3 half marathons, 3 months?
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RenewedRunner
Posts: 423 Member
Has anyone tried doing a half marathon every month for 3 months? The first one would be in March, second exactly a month later, and the last about 5-6 weeks after the second. AM I crazy? Will I die? :ohwell:
The fees for the races are about to increase significantly at the end of the month....though I am still holding out for getting to the Cherry Blossom 10 miler and if so would scratch my March race. I hate lotteries, I hate waiting! :grumble:
The fees for the races are about to increase significantly at the end of the month....though I am still holding out for getting to the Cherry Blossom 10 miler and if so would scratch my March race. I hate lotteries, I hate waiting! :grumble:
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Replies
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What's your current mileage and how long have you been running?0
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Yes. http://halffanatics.com/Has anyone tried doing a half marathon every month for 3 months?
Maybe.AM I crazy?
No. (Not from the three half marathons at least.)Will I die?0 -
All endurance athletes are crazy.
Will you die? No. Will you perform well at all 3 races? Maybe. Depends on your ability to recover and if you treat all 3 as an A race or not.0 -
I have been running for about 7 years. Mileage varies (on ir for a year there due to stress fx and a ruptured achilles). some periods of looow mileage thanks to life/motherhood/long hours on call. . It tapered off this summer as we moved to another state and it has been hectic. Right now long run of 6 miles. I have 6 months to put in. I am not a fast person by nature (my pr is 1:57:13 and that was a magical training cycle). I average 9-10 mm race pace with a decent training time.
I know it won't really kill me (hopefully, but if it is my time to go...lol) but hoping for some training plan advice. Racing is expensive and addictive. I would hate to pay the fee and lose it, and I would prefer to register before the $15-20 increases in pricing.0 -
I have been running for about 7 years. Mileage varies (on ir for a year there due to stress fx and a ruptured achilles). some periods of looow mileage thanks to life/motherhood/long hours on call. . It tapered off this summer as we moved to another state and it has been hectic. Right now long run of 6 miles. I have 6 months to put in. I am not a fast person by nature (my pr is 1:57:13 and that was a magical training cycle). I average 9-10 mm race pace with a decent training time.
I know it won't really kill me (hopefully, but if it is my time to go...lol) but hoping for some training plan advice. Racing is expensive and addictive. I would hate to pay the fee and lose it, and I would prefer to register before the $15-20 increases in pricing.
If it were me, I wouldn't do it and I've been running for 10 years, training seriously for the last 5. Of course, this may be because of philosophy. I feel like if I'm going to spend the money for a race, I'm going to race the damn thing, hard. Doing 3 HM in 3 months would not allow me to do that. If I really want to do more than one in 3 months, I'd cut the middle one out. I think that with 6 to 8 weeks of recovery, I'd be ready for another all out effort.
Now, if you just like to run races for the atmosphere, then it's definitely possible to do 3 races in 3 months.0 -
Depends on your muscle conditioning (can I heal quick enough between the races and training?), your wallet (do I have ~$150 for all the entries), and your effort (am I striving for a time, or is finishing good enough?). I'd say go for it. It's crazy, but very doable.0
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I did 4 in 4 days once, but I ran them all at an easy pace.
I did not die (yet).
My uterus did fall out on day 3 (or did it). Just kidding (or am I?).0 -
Depends on your muscle conditioning (can I heal quick enough between the races and training?), your wallet (do I have ~$150 for all the entries), and your effort (am I striving for a time, or is finishing good enough?). I'd say go for it. It's crazy, but very doable.
Here in Memphis, the Memphis Runner's Track Club has their road race series with their half marathons being only $15 (they have 2 2-weeks apart)...total steals...just aren't ready for them yet. Next year! Next year!0 -
I did two 50k's, a marathon and a 50 miler in two months. That's a race every two weeks. I PR'd one 50k and the 50 miler. I didn't die. I stayed healthy and uninjured. It was amazing actually. As in all things your mileage (hahaha) will vary. Some people's bodies break down training for a 5k. My 50 year old body, it would seem, is fairly indestructible. Go figure.0
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Definitely doable.
With respect to training, I feel that you'd have to stay at some medium-high mileage- like being stuck in the pre-taper phase- having only 4 weeks to race, recover, train up, taper, and race again. My legs would be feeling that!!
For me, I would sign up for something like that- I love the crazy challenges and I will be checking out that website posted above!- but after that it would definitely be a recovering few weeks before I got back into the swing of things. So I would treat the series of 3 as one event for which I was training, with nothing interrupting it. Unless you're into racing to check your PR. I don't get too into that [yet].0 -
Last year I did one at the end of September, then two at the beginning of November (back to back weekends which I definitely do not recommend!). Definitely doable. However....if you haven't raced a half in awhile, you might not want to jump into that many so quickly. I might be worthwhile to do one, then see how your body handles it and what you need in terms of recovery. But that's just my two cents.0
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Thanks everyone. I was wondering if those who had done it had gotten hurt. That is a big fear of mine. I have entry to MCM next year so I am gearing up my training cycle to start at the end of the race time. On the plus side, if the miles don't kill me, puts me in good standing to start marathon training. First marathon so hoping to see what times my hm indicate.
