Looking Back: September

September was a month with no races, which was a big change from August (2 races) and October (2 races). However, I was ramping up for my biggest race ever, the Firetrails 50, so it was not a month without running! Here are some of the highlights of September:
Running: This was one of my highest mileage months ever; I ran 225 miles. Even with being sick and not being able to run as much as my schedule required, I still managed to log a lot of foot time. This was good, yet it also caused me to be pretty exhausted in September. It's amazing how much time is required for heavy training. It left me with little time to do much else. My total running time in September was about 40 hours. My longest run was a 23 mile run with Broski in the rain, which was definitely a challenge but was actually quite fun in the end!

Softball: Even with all the running, I am glad that I made time for the weekly softball team at work. We lost our last few games, leaving us with a final record of 2 - 6. I guess there is nowhere to go next year but up! The season is now over and it will be nice to have my Thursday nights back! I have to admit, joining the softball team while training for a fifty mile race was probably not my brightest idea ever, but it was really fun to get to know some people at work who are in different departments. It makes me realize how little I interact with anyone outside my immediate vicinity at work!
Books: I actually read a few books this month! They were just random books that I had on my Kindle, so they were nothing new. I read Jackdaws by Ken Follet, which was about the French resistance in WWII. It was entertaining, but wasn't too deep. I also started the Percy Jackson series, which is fun, but it's definitely no Harry Potter! I also read Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang, which was another book that was okay, but not great.
Travel: For Labor Day, I went to see my parents, which was really good. It was nice to be home and to see my family and to gaze at my favorite mountains and river and trees. Going home always makes me feel a sense of belonging. I had a great time running on my favorite trails, taking a bike ride/run with my parents and hanging out with the cat and the neighbors.
Friends: I met up with Broski and the Lady for some horse races and wiener dog racing,  which was a blast. Have you ever seen a wiener dog run? Its funny. Now picture 20 of them running at the same time; its even better! I also took the puppy (Emi) up to Broski's house and she got to get hassled by his two Jack Russel terriers. It was definitely interesting. We ended up having to muzzle one of his dogs for a few minutes because he kept trying to bite Emi. After they established who was boss, they got along just fine. The next day we had a nice run and had a "make your own pizza" dinner with the in-laws. Good times. I also had some great times joining up with work friends for happy hour. Work is so busy that we don't often have time to hang out, so it was nice to unwind and have a drink and get to know each other better.
Food: I did some canning! I canned tomato sauce and hot pepper sauce. This year we didn't get so many veggies that we couldn't keep up, so I really didn't have as much to can as I had hoped.

Other randoms from September: I cut off my black toenail, the new Bay Bridge opened, I taught the dog how to use the doggie door, I fell off my bike, I went to yoga twice and I watched Midnight in Paris.
The end.
How was your September? Have you ever been/would you ever go to a wiener dog race?