Why is it already July

I can’t believe we are already into July and the kids have been off school for a month – time flies! I don’t want summer to end.

June was a pretty good month – I did more hip PT and started back up on strength training, and finished the month at 120 miles running. It’s not a high month for me, but given the fact that I’m still trying not to overdo it (like I did last summer!), I’ll take it.

This week included some days in Atlanta, some days off (for the Fourth) and some days as normal. Here’s what it looked like:

Sunday: 4.73 mile run in Atlanta, 1.24 mile walk, pickleball and pool time!

After a full day Saturday in Atlanta with the pool, FIFA World Cup Fan Fest and Aquarium, we had a chiller Sunday planned. I was able to start the day with a solo run (a hot one!) while the kids ate breakfast and hung out with B, then B and his friend went out to play pickleball and I hung out with the kids – they ended up playing pickleball with them for a little (and I joined in for a tiny bit, even though I was already in my bathing suit and sandals), before we all headed to the pool. We were staying with B’s friend who has a pool and pickleball courts in his complex, so we lucked out. The kids loved it!

Later that afternoon, after some downtime and lunch, we also all went for a short walk around the trails that are in his complex. We had heard there were some crazy spiders and snakes on the trails, but we didn’t see any while we were walking (probably for the best!).

Monday: 4.68 mile outdoor run in Atlanta, 1 mile hike in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

I set up an alarm to get up early and run before we hit the road for our drive back from Atlanta.

As part of our drive back, we decided to stop at our second national park this year – the Great Smoky Mountains National Park!

It was hot, but BEAUTIFUL! We stopped at a few places for photos, and some hiking. We did a few more stops before we got back in the car for our drive back to Cleveland. It was a LONG drive – we didn’t get in until after 3 a.m.!

Tuesday: 4.05 mile walk/run in the morning, hip PT, core workout, 1.3 mile walk with FW

My only goal was to run more miles than hours I had sleep … We had gotten home from our trip at 3:30 a.m., and when my alarm went off at 6:45, I was groggy! But I knew a run would wake me up more than an additional 30-45 minutes of sleep, so I got outside and got in my run. It was hot and slow, but I’m glad to have gotten out there and moved!

That night, while LM and GM had swimming lessons, FW and I went for a walk together. It is so nice to have some one-on-one time with him!

Wednesday: 5 miles outdoor run, arm workout (chest, shoulders), .8 miles walk while working, hip PT, 4 mile outdoor walk at night

I got in a 5 mile run to start the day, as well as some weights. I tried going up in weights in a few exercises from 15 to 20 lb, and it was okay! That night, it was super hot but FW had baseball practice. I decided to stay there and get in a few miles of walking while he practiced. I enjoyed getting in more steps than usual even while sweaty.

Thursday: 5.11 mile run, hip PT, back, bicep and leg workout, 2.9 mile walk

I woke up to steamy weather again – 80s at 5:30 a.m.! And got in a few miles outside. I was surprised how okay I felt – I must finally be getting acclimated to the hot temperatures. I also got in a longer weight workout and walk as well as the hip PT. Once again, I tried going up from 15 to 20 lb in a few of the weights. Some were hard, but I was able to do it for a few of them.

Friday: 6.25 mile steamy outdoor run

Now THAT was a steamy run! I slept in and running at 7:30 a.m. (vs. 5:30/6) really made a difference. I was able to stop for water along the route but enjoyed mostly running. I have said it before and will say it again – I still prefer this weather (“feels like 100s”) to winter running!

We had a fun day ahead of us – we had plans to meet up with friends to go see the new Toy Story, and then back to their house for some pool time! I didn’t anticipate leaving the house at 10:30 and not getting home until after 8 — wow those kids LOVED the pool! And it was a good day for it – it was hot, but perfect in the pool!

Saturday: 6.55 mile run, hip PT

I got in another day of sleeping late (past 7) and it was great! That meant it was another hot one, but not as hot as the day before. After my run and some hip PT, we all went to play some pickleball before lunch. The rest of the day included a Fourth of July cookout – of course I brought some treats to share!