2 marathons, 10 weeks in between... can I add a HM?

kristinegift

Question for those who have done 2 marathons in a racing season before:

I am plotting out (roughly) my fall training, and I am realizing that between race recovery from Via (Sept 11) and tapering for Philly (Nov 20), that leaves me around 6 weeks of actual "training" (aka: moderate training, mostly maintenance) in between my races. I want to try to find a mid-late October HM (10/16 or 10/23) because I love racing HMs, but is that dumb? Should I get an easy-pace long run (18-20 miles) in that weekend instead? As it stands now with a tentative race, I'll get 3 15-16 mile runs and one single 20 miler in before Philly. Since I'll be fresh off a marathon effort, will that be enough to get me up to snuff for another BQ attempt in November?

Here's a screen shot of the end of Sept/beginning of October, aka: the bulk of my fall training:




Any advice of a yay-sayer or nay-sayer variety is welcome!

5512bf

If you did a 2-3 mile warmup then ran the half at goal MP that would be a good tempo/MP run. My current plan has a 15 w/ 12 pace & 17 w/ 14 pace run I'm looking for half's to run in. Racing a half for a pr might be a bit agressive but if you mini-tapered that week with a few days off after I think it's within reason. I can't see why it would hurt you and see alot of upside in a long pace type run.

lporter229

I think there are lots of questions to be asked here concerning your goals. If you qualify in September, are you going to try and qualify again in November? Try for a better time? What are your marathon goals and what is your goal for the half marathon? If you are planning on flat out racing all three of these races, you could wind up in a state of burn out that might not leave you in the best place for Boston, especially if you qualify in September, because that would be for 2017, correct? I know it will still be a ways away, even after you complete your November race, but in my experience, when you put everything you have into training for a race like that, it takes a good two months or so to fully recover both physically and mentally. You will need that down time. I think there are lots of things to consider, and some of them may depend on the outcomes of your races.

kristinegift

@5512bf Fair point; it would be a good tempo run to practice marathon pace. I usually do a 3-day taper before a race like that. That's what I did for my spring HM and I managed to snag a 3.5 minute PR.

@lporter229 You ask too many good questions! I want to BQ at both, but the September race may end up being a quickish-paced long run depending on the weather. I really want that race to just be a GOOD marathon -- no total wall-crashing or mental bonking. Plus, if it's much over 72 degrees for the bulk of the race, I don't think I can maintain a sub-8 pace. I know my limits!

As for the other two races, I want to finally get below 1:40 for a HM this fall (my PR is 1:40:13 right now), and I'll definitely be going for a BQ in November at Philly with a goal between 3:20 and 3:30 (goal depends on my September result). After Philly I will be taking December and January off (low, easy mileage only) to recovery for the 2017 training seasons.

Your questions are the same ones that have made me iffy about signing up for the HM; I have too many other things to consider to make a quick decision about a race registration!

litsy3

I personally would not be able to handle the two marathons that close together, let alone adding a half as well. But I have low iron levels at the moment which affect my recovery and I am a fair bit older than you, so you might be fine - I know lots of people do do multiple marathons and other long races and recover okay. But from what you say about your goals (the REAL BQ attempt is the second marathon; you really want a HM PR...) if it was me I would do a half and the second marathon and not do the first marathon at all. But you might not see that as an option and, as I said, that's based on my own recovery (I'm only just now feeling recovered from a marathon in April!) not yours, and only you know your own body.

kristinegift

@litsy3 Recovery is definitely on my mind. After my last marathon, it took me ages to recovery mentally, but I think that had more to do with stress because after my first marathon, I ran and PR'd in a HM two weeks later. So right now I have planned a very low mileage 2 week block after the September race for recovery, then I'll work back up to training mileage over two weeks. We'll see if it works. I do want to do both, since one will be a BQ attempt for 2017 and one for 2018. Then maybe NEXT fall I can focus on HMs only and strive toward my long term goal of 1:30-1:32. With your comments on recovery in mind, I might wait to sign up for the HM in September depending on how I feel post-26.2.