Father's Day Weekend "Half Marathon"

I was camping with family in 2023 when I headed out for a long run and thought "huh.... I could turn this into a 'Father's Day half marathon' if I wanted to..." So I did. That was the first of 3 years of "Father's Day Half Marathons" (here's 2023, 2024, and 2025).

We weren't camping this Father's Day, but we were "up north" on a lake with family. I didn't get out on Father's Day PROPER, but I took off the next morning for a long run that I was hoping I could turn into another 13.1+ miles for the 4th year straight.

Minimal shoulder for the first 3 miles!


Oh, a deer!


Fog in some low-lying areas.

I just did 2.5 miles easier as warm-up as normal: I wasn't sure I'd be able to go longer than a "normal" 11.5 - 12 mile run, so I didn't lengthen my warm-up. But the "pace miles" at the middle went well! After 3 miles (of a planned 6 hard miles), I told myself I could go longer! My goal right now SHOULD be speed over distance as my endurance is fine but my speed has slipped, but I didn't care... I just wanted to go FARTHER for my Father's Day run.

I did 7 miles harder instead of 6, and it's been a while since I've done that! My calf got a little achy on my cool down, but not bad. I got in 13.42 miles to out-do last year's 13.40 mile run:

The "personal record" is the longest run since having a "better" Garmin (since 2022-ish).
(And yes, it was a COMFY 41 degrees on this run!)


Four previous long runs all on Father's Day weekend.


Showing the half-mile splits. I ran hard from split 5 through 19.


That's a high "exercise load!"

(I think my highest "exercise load" is tied from the run at the 2024 Square Lake Triathlon and the 2025 TC 10 Mile which both have 458. Anything over 400 is HARD!)

My 7 harder "pace miles" in the middle felt pretty good! Here were my half-mile splits:

7 miles at pace:

3:06, 3:05, 3:11, 3:09, 3:08, 3:04, 3:09, 3:06, 3:08, 3:03, 3:00, 3:03, 3:05, 3:02

= 43:24 (6:12.00 pace)

And then I took it easy on Tuesday as to not kill my legs after my longest run since maybe Henry was a baby (we went on some 14 mile runs with the stroller, and I also did a 25K in that same time period about 14 years ago).