This half marathon training recap covers Week 1 of my Chicago Spring Half Marathon training — 15 miles, 3 easy runs, and my first time back on the trail all season. Every half marathon training recap I write is an honest look at what’s actually happening week by week. If you’re following along with your own half marathon training, this recap is for you.
Week of February 23, 2026 · 15 miles · 3 runs
First outdoor run of the season — and it felt so good to be back on the trail.
Week one of my Chicago Spring Half Marathon training is officially in the books, and honestly? It went better than I expected. This was always going to be a slow ease into things. I did not have any speed work, no big mileage jumps, just getting the legs moving again and reminding my body what consistent training feels like. And for the most part, that’s exactly what it was.
I’m training for the Lifetime Chicago Spring Half Marathon on May 17th, which gives me a solid runway to build up smart. Week one of Chicago Spring Half Marathon training was about establishing the habit more than anything else. Showing up three times, getting the miles done, and not overthinking it.
Half Marathon Training Recap: Week 1 Runs
| Day | Miles | Type | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, Feb 25 | 4 miles | Easy | Treadmill |
| Wednesday, Feb 26 | 5 miles | Easy | Treadmill |
| Saturday, Feb 28 | 6 miles | Easy | Trail 🌲 |
Tuesday and Wednesday both landed on the treadmill. It’s still dark after work and the temperatures have been firmly in the “not fun” zone, so the treadmill was the practical call. Not my favorite way to run, but it got the miles in and that’s what matters right now. I’ve learned not to fight the treadmill in the winter, it’s just part of training when you live up north.
Saturday was a completely different story. It was cold! Not brutal, but cold and I made the call to head to the trail anyway. I am so glad I did. There is something about running outside that the treadmill genuinely cannot replicate, no matter how many podcast episodes you queue up. After a whole winter of mostly staying indoors, being back out there felt like a reset.
What My Body Had to Say About It
My legs felt heavy toward the end of Saturday’s six miles. Not in a “something is wrong” way but more of a “your body has been coasting through winter and now you’re asking it to work again” kind of way. That’s completely expected. I haven’t been running much outside since the cold really set in, and it shows. Outdoor running recruits your stabilizer muscles and uses your body differently than the treadmill belt does, and mine were definitely reminding me of that by mile five.
I’m not worried about it at all. Week one of any training cycle is supposed to feel a little rough around the edges. The whole point is to ease in, not to prove anything. The heavy legs will work themselves out as the weeks stack up. That’s just how the body adapts.
What I am paying attention to is keeping my easy runs actually easy. It can be tempting to push the pace when you’re feeling good, especially on that first outdoor run of the season, but easy means easy. Conversational pace, heart rate in check, finishing feeling like you could have kept going. That’s the goal for these early weeks of Chicago Spring Half Marathon training, and I’m sticking to it. You can follow along with my full race schedule and progress on my Training & Progress page.
Post-run breakfast is non-negotiable. Refueling done right. 🍳
And speaking of recovering the right way, the post-long-run breakfast after getting back outside hit different. There’s something about earning a real meal after a real outdoor run that just tastes better. Refueling after a long run is something I take seriously, especially as Chicago Spring Half Marathon training mileage builds over the coming weeks. Saturday was a great reminder of why that matters.
- Tuesday speed session — first one of the cycle
- Friday: 5 easy miles + 4×20 second strides
- Sunday long run: 7 miles (3 easy, 2 at half marathon pace, 2 easy)
- Fitting in strength work somewhere in there too
