This week was another HOT one.  It seems like the AC has been working nonstop all day this week.  Check out the forecast for this week.  I am running a half marathon next Sunday.

I decided to do another StepBet Challenge.  The first one I did was in the winter (at least it wasn’t that cold and I could walk outside).  You can read about it HERE.  My active and power goals are 1,000 fewer steps than the last one.  Definitely not complaining.  This week is a warm up week so I will not be eliminated if I don’t meet my goals this week.  Next week is when the fun part begins!

Monday’s 5 miles felt glorious.  The weather was in the 60s.  Sometimes I match and sometimes I don’t.  🙂  Later on that day I took my mother to the nephrologist.  Her appointment was at 2:15 and we saw the doctor an hour later.  We were there for about 15 minutes and the doctor told us we need to go back again next month.  I am happy I can take her to doctor appointments this summer since I am off.  Once I am back at work it will be a bit more difficult but I am sure I will manage.

Tuesday was 4 miles.  I was planning to run in the morning but that didn’t happen.  I went out in the evening instead.  It’s been a while since I’ve run in the evening.  It was glorious!

My next run wasn’t till Friday.  Well, that actually did not happen.  I had to run 5 miles and I started off too late.  I figured if I take it slow then it would be OK.  Nope.  I should have known better.  The sun felt like a furnace and I had to stop at mile 1.11.  I decided to try again that evening since I had an appointment at 7:30pm to see a house (about 2 miles away).  The plan was to run there, see the house, and then run back home.  That would make it a little over 5 miles for the day.  Why is it that when you have the “perfect” plan it never goes that way?  My realtor texted me about 3:00 asking if I could go earlier?  Umm, sure, but I knew I couldn’t run there.

I saw the house, liked it a lot, and told my agent I wanted to make an offer.  He then told me that the seller wanted to accept one by 8pm that evening.  I did a few errands (Target, Sam’s Club, and Walmart) before going home.  He then suggested an offer price to make.  It was way over what I was planning to spend.  I told him the maximum amount I was willing to offer and went to bed.  The next day he told me there was a chance that the buyer would consider the price I was willing to offer.  He then told me that the seller also wanted to know if “their buyer was willing to sign the as-is rider plus the rider “waiving the right to a home inspection” section.”  I said “No, thank you”.  No inspection?  Definitely not a good sign.  I guess that house wasn’t meant to be for me.

Well my running on Saturday did not go well.  I had to run 10 miles and met some friends at Waterfall Glen.  Maybe I should stop going there because the last time I was there, my run didn’t go well either.  🙂  I ran 5 miles and turned around but then the heel on my left foot was hurting a lot.  I stopped running at mile 7.37 and walked the rest back to my car.  At home I used a tennis ball to massage my foot and it felt so much better.

Saturday afternoon I to a party to celebrate my nephew’s daughter’s baptism.  It was a lot of fun and I got home late.  Well, that made it difficult to get up early in the morning for a run.  Running and a late party equals to sleeping in the next day.  🙂  I have another party to go to later on today which I am excited about.  I love these parties with my cousins.  We eat, talk, and laugh!!

I have a doctor appointment on the 25th (I thought it was this Thursday) and I will ask him about my foot and my left knee.  He is the one I saw when I got a muscle strain in my left calf muscle.  My knee makes a clicking/popping sound every time I bend it.  It doesn’t hurt but the sound worries me.

Linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down.

I hope everyone had a good week!  I am amazed at how fast these months seem to go by.  This week was kind of low key but still a good week.  I did not do much when it came to running (I did run a race).  It has been hot (except today) and if I am not out there early enough, forget it, no running for me.  I could go to the gym but prefer to run outside.

I had a 20 minute run on Monday but could not get up in the morning.  If you read my Missoula Half Marathon recap, then you know that my flight was delayed and I did not get home till almost midnight.  Thank goodness my coworker picked me up because then I would have had to take a cab or Uber home (O’hare airport is 26 miles from my house). Since my original flight was supposed to get in at 5pm, I was planning on taking the train home.  Yeah, I did not want to do that late at night.

My left leg was still bothering me so I also skipped my run on Tuesday.  I did get up early to run but then realized it felt uncomfortable to even walk.  I used a small ball to massage my foot.  It did feel better afterwards and then just decided to get ready for work.  Something else I noticed about my feet that has never happened before is that they swell.  Some of my shoes feel tighter and even my running shoes hurt in the shoelace area.  I don’t tie my shoes anymore (I leave them tied); I just take them off and put them back on.  The tightness is so weird.

Wednesday was my last day of summer school and the students made a flag with popsicle sticks.  It amazes me how many kids do not know how to use a paintbrush.  Heck, it amazes me how many do not know how to use a pencil!!

That evening I went to my mom’s in Palos Heights for the fireworks in the evening.  It didn’t start till 9:15 and usually by that time I am already home.  It was a good show and lasted about 20 minutes.  By the time we were back at the apartment and got her ready for the night (insulin injection, take medication, and check glucose) it was after 10 and I was EXHAUSTED.  I also had a headache.

Thursday morning I had a race.  I almost decided not to race that morning because I was still tired.  I am glad I did get up because it is a race that I’ve run since 2013 and always have fun.  I quickly got up, got ready, and drove to the race.  I made it with about 30 minutes before the start, got my bib, took a Oiselle group picture, and use the port-a-potties.  It was HUMID!

I had mentioned that I would have liked a PR in this race.  Not sure how realistic it would be but definitely possible.  Somehow my body was not cooperating and I could barely get the legs moving.  The humidity did not help.  I was sweating almost as soon as I started.  I didn’t even come close to a PR but I did slightly better than last year.  Finish time is 44:12.  Last year I finished in 44:17.  Dang, I shouldn’t have taken so many walking breaks.  But it still counts, right?

Friday was all about catching up on sleep and relaxing.  I wanted to do my Saturday run on Friday but woke up late and by then it was over 88 degrees outside.  Again, I could have gone to the gym but didn’t want to.  I spent the day catching up on blog posts and basically doing nothing.  I stayed in my pajamas all day.  I am one of those people that could stay home in pajamas all day and not get bored.  🙂  Even Lola could not stand the heat!

Saturday’s run was 2 mile warm up, 5×3 minutes with 2 minute walking recovery, and 2 mile cool down.  It was so humid in the morning and very uncomfortable.  I posted on Instagram that it sucked.  I was miserable.  I did not hit the required paces and didn’t care because I just wanted to get home.  On the positive side, I got it done and it is another run in the bank for my upcoming races.  

By Saturday night the weather had cooled down and it was pretty decent on Sunday morning.  I ran 4 miles in a new to me area by Lake Katherine.  It was overcast and cooler.  The run went so much better than Saturday’s.  🙂

Linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down.