This is my half marathon training week 11 recap covering every run from May 4–11, 2026. Half marathon training week 11 was taper week — 24 miles across four runs, a treadmill comeback I did not miss, a full-feeling Saturday run that turned itself around, a new trail with family, new shoes, and a mysterious bug bite I am hoping clears up before race day. The half marathon is next week and I cannot believe it is already here.
Week of May 4, 2026 · 4 runs · 24 miles, taper week, a treadmill I did not miss, and race week is finally here
Taper week on the trail. Still out here. 🌿
Week 11 is done, and that means taper week is officially behind us. Twenty-four miles across four runs — shorter, lighter, and very much needed after everything Week 10 asked of us. My legs have been achy, my body has been tired, and honestly the reduced mileage this week felt like a gift. The race is next week. I still cannot fully wrap my head around that.
Taper week comes with its own weirdness. You are running less, which should feel like a relief, but it also means your brain has more room to overthink. Add in a treadmill session I did not ask for, a couple of runs where my stomach had opinions, some new shoes, and a mystery bug bite that sent me to the doctor… and it was a week. A good one overall, but a week.
Chicago Half Marathon Training Week 11: The Runs
| Day | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, May 6 | 6 Miles Easy | Felt bloated and blah — ate too much before heading out 😬 |
| Thursday, May 8 | Speed Work | ~6 miles total — moved to the treadmill due to a downpour 🌧️ |
| Saturday, May 10 | 6 Miles Easy | Busy morning, full stomach — rough start but the last 2 miles clicked 💪 |
| Sunday, May 11 | 8 Miles Easy | New trail, ran with family — good time despite some calf pain 🌿 |
Tuesday: 6 Miles Easy
Tuesday’s run was fine, but I will be honest. I did not feel great going into it. I had eaten a lot during the day and by the time I headed out, my stomach was making its opinion very clear. Bloated and blah is really the most accurate description. Nothing derailed the run, but it was one of those reminders that what I eat during the day before an evening run absolutely matters. A lesson I have learned more than once at this point and apparently need to keep relearning.
Thursday: Speed Work (Treadmill Edition)
It was pouring after work on Thursday, so speedwork moved indoors. I have not been on a treadmill in over a month. The weather has been good enough to stay outside, and I have had zero reason to go back. I cannot say I have missed it.
Everything just feels harder on the treadmill. The effort feels the same but the miles feel longer, the pace feels more forced, and there is something about staring at a screen counting down that makes time move backward. That said, I will give it one thing: having easy bathroom access was genuinely appreciated. That part I will not complain about. The workout itself got done, which is what mattered.
Saturday: 6 Miles Easy
Saturday was a full day from the start, and I had to get this run in early before everything else kicked off. The beginning was rough. My stomach was still carrying whatever I had eaten the night before, my legs were not thrilled, and the first few miles required more convincing than they should have during taper week. But something shifted around mile four. The last two miles felt genuinely good. I was moving faster than expected and it started to feel like a run instead of just a grind. I will take that.
I also wore my new shoes for the first time on this run. This is actually my third pair of this same model, so I was not expecting any surprises. But my legs were noticeably achy after, which was strange. I chalked it up to the busy week and moved on.
Sunday: 8 Miles Easy on a New Trail
Sunday was the highlight of the week. We met up with some family and ran a trail I have only been to once before. There is something about exploring a new route, especially with people you enjoy being around, that makes the miles go by in a completely different way. Overall I had a really good time out there.
Eight miles done. Ice cream absolutely earned. 🍦
I did have some calf pain during this run, which is where things got a little more complicated. I wore the new shoes again, and both Saturday and Sunday had noticeably more achiness than I am used to which is weird considering this is literally the same shoe I have owned twice before. I also noticed what I thought was a bug bite on my left calf, a big hard bump that turned red and was pretty uncomfortable. Enough that I went to see a doctor about it. Nothing confirmed yet as far as what caused it, but it is something I am keeping a close eye on heading into race week. Fingers crossed it clears up in time. The hazard of trail running is real.
Honest Check-In
Taper week is always a little strange. You are doing less, and your body somehow finds new things to complain about anyway. Twenty-four miles, four runs, one very unwelcome treadmill session, two runs where my stomach tried to derail things, new shoes that are behaving unexpectedly, and a calf situation I am monitoring. But also: a new trail, family time, ice cream after 8 miles, and the very real fact that we are here. One week out from the half marathon.
The training is done. Whatever my legs have to say between now and Sunday, the miles are already in them. I put in the work. Now we show up.
You can follow along with the full journey on my Training & Progress page.
- Tuesday: Last speedwork of the block — 10 min easy, 4×5 min at HM pace with 2 min walk recovery, 10 min easy
- Friday: 5K shakeout race
- Sunday: Chicago Spring Half Marathon 🎉
