Training & Progress
One Mile at a Time.
Every step documented.
This is where I track the races, log the miles, and share the real story of what training actually looks like — the good weeks and the hard ones.
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Half Marathons
1
Full Marathon Ahead
3
Races This Season
2026 Race Season
The Big Three
Three goal races, a handful of 5Ks, and my biggest season yet. Here’s where things stand.
Season Progress
0 of 3 races complete
🌸
✓ Complete
Lifetime Chicago Spring Half Marathon
🏅 Finish time: 2:20:16 · 6 minute PR · Read the recap →
🍂
▶ Up Next
Indy Half Marathon at Fort Ben
🏆
🎯 The Goal
Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
Training Recaps
Weekly Recaps
Every week of training documented — the good miles, the hard days, and everything in between. Click a training block to browse its recaps.
🏆
In Progress · Started July 13, 2026
Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
In Progress
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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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🌸
Complete · May 17, 2026
Chicago Spring Half Marathon
🏅 2:20:16 PR
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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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