Week of March 9, 2026 · 16 miles · 3 runs
Eight miles, a little rain, and a lot of wind. Still smiling — kind of. 😅
This is my Chicago half marathon training week 3 recap — covering every run, the weather, and how I kept showing up even when life got in the way of my Chicago half marathon training week 3 schedule.
My Chicago half marathon training week 3 is officially in the books, and honestly, this one was a lot. Between a tornado rerouting my Tuesday, a surprise hill workout with my mother-in-law, a day trip to Chicago, and life just generally not slowing down, I was barely home. But the miles still got done, and that counts for something.
Chicago Half Marathon Training Week 3: The Runs
| Day | Miles | Type | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, Mar 11 | ~4 miles | Speed — 6×3 min intervals | Treadmill 🌪️ |
| Thursday, Mar 12 | 4 miles | Easy (turned hilly) | Outside 🥶 |
| Sunday, Mar 15 | 8 miles | Easy + 3 mi at HMP + easy | Trail 🌬️🌧️ |
Wednesday: Tornado Day Speed Session
Tuesday’s interval workout was supposed to happen on Tuesday. A tornado had other plans. I moved it to Wednesday after work, which meant an evening run — and evening runs come with their own set of challenges for me. Running later in the day after eating normally tends to cause cramping in my ribs or lower abdomen, and it’s not a pacing issue, it’s just how my body responds when I haven’t given myself enough time between eating and running. It’s something I’m actively trying to figure out, especially with a full marathon on the horizon in the fall where fueling mid-run is going to be non-negotiable. More on that journey as it unfolds.
The workout itself though? Really solid. I ended up at a different gym than usual, and something about that treadmill just felt right — my pacing felt natural and consistent in a way that treadmills don’t always cooperate with. Six sets of three minutes at interval pace with two-minute walk recoveries, and I felt strong through all of it. I’ll take a tornado-rescheduled run that goes well over a perfectly-timed one that doesn’t any day.
Thursday: The Hills Nobody Warned Me About
Thursday was supposed to be a chill 4-mile easy run. It was not a chill 4-mile easy run. I was in a neighborhood I don’t usually run in with my mother-in-law, and that neighborhood is absolutely stacked with hills. We started easy and then the hills just kept coming, and somewhere along the way it turned into more of a workout than either of us planned. It was also really cold, which is just peak mid-March running energy — you never quite know what you’re walking into until you’re already in it.
Shorter runs have this reputation for being the “easy” ones on the schedule, and I fall for it every single time. Four miles sounds perfectly manageable until the terrain has something to say about it. At least I got a solid workout out of it even if it wasn’t the recovery run I had in mind.
The Chicago Day (A Necessary Detour)
Saturday we spent the day in Chicago, which meant a lot of walking and not a lot of rest for my legs the day before a long run. I don’t regret it at all — you have to live your life and not just train through it — but I was definitely feeling it by Sunday morning. We also ate well while we were out, and I have no notes about that.
Ramen and ice cream — the official Chicago training day fuel. No regrets. 🍜🍦
Chicago Half Marathon Training Week 3: The Long Run
Sunday’s long run was 8 miles on the trail — 3 easy, 3 at half marathon pace, and 2 easy to close it out. We were technically under an extreme wind warning with gusts up to 60 mph, which sounds a lot more dramatic than what I actually experienced. By some miracle, the worst of the gusts held off until I was nearly done. It was breezy and actually pretty nice for most of the run, and then the last couple of miles it started to rain. Fine. We keep moving.
I was overdressed again, which is just the nature of spring running. The forecasted temps always sound like they need more layers than they actually do, and once you’re moving you realize pretty quickly you overcorrected. Add tired legs from a full day of walking Chicago the day before and you’ve got a run that required a little more mental grit than physical effort. But I made it through, the half marathon pace miles felt solid, and I’ll take that.
Honest Check-In
Strength training didn’t happen again this week. I was barely home, and when I was, I was recovering or prepping for the next thing. I’m not going to beat myself up over it, but it does need to actually make it onto the schedule next week and stay there. I’m planning to get it in tomorrow to at least bridge the gap before week four kicks off.
Overall, this was a week where life won a few rounds but the miles still got done. Sometimes that’s exactly what training looks like — and if you’re curious about how other runners handle busy training weeks, Runner’s World has a great breakdown on training through chaos. You can also follow along with my full journey on my Training & Progress page.
- Tuesday: 45-min progression run (20 min easy → 10 min at HMP → 5 min at interval pace → 10 min easy)
- Saturday: First 5K race of the year 🎉
- Sunday: 8-mile easy run
- Strength work — for real this time
