Half Marathon — Oct 4, 2026

Plan opens after the May 30 5K. May 30 result: 21:35 on a short course (~3.05–3.06 mi, equivalent ~21:55–22:00), avg HR 164 (sub-max effort, well below threshold). Borderline VDOT 44/45 but not a clean benchmark. Holding VDOT 44, plan as written. Re-test at the Aug 22 5K (Wk 12) on a measured course at full effort. Both lifts are light because legs are still recovering from the 5K. Aerobic base only — no Wed quality for 5 weeks.

Scaled up from the original 28 to match true baseline (~33 mpw recent rolling average). Lifts at full load. Sat→Sun mile shift moves long to 11 (Wk 3's target arriving early) — fine given the April 13-miler in your history.

Strides return — short, fast, full recovery. Neuromuscular only, not a workout.

12-mile long run. Sleep is the leading indicator — if two nights of poor sleep, drop a mile from Wed or swap Sat to rest.

Tune-up race week. First quality session shifts to Wk 7 (800m intervals) — racing replaces this week's Wed quality; first T session is Wk 8. Mini-taper only (Wk 5 cutback + light Mon lift); not a full taper. Race by effort, not pace — don't go out at 7:00/mi to bank time. Result feeds into early calibration but the Aug 22 5K (Wk 12) still happens — it captures post-T-block fitness, which is what sets Phase 3 paces. Skip Thu Lift B (race day).

✅ RESULT (Jul 9): 21:47 official on a true 5K (~7:01/mi), avg HR 169 / max 183. Even splits (7:07 / 6:57 / 7:08) with a 6:40 kick — well-executed pacing. Vs May 30 (21:35 on a short course, ~22:00 equiv) this is a clean flat-5K benchmark under summer heat + mid-build fatigue. VDOT 45 (was 44). Note: 1K–1200 workout reps run 6:46–6:53 — faster than 5K race pace — so 21:47 likely still undersells the ceiling; Aug 22 tests whether there's a 46 in there. Paces bumped plan-wide (T 7:25, I 6:52). HMP/goal held at 7:47 / 1:42 — not moving the race goal off a mid-build tune-up.

First I session. 800s at 3K–5K effort (3:26 = 6:52/mi). 3-mi total at I — Daniels' ceiling. Hit 3:26 per rep; if rep 5 or 6 slows by 5+ sec, stop the workout.

✅ RESULT (Jul 15): 6:50 / 6:59 / 6:56 / 6:55 / 6:57 / 6:49 — all reps within ~4 sec of target, no decay, rep 6 the fastest. HR climbed 150→166 avg across reps, max 177 (vs flat-road functional max ~183) — controlled, finished with room. 6:52/mi I-pace confirmed honest, possibly conservative; hold VDOT 45 until Aug 22 per calibration rules. Note for Wk 10 4×1000: recovery jogs drifted long (2:52→4:14 for ~400m, some near-walk) — cap them at ~rep time (~3:30) and keep them a true jog. Thu 5 E skipped for air quality — lift/core/Copenhagen done indoors.

Full sub-T week: ~50 min in the LT zone vs ~25–30 under the old plan, at lower strain per session. Sat sub-T is fine the day before an easy long — it's recoverable by design; if Sunday's HR won't stay under 140, that's the overreach signal and Sat drops to easy next week. RDL adds resume now that Copenhagens have settled.

Lift loads freeze after this week. The 1000s are for turnover and confidence, not fitness — 4 reps, done right, ease into rep 1. By now Wed/Sat sub-T paces at 165 should be visibly faster than Wk 8's; that trend is the block working.

The load-bearing calibration. Course runs long (GPS ~3.24 mi last yr), uncertified — judge by GPS avg pace / best-5K split, never gun time or HR (flat-5K max ~183 is normal for you). Go out at 6:55/mi and find out. Execution fix from Jul 9: spend the kick early — mile 2 is where you leave time; start squeezing at the 2-mi mark; finish with a 15–20s sprint, not a 60s one. Triggers: ≤6:52 held → VDOT 46 (T 7:17, I 6:46, A-goal armed) · 6:53–7:10 → hold 45 · 7:10–7:25 → hold 45, flag heat · >7:25 on a true max grind → 44 (T 7:33) and C-goal conversation. Update once, don't tinker.

Block 2 opens; this Sunday is the A-goal test. If Aug 22 armed the A tier, run the 6 HMP miles at 7:40 — controlled and repeatable means the gate passes and Wk 15 rehearses at 7:40; a grind means B (7:47) stands, no shame in the data. HMP now always rides late: race pace on tired legs is the skill.

Peak week — and the goal locks Sunday. 8 mi at goal pace, late in a 14-miler: pass at 7:40 → A locked (1:40:30). Pass at 7:47 but not 7:40 → B locked. Struggle at 7:47 → C conversation (7:56), honestly. Sunday outranks everything else this week — protect it.

Last quality long run. Everything at the locked goal pace now — no more testing, just grooving. Lifts drop to maintenance permanently from here.