanks, as always, for checking in to see where I'm running!