Need Advice...

reggie2run

With my half race done and the running/racing season drawing to a close here very shortly, I've been looking for events to keep me motivated and focused on working out and increasing my fitness level. Unfortunately, those associated with running are few and far between in the winter. They will re-start in the Spring of 2013 and there are a few 5km and 10kms that I may take part in early in the season.

But to the reason I need advice: Now that I've done my half marathon, I am looking for the next big challenge. What I have found is on May 26th/2013, there is a Half Marathon (different from the one I just completed with a different and slightly more difficult route). And on June 2/13 (the very next weekend), there is a duathlon which consists of a 9.4km run (broken into two runs of 4.7km each) and an 18km bike ride. I am interested in doing both. But the question is can I do both of these events back to back without risking injury or performance. And both events will be intense as will the training for each. Is it too much?

I know its early to be looking at this, but if I plan to do both events, training starts real soon. So the question is: should I sign up for both events when there is only 7 days in between them? Is it too much too soon? I don't want to risk or cause injury. Or is it do-able?? What do you think?

BrianSharpe

If you're looking to perform well I'd suggest picking one or the other. Having done a couple of sprint duathlons and several half-marathons I wouldn't want to do them on back to back weekends unless you were willing to sacrifice performance on the half and approach it as a long slow training run.

The other thing to consider is training - with them that close together your training schedule would be pretty grueling.

A little OT but I see that Running Room is putting on a Hypothermic Half in St John's on January 20th (I did the one in Ottawa last January - yep, that's the profile pic - and have signed up for the one on January 27th, 2013) great motivation to keep your training up over the winter. http://www.events.runningroom.com/hm/index.php?sort=&step=&sub=1&y=2013&m=01&f_prov=NL&tab=3