I signed up to run another half marathon! It’s the MandaRUN on November 22. It’s my second time going after a HM (the first). I’ve got about 10 weeks to train before race day. I used AI to help me come up with a training plan and this is what it looks like:

Week	Mon (Easy)	Wed (Tempo)	Fri (Easy)	Sun (Long)	Weekly Total	Dates
1	✅ 2 mi	✅ 3 mi	😷 3 mi	😷 4 mi	5 mi 12 mi	Sep 14 - Sep 20
2	✅ 2 mi	✅ 3 mi	❌ 3 mi	✅ 5 mi	10 mi 13 mi	Sep 21 - Sep 27
3	✅ 3 mi	✅ 4 mi	❌ 3 mi	✅ 6 mi	13 mi 16 mi	Sep 28 - Oct 04
4	❌ 2 mi	✅ 3 mi	❌ 3 mi	✅ 5 mi	8 mi 13 mi	Oct 05 - Oct 11
🏃‍♂️ 5	✅ 3 mi	✅ 4 mi	4 mi	7 mi	18 mi	Oct 12 - Oct 18
6	3 mi	4 mi	4 mi	8 mi	19 mi	Oct 19 - Oct 25
7	3 mi	4 mi	3 mi	6 mi	16 mi	Oct 26 - Nov 01
8	4 mi	4 mi	4 mi	9 mi	21 mi	Nov 02 - Nov 08
9	3 mi	3 mi	4 mi	10 mi	20 mi	Nov 09 - Nov 15
10	2 mi	2 mi	2 mi	Race	—	Nov 16 - Nov 22

🏃🏻‍♂️ = Current week.
✅ = Complete!
😷 = Missed, sick.
❌ = Missed.

Note: Claude seemed to do better at this than Gemini.

New weightlifting routine

After a few more AI chats, we came up with this weightlifting routine that I’m going to try.

Routine A — Legs (Easy) + Chest/Back

Exercise	Sets × Reps
Romanian Deadlift (Dumbbell)	2 × 5
Superset: Bench Press (Dumbbell)	3 × 8-10
Superset: Dumbbell Row	3 × 10-12
Superset: Reverse Fly (Dumbbell)	3 × 12-15
Superset: Side Plank	2 × 30-45s/side

Routine B — Legs (Easy) + Shoulders/Back

Exercise	Sets × Reps
Bulgarian Split Squat (Dumbbell)	2 × 5/leg
Superset: Overhead Press (Dumbbell)	3 × 8-10
Superset: Lat Pulldown (Cable, Neutral Grip)	3 × 10-12
Superset: Lateral Raise (Dumbbell)	3 × 12-15
Superset: Farmers Walk	2 × 40s

Routine C — Upper Accessory (No Legs)

Exercise	Sets × Reps
Superset: Incline Bench Press (Dumbbell)	3 × 10-12
Superset: Chest-Supported Row (Dumbbell)	3 × 10-12
Superset: Triceps Rope Pushdown (Cable)	3 × 10-12
Superset: Face Pull (Cable)	3 × 15-20
Superset: Hammer Curl (Dumbbell)	3 × 10-12
Superset: Pallof Press (Cable, Core)	3 × 12-15/side

Old weightlifting routine

This is the old weightlifting routine routine that I’ve been trying to do ~4 times per week. (Just saving it somewhere so I don’t lose it).

Routine A

Exercise	Sets × Reps
Romanian Deadlift (Dumbbell)	3 × 8-10
Superset: Bench Press (Dumbbell)	3 × 8-10
Superset: Dumbbell Row	3 × 10-12
Superset: Hammer Curl (Dumbbell)	3 × 10-12
Superset: Farmers Walk	3 × 45-60s

Routine B

Exercise	Sets × Reps
Bulgarian Split Squat (Dumbbell)	3 × 8-10
Superset: Overhead Press (Dumbbell)	3 × 8-10
Superset: Lat Pulldown (Cable, Neutral Grip)	3 × 10-12
Superset: Triceps Rope Pushdown	3 × 10-12
Superset: Face Pull	3 × 15-20

“Easy Strength”

While reading around about weightlifting routines, I found Dan John’s “Easy Strength” inspired routine. This seemed like it could be a good alternative if I’m struggling to lift and run and want to prioritize running.

Exercise	Sets × Reps
Romanian Deadlift (Dumbbell) — hinge	2 × 5
Bench Press (Dumbbell) — push	2 × 5
Bulgarian Split Squat (Dumbbell) — squat	2 × 5
Dumbbell Row — pull	2 × 5
Farmers Walk — carry	2 × 40s
Side Plank — ab	2 × 30-45s

• Weight: Use whetever is already the 8-10 rep max for each lift. It’s not a 5 rep max.
• Never train to failure.
• Legs dead from running? Drop the squats first. Then RDL, if needed.