One Mile at a Time.
Every step documented.

Week 12 · October 4, 2026

A Rough Week Feeling-Wise and a Half Marathon at Fort Ben

35.1 miles through stomach pain, acid reflux, and a headache that wouldn’t quit, with the Indy Half Marathon at Fort Ben right in the middle. A hilly 2:35 run as a training race, and two of three IndyThon races done.

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Week 11 · September 27, 2026

A Speed Workout That Broke Me, a Forgotten Watch, and a 16 Miler Before Race Week

Back from deload with 37.6 miles. A hilly easy run in the Novablasts, a half marathon pace workout that had me in tears, a run from my front door after forgetting my watch, and a 16-mile long run testing ibuprofen for hip flexor pain.

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Week 10 · September 20, 2026

A Much-Needed Deload, a Shoe Switch, and a Rainy 13 Miler

About 30 miles after the biggest week of the block. A lunchtime gym routine, a one-hour progression run, dodging the rain all weekend, and a 13-mile long run farther down the trail than I’ve ever gone, plus trying the Superblast 2s.

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Week 9 · September 13, 2026

A 5-Mile PR and My Longest Run Ever: 37 Miles in the Biggest Week Yet

A strong midweek run, a hilly sunset route, a PR at the Popcorn 5 Miler, and an 18-mile long run — the farthest I’ve ever run — made this one of the hardest and most rewarding weeks of the whole training block. Deload well earned.

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Week 8 · September 8, 2026

Running Through a 106° Heat Wave, a New Lunchtime Gym Habit, and a Second 16-Miler That Fought Back

A late-summer heat wave pushed speed work onto the treadmill, a lunchtime gym experiment got its first test, and a second 16-mile long run turned out to be nothing like the first — much harder, much more painful, fully earned.

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Week 7 · August 30, 2026

My Longest Run Ever: 35.25 Miles in a Week That Wasn’t Supposed to Be a Real Training Week

More of the trail opened back up and a planned deload week turned into a real one — half marathon pace intervals, a run mostly in the dark, and a 16-mile longest run ever in the rain.

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Week 6 · August 23, 2026

Running Through Storm Cleanup: Downed Trees, Blocked Sidewalks, and Accidentally Joining a Triathlon

Our first deload week after the derecho — 29 miles across four runs, dodging downed power lines just to reach the trail, and a Sunday long run that turned into an unplanned triathlon merge in brutal heat.

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Week 5 · August 17, 2026

Running Through a Derecho: A Week Without Power, Flooded Trails, and 19.2 Miles That Happened Almost By Accident

A derecho tore through our city with 90+ mph winds and tornadoes, leaving us without power for over a week. Training took a back seat to survival — 19.2 miles across three storm-shortened runs, with the next two weeks planned as deload.

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Week 4 · August 10, 2026

27 Miles, a Speed Workout at the Wrong Pace, a Brutal 12-Miler, and the Worst Chafing of My Running Life

Back from deload — 27 miles, a 10K pace workout I was accidentally running too slow, a strength session, a Saturday with calf pain and porta-loo stops, and a Sunday 12-miler that destroyed my quads and chafed my torso raw.

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Week 3 · August 3, 2026

Deload Week: 1K Repeats That Finally Felt Good, Cooler Mornings, and Gnocchi After a Long Run

21.6 miles of lighter mileage — 1k repeats in the low 70s that actually felt controlled, a Thursday easy run that surprised me in the heat, a cool Saturday time run, and an easy 8-mile Sunday long run to close it out.

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Week 2 · July 27, 2026

Hill Sprints, a Bathroom Emergency, Scout on the Trail, and a Sunday Nobody Asked For

25.4 miles across four runs — hill sprints that turned into a 6.4 mile detour, Thursday miles with Scout, a mercifully short Saturday run, and a brutal Sunday 10-miler with half marathon pace pickups in the July heat.

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Week 1 · July 20, 2026

Heat, Wildfire Smoke, and a Sunday Run That Made It All Worth It

24.5 miles to kick off marathon training — 90 degree heat, an AQI over 400, two treadmill sessions, a Tuesday that tested everything, and a Sunday 10-miler that was the best run since before the half.

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Week 12 · May 18, 2026

Race Week: A Treadmill Session, a Shakeout 5K, and a 6 Minute PR

The final week of the training block — speedwork on antibiotics, the Valparaiso 5K9 as a shakeout two days out, and then the Chicago Spring Half Marathon. 2:20:16. This cycle is done.

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Week 11 · May 11, 2026

Taper Week: 24 Miles, New Shoes, and a Mystery Bug Bite

Taper week is done — 24 miles across four runs, a treadmill session I did not miss, a Saturday run that found its stride in the final miles, a new trail with family, and a calf situation heading into race week.

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Week 10 · May 4, 2026

31 Miles, a Vet Scare, a Dark Forest, and My Longest Run Ever

Our last peak week before taper — a hard emotional start with Scout, speed work that surprised me, a genuinely terrifying nighttime run, and a 14-mile long run that became my longest ever.

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Week 9 · April 27, 2026

Nearly 30 Miles and My Longest Run Since My Last Half Marathon

Four runs, speed work through PFPS knee pain, and a 12-mile long run that had me hurting halfway through — but I finished without stopping once.

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Week 8 · April 13, 2026

A Recovery Week That Showed Up Right When I Needed It

Three runs, 20+ miles, and a week running on empty. A foggy progression run, a smooth 10-mile long run with the vest, and the grace to skip strength training and keep moving anyway.

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Week 7 · April 13, 2026

A Build Week, All Outside, and a Long Run DNF

All four runs outside, tough 800m intervals up a hill, a 5-miler with Scout, and an 11-mile long run attempt cut short by 75-degree heat and high humidity at 9.6 miles.

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Week 6 · April 5, 2026

A 5K Race, a 10-Miler & Spring on the Trail

Back-to-back race weekend, 23 miles, and the longest run since my half marathon. Speed work, a rainy 5K, and 10 miles the very next morning.

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Week 5 · March 29, 2026

The Hardest Week Yet

Four runs, speed work in a thunderstorm, 25 deer on a trail, and a brutal 9-mile progression long run — all while sick. Week 5 wasn’t pretty, but it got done.

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Week 4 · March 22, 2026

A PR, a Progression Run, and Frozen Fingers

Strength training finally checked off, a time-based progression run on a new trail, a new 5K PR at the Lucky Charm race, and 8 miles in teens temps. The best week of the training block so far.

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Week 3 · March 15, 2026

When Life Gets Busy, You Still Lace Up

A tornado, surprise hills, an 8-mile long run in the wind and rain, and a Chicago day trip squeezed in between. 16 miles across 3 runs — life got in the way, but the miles still got done.

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Week 2 · March 8, 2026

The Run That Humbled Me

Speed work, a 70-degree March disaster, and finding my half marathon pace on Sunday. 16 miles done.

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Week 1 · February 23, 2026

Back on the Trail

The first week of Chicago Spring Half Marathon training is done — treadmill miles, cold weather, and the first outdoor run of the season.

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