This is my Indianapolis Monumental Marathon training week 12 recap covering every run from September 29 to October 4, 2026. A hilly easy 7 with stomach pain, a treadmill marathon pace and half marathon pace workout through acid reflux, the Indy Half Marathon at Fort Ben as a training race on a very hilly course, and an easy 7 with a pounding headache.
Week of September 29, 2026 · 4 runs · a rough week feeling-wise, but a half marathon finish at Fort Ben right in the middle of it
Half marathon number three, done. Two of three IndyThon races complete. 🏅
Week 12 was race week for the Indy Half Marathon at Fort Ben. 35.1 miles across four runs, and honestly, almost every one of them came with some kind of ailment: stomach pain, acid reflux, and a headache that would not quit. But right in the middle of it all, the half marathon went well, and that’s the part I’m holding on to.
Indy Monumental Marathon Training Week 12: The Runs
| Day | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, September 29 | 7 Miles Easy | Hilly, with terrible stomach pain and a lot of stops 😣 |
| Thursday, October 1 | 8 Miles (Treadmill) | 2 easy, 2 at marathon pace, 2 at half marathon pace, 2 easy, through bad acid reflux 🌧️ |
| Saturday, October 3 | Indy Half Marathon at Fort Ben (Race) | 2:35 on a very hilly course, run as a training race, finished strong 🏅 |
| Sunday, October 4 | 7 Miles Easy | A pounding headache that lasted until evening, then Zuppa Toscana 🍲 |
Tuesday: A Rough Start
The week started with an easy 7, and it was not a good one. The route was hilly, and I did not feel great at all. I had terrible stomach pains and had to keep stopping, so my average pace ended up pretty slow. I was very glad when this run was over.
Thursday: Treadmill Miles and Acid Reflux
It was raining on Thursday, so this one moved inside to the treadmill: 8 miles total, with 2 easy, 2 at marathon pace, 2 at half marathon pace, and 2 easy. Unfortunately, it was another pretty bad run for me. I had terrible acid reflux and had to keep stopping. I brought my iPad along and watched a few episodes of my show, which helped pass the time, but it just wasn’t a great run.
Saturday: The Indy Half Marathon at Fort Ben
Saturday was the big day! I signed up for this race back in January, along with the marathon. I’m working toward completing the IndyThon, which is three races: the 5K I ran in Indy back in June, this half marathon, and the Monumental Marathon next month. With Fort Ben done, I’m two races in.
I didn’t sleep great at the hotel (the night before a race is always rough), so I was very tired getting up that morning. But I ended up feeling fairly good during the race. I took it very easy, and the course had a ton of hills, which slowed me down too. I was pretty beat by the end, but I finished strong.
Out on the course at Fort Ben. 🏃♀️
My finish time was 2:35, which is my slowest half marathon. But I went into this one treating it as a training run, and most of the course was hills. I’m happy with how it went. The full story, from packet pickup to the finish line, is in my Indy Half Marathon at Fort Ben race recap.
Sunday: An Easy 7 and a Headache
Sunday was an easy 7, and it was another run where I didn’t feel great. I had a pounding headache that would not go away until the evening. Afterward, I made a big pot of Zuppa Toscana, which was exactly what I needed.
Homemade Zuppa Toscana. Perfect fall recovery food. 🍲
Honest Check-In
Looking back, this week wasn’t great feeling-wise. Stomach pain on Tuesday, acid reflux on Thursday, and a headache on Sunday meant almost every run came with something to push through. But the half marathon went well, I finished strong on a really hilly course, and I’m now two-thirds of the way through the IndyThon. Next stop: the Monumental Marathon.
You can follow along with the full journey on my Training & Progress page.
- Recovering from the half and getting back into marathon training
- Hoping for a week that feels better than this one
- One month until the Monumental Marathon on November 7