The April race is because a good friend is doing it as her first. She finished her chemo last month after the past two years of hell and asked me to run it with her. So I want to be there for her support. So this one is less race, more pacing and support. And I see it as an excuse to wear a tutu. Tutus are for celebration!
I am thinking the first one, or the last one, might be my PR buster attempt. The first one is a hilly course but won't be as hot. The last one is flatter but will be Virginia in May so starting to heat up. Of course if I get the entry to the Cherry Blossom 10 miler, I will be scratching the first one and therefore defaulting to the third! (Which is my ideal but lottery =can't plan yet).
As for money, the husband is deploying. I figure I can take the money I usually spend in being depressed and buying worthless junk/clothes/heels and put it towards racing. He and I are doing a 10k next month, a tough mudder the following, and a 12k before he leaves. That should help me dust off the racing cobwebs. It is just too hot down here todo much between June andAugust.0 -
yes. i routinely run 13 miles/day 2+ times per week. 3 half marathons in 3 months is a piece of cake.0
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yes. i routinely run 13 miles/day 2+ times per week. 3 half marathons in 3 months is a piece of cake.
Running 13 miles 2+ times a week and RACING a HM are not the same thing. Just sayin'. I averaged 10 miles a day for the month of August and still wouldn't race 3 HM's in 3 months. Just going out and running 13.1 miles at an easy pace is a far different animal than laying down a fast race time.0 -
I'm doing 2 a month apart. Keep in mind the first one I plan on racing the second one is purely for fun. I know I won't die and I don't think I'll get injured. I have just really wanted to run the second race and it's always going to be a month after my 'money' race.
After my big race is over I have the tendency to turn into a couch potato a bit and it runs right into the holiday bad eating cycle. So I'm trying to prevent that a bit by adding a second race to the calendar. I do plan on not running mon-sat after the first race and only doing my long run that week.
So it depends on your goals. Trying for a pr each time would be unreasonable, but going for only 1 makes sense. I think it's better toget the pr attempt out of the way first then relax for the next 2.0 -
yes. i routinely run 13 miles/day 2+ times per week. 3 half marathons in 3 months is a piece of cake.
Running 13 miles 2+ times a week and RACING a HM are not the same thing. Just sayin'. I averaged 10 miles a day for the month of August and still wouldn't race 3 HM's in 3 months. Just going out and running 13.1 miles at an easy pace is a far different animal than laying down a fast race time.
because running in a half means you have to run at a race pace? no. i disagree with you. 3 halves in 3 months is NOT a strain on the well trained runner.0 -
yes. i routinely run 13 miles/day 2+ times per week. 3 half marathons in 3 months is a piece of cake.
Running 13 miles 2+ times a week and RACING a HM are not the same thing. Just sayin'. I averaged 10 miles a day for the month of August and still wouldn't race 3 HM's in 3 months. Just going out and running 13.1 miles at an easy pace is a far different animal than laying down a fast race time.
because running in a half means you have to run at a race pace? no. i disagree with you. 3 halves in 3 months is NOT a strain on the well trained runner.
Actually, you agreed with me. I never said a well trained runner couldn't do it. I never said an average trained runner couldn't do it. I said that I wouldn't do it because when I pay money for a race, I race it with the intention of giving my very best race effort. I'm absolutely positive that I could run 3 HM's in 3 months. I could run 6 HMs in three months. But there is no way that I could race that many in that period of time and perform at my peak. So, back to my original assertion, with bold added for emphasis.If it were me, I wouldn't do it and I've been running for 10 years, training seriously for the last 5. Of course, this may be because of philosophy. I feel like if I'm going to spend the money for a race, I'm going to race the damn thing, hard. Doing 3 HM in 3 months would not allow me to do that. If I really want to do more than one in 3 months, I'd cut the middle one out. I think that with 6 to 8 weeks of recovery, I'd be ready for another all out effort.
Now, if you just like to run races for the atmosphere, then it's definitely possible to do 3 races in 3 months.0 -
Heading into this year my half PR was 1:31 on a very hilly course. I was focused and trained for the SD Half marathon with a goal of getting under 1:30; my time was 1:28. One week later I ran a St. Patrick's Day Half. I dressed up, had no time goals, and gave support to the runners going the other way as I passed them. I finished less than :30 seconds off my goal race time.
Half Marathons are a totally different animal than fulls. Your body does not endure nearly as much abuse and you can bounce back much faster. I would not suggest everyone go race a half marathon every weekend but racing 3 in 3 months is doable if you are dedicated to consistent training.0 -
Ran 5 in 5 last year and a marathon 3 months later. I agree with Carson, I didn't "race" them all. I did my goal race first, got my PR, and then ran the others, didn't beat that PR, but didn't intend on it either.0
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I think it depends on your training and your goals for the race. I am running 3 halfs over a 6 week period, 1 trail and 2 road. (Sept 21, Oct 5 and Oct 20). I know I am not going to PR at each one or really race in all of them. I will note that I enjoy running races and do them quite frequently. I would say go for it and have fun with realistic expectations and consistent training.0
