This is my Indianapolis Monumental Marathon training week 9 recap covering every run from September 8–13, 2026. A strong midweek gym-and-run combo, a hilly sunset run, a 5-mile race PR at the Popcorn 5 Miler, and an 18-mile long run — my longest ever — capped off one of the hardest and most rewarding weeks of this training block.
Week of September 8, 2026 · 4 runs · a 5-mile race PR, an 18-mile longest run ever, and a very well-earned deload ahead
51:19. A 3-minute PR on a course that was pretty much all uphill. 🎖️
Week 9 packed in a lot — a strong midweek run, a hilly sunset route, a 5-mile race PR, and an 18-mile long run that’s now officially the farthest I’ve ever run. 37 miles across four runs, and a week that earned every bit of the deload coming up next.
Indy Monumental Marathon Training Week 9: The Runs
| Day | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, September 8 | 7 Miles | Hot but felt strong — gym session earlier in the day, husband joined for the back half 💪 |
| Thursday, September 10 | 7 Miles | New hilly route with sunset views — harder than Tuesday, but cooler temps helped 🌅 |
| Saturday, September 12 | Popcorn 5 Miler (Race) | 51:19 — a 3-minute PR on an almost entirely uphill course, last 2 miles sub-10 pace 🏅 |
| Sunday, September 13 | 18 Miles | Longest run of my life — new route past a lake, hip pain around mile 10, finished strong 🐾 |
Tuesday: Strong Despite the Heat
It was hot again today, but overall I felt genuinely strong through this one. I also fit in a gym session — legs and the stair master. Doing the strength work on a Tuesday instead of later in the week ended up being the right call, since it gave my legs more time to recover before Sunday’s long run. My last few miles were fast because I was racing the clock to get back before it got too late, and my husband joined me for the back half of the run.
Thursday: Hills and a Sunset
Another 7 miles, but this time in a different location with genuinely great sunset views. I took this one much easier than Tuesday’s effort, which was a good call because the area we ran through turned out to be pretty hilly — it felt noticeably harder than the mileage alone would suggest. The cooler temperature was a nice break though.
Worth the hills for a view like this. 🌅
Saturday: A 5-Mile PR
Race day. My goal for the Popcorn 5 Miler was to beat last year’s time of 54:00, and I did — 51:19, a nearly 3 minute PR on a course that was pretty much entirely uphill for the first 3 miles. My calves and Achilles were absolutely on fire the whole way, and I’m really proud of how this one went. Full breakdown of the race, the course, and the hometown festival that comes with it is over on my Popcorn 5 Miler race recap.
Race morning at the Popcorn 5 Miler. 🍿
Closing it out with sub-10 miles. 🏃♀️
Sunday: 18 Miles — A New Longest Run
Sunday was the longest run I’ve ever done — 18 miles. I still can’t quite fathom that I did that. I went a different direction than usual and ended up running past a genuinely pretty lake, which made for a nice change of scenery. I took the pace very slow, and around mile 10 I started to get some hip pain, but overall it was a good run. I got new views, found a whole new route to try next week, and finished my longest run yet with my husband and our dog there at the end to cheer me on.
New route, new views, new longest run. 🌊
Honest Check-In
37 miles this week, a 5-mile PR, and an 18-mile longest run ever — this was one of the biggest weeks of the whole training block. The hip pain that showed up around mile 10 on Sunday is something to keep an eye on, but it didn’t stop the run and everything else about the week felt like real progress. This week was hard in the best way. Next week is a deload, and it’s very much needed.
You can follow along with the full journey on my Training & Progress page.
- Lighter mileage to recover from an 18-mile longest run and a race effort
- Keeping an eye on the hip pain that showed up on Sunday
- Exploring the new lake route found this week
