August Review & September Goals

It’s September again, my favourite month. I’ve really got the “new pencil case” feeling this year again, and I’m excited about what the last part of the year will bring. There’s a chill in the air this morning with the promise of some bright weather, the perfect early autumn day. September often brings some warm sunshine. I always appreciate it more for some reason, perhaps because it seems like a bonus (when in July/August it feels like we should be having it) or maybe because we know it’s likely to be the last for a while. The horse chestnuts are already well on the way to shedding their leaves, and the rest of the trees won’t be far behind. I’ve picked apples from the tree in the garden, and blackberries from the lanes near home (bonus of being more rural!), so the freezer is well stocked for crumble season.

But before I get ahead of myself, a quick look back at last month. I didn’t end up setting myself any goals for August. It really was a month of peaks and troughs – relaxing or crazy busy!

Our holiday in Frances was lovely, the weather wasn’t much to write home about, but we all enjoyed ourselves. Work hasn’t been too bad in that a lot of people have been on holiday too, but a few days out for one reason or another does mean that the inbox gets a bit backed up. I had a work trip to Sweden towards the end of August which was a good, if tiring, few days. We then finished things off with a glorious few days in Weymouth over the bank holiday weekend. We really couldn’t have asked for better weather, it was hot and sunny and perfect for the beach! My birthday rounded things off nicely, I enjoyed a day mooching round London followed by dinner at an Italian with the family.

Lots going on in September, so it’s going to be another busy one I think. The girls go back to school, which should hopefully be a bit less of an event this year as neither is going for the first time, although Daisy is moving into Key Stage 2 which means a whole new playground! That allows our daily routine to get back to normal which is helpful for focussing on what I want to get done in September. I have a reunion with my uni friends in Leeds which I’m really looking forward to. The last one was 3 years ago – twenty years since we started, and this one will be 20 years since we graduated! I also start my final year of my Nutritional Therapy training at the end of September which is fairly scary, it’s gone so quickly.

As I wrote in my mid-year review, my focus for September onwards will be on wellbeing. It’s now 6 months since I last really went for a run or did any strength training, and over the summer, since my bike crash, I’ve done very little exercise at all, except walking. Although I have done lots of that.

So, time to get back on the horse one way or another. I tried a very short run earlier this week and within a couple of minutes the original hamstring niggle was back. Unfortunately six months’ worth of rest, physio and daily exercises doesn’t seem to have made much improvement, so I’m going back to the doctor today to discuss what we might do next. We’ll see how that goes, but in the meantime, I’ve joined a gym again. Previously, I was a member of a very nice gym less than 10 mins drive from home. However, I just wasn’t managing to go often enough to make it worth the £73 a month fee (very expensive!). I’ve decided to join the Pure Gym locally. I’ve used it a few times on a pay as you go basis and have been really impressed, it’s huge, with lots of equipment and decent changing facilities. Added to the fact that it’s on the way to work (sort of) and only £20 a month including all the classes and no contract, it seems like a no brainer!

I’m also planning to book a couple of PT sessions to get things cracking again. I know I’ve lost a lot of strength and fitness, and depending on what the Dr says, I need some guidance on working within my current capabilities. If I’m honest, I probably need to be pushed a bit too. Once the girls go back to school I can resume riding to work again too. I’m planning a short bike ride at the weekend just to try it out, as I’ve not been back on since the accident, but all being well I plan to ride in once or twice a week until mid-October when it becomes too dark on the country lanes.

I’ll also be kicking off my 100 day healthy food challenge (although not until 4th September as we’re going for afternoon tea as a birthday treat tomorrow!). I’m trying to focus more on what I am eating rather than what I’m not these days if that makes sense, but I always feel like a bit of a reset after the summer holidays and I know I’ll feel better for it which is important when I’m busy. Plus my jeans are a bit snug…

The other thing this month is a focus on blasting through some personal admin. Once college starts again, my free time will be relatively limited, so it makes sense to take the time now. There are still some addresses I haven’t got round to changing (we have a mail redirection on for a year), but I just need to nail that. We STILL haven’t got the TV sorted out plus I need to do a wardrobe edit as I swap out summer clothes for winter ones, so that’s a good opportunity to clear out.

So let’s get to the nitty-gritty – the goals for September are: