Two marathons a week apart?
aswearingen22
Posts: 271 Member
I'm signed up for the Prairie Fire marathon in Wichita on 10/12 (which will be marathon #3). Now a few of my running friends have decided to run Twin Cities on 10/5 and have invited me along. That would be crazy, right? But I've wanted to qualify for Marathon Maniacs and that would do it. But a week apart?
I chose Wichita as it's just less than 3 hours from where we live and my parents live there so they can keep the kids the night before and we'll stay at the host hotel at the start/finish so we can rest that night and not wake anyone up so early the next morning. And we're doing 9 days at Disney with the kids in September, so I was trying to keep costs down (no flight, no long weekend vacation like we did for the Chicago Marathon in October and New Orleans in February). And, DH and I are doing the back to back series in Wichita (running the half this weekend, then I'm doing the full and him the half in October). So, the race is cheap, 1 night in hotel for each race is cheap, and my parents can watch the kids. Very easy.
Well, now one of my running friends/neighbor and I have been talking fall marathons and training schedules this week (Chicago was also her first last fall and she swore never again, but somehow that never sticks, right?). She decided on Twin Cities, and invited me along (and one more of our running friends is going, and possibly a 3rd). We'd drive there and make it a girls weekend and split a hotel room, so not terribly expensive. I started reading reviews of the Twin Cities marathon on marathonguide.com and it just sounds like a great marathon and I totally want to do it. And leaving my DH with the kids for the first time ever has it's appeal as well!;)
I could always drop to the half in Wichita if I wasn't feeling it a week later. I would definitely go for the PR at Twin Cities, and slow the pace and just take Wichita easy and use it to become a Marathon Maniac (2 in 16 days is the criteria for bronze level). I'm used to running a ton of half's (4 last spring within 8 weeks, this year it's 4 in 5 weeks plus a 5th a few weeks later). My body handles the running well, never had a running injury (knock on wood). I've been running distances of up to 3 miles for 12 years, been running 30+ miles a week for 3.5 years, and so far have run 2 marathons and 11 half's and who knows how many 5k/10k.
So, here's the poll, should I do it?
I chose Wichita as it's just less than 3 hours from where we live and my parents live there so they can keep the kids the night before and we'll stay at the host hotel at the start/finish so we can rest that night and not wake anyone up so early the next morning. And we're doing 9 days at Disney with the kids in September, so I was trying to keep costs down (no flight, no long weekend vacation like we did for the Chicago Marathon in October and New Orleans in February). And, DH and I are doing the back to back series in Wichita (running the half this weekend, then I'm doing the full and him the half in October). So, the race is cheap, 1 night in hotel for each race is cheap, and my parents can watch the kids. Very easy.
Well, now one of my running friends/neighbor and I have been talking fall marathons and training schedules this week (Chicago was also her first last fall and she swore never again, but somehow that never sticks, right?). She decided on Twin Cities, and invited me along (and one more of our running friends is going, and possibly a 3rd). We'd drive there and make it a girls weekend and split a hotel room, so not terribly expensive. I started reading reviews of the Twin Cities marathon on marathonguide.com and it just sounds like a great marathon and I totally want to do it. And leaving my DH with the kids for the first time ever has it's appeal as well!;)
I could always drop to the half in Wichita if I wasn't feeling it a week later. I would definitely go for the PR at Twin Cities, and slow the pace and just take Wichita easy and use it to become a Marathon Maniac (2 in 16 days is the criteria for bronze level). I'm used to running a ton of half's (4 last spring within 8 weeks, this year it's 4 in 5 weeks plus a 5th a few weeks later). My body handles the running well, never had a running injury (knock on wood). I've been running distances of up to 3 miles for 12 years, been running 30+ miles a week for 3.5 years, and so far have run 2 marathons and 11 half's and who knows how many 5k/10k.
So, here's the poll, should I do it?
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Replies
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I wouldn't.
After a week, you won't even be close to fully recovered. Too risky. Hell, I may not even run for an entire week after my marathon, let alone turn around and do it again a week later.0 -
I wouldn't expect any grand awesomeness from it, but I'd do it under those circumstances. I wouldn't do it just for the sake of doing it, i.e., by myself. You've run the distance, and from your posts I know you're not a moron.0
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I can't speak from personal experience in terms of doing 2 that close together (I've done 7 but they were spaced months/years apart!) but I used to follow a blog about a woman who had been a non-runner about 5 years ago, was asked to join a friend on a marathon, and got hooked. She has gone on to run over 50 marathons - with some of them being in the same weekend!! It seems super-human to me to even think about doing a marathon and waking up the next day and doing one again, but we each know our own bodies and limits. I'm sure you'll get a lot of differing opinions on your question - I would go with your gut and listen to your body.
P.S. The blog was called skinnyrunner.com but she has retired from blogging - though she still has FB and Twitter.
Best of luck!0 -
Well I signed up!:) I can always drop the second one to a half marathon if I'm really not feeling it. Running Twin Cities as my goal race with friends sounds MUCH more appealing than Wichita by myself. I'll crawl that one if I have to.
ETA: yes, I've read skinnyrunner in the past:)0 -
Week apart will be no problem as long as you are realistic about what you are going to do. You aren't Michael Wardian so don't try "racing" both races. After the first one the temptation will be to take a few days off; this is wrong. You need to keep the legs moving so they don't tighten up on you. First day get a slow and easy 3-4 mile run in. Second day you can rest or eliptical, after that just repeat the last couple of days of the original training plan. No speed work!!! If you can manage it try and get into an ice bath as soon as possible after each race.
MM #33070 -
My closest 2 are 13 days apart, both in the 4:30 range. MM #89310
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Week apart will be no problem as long as you are realistic about what you are going to do. You aren't Michael Wardian so don't try "racing" both races. After the first one the temptation will be to take a few days off; this is wrong. You need to keep the legs moving so they don't tighten up on you. First day get a slow and easy 3-4 mile run in. Second day you can rest or eliptical, after that just repeat the last couple of days of the original training plan. No speed work!!! If you can manage it try and get into an ice bath as soon as possible after each race.
MM #3307
I've done 4 weeks & 6 weeks apart. Never that close. I think it's totally doable if you are high mileage & realistic about your goals. How many fulls have you ran so far? Have you ever tried running a 1/2 a week after a full? How do you typically feel 6-7 days post marathon? These are all indicators.
Depends on goals. If quantity is your goal- awesome idea
If you're trying to PR horrible idea0 -
(Chicago was also her first last fall and she swore never again.... She decided on Twin Cities, and invited me along . I started reading reviews of the Twin Cities marathon on marathonguide.com and it just sounds like a great marathon and I totally want to do it.
I've been running distances of up to 3 miles for 12 years, been running 30+ miles a week for 3.5 years, and so far have run 2 marathons and 11 half's and who knows how many 5k/10k.
I hated twin cities. Summit is the worst. Huge crowds tho. I can still hear people screaming.
I think based on your mileage/past training you can handle it, but like I said, don't expect a grand performance.
You could chose to race the first and just "finish" the second. It would feel easier to just jog both of them IMO0 -
I can't speak from personal experience in terms of doing 2 that close together (I've done 7 but they were spaced months/years apart!) but I used to follow a blog about a woman who had been a non-runner about 5 years ago, was asked to join a friend on a marathon, and got hooked. She has gone on to run over 50 marathons - with some of them being in the same weekend!! It seems super-human to me to even think about doing a marathon and waking up the next day and doing one again, but we each know our own bodies and limits. I'm sure you'll get a lot of differing opinions on your question - I would go with your gut and listen to your body.
P.S. The blog was called skinnyrunner.com but she has retired from blogging - though she still has FB and Twitter.
Best of luck!
I miss Skinny Runners blog so much!!!! Wish she would write it again. her fb and twitter just aren't the same:(0 -
I have never run two marathons a week apart. My closest long runs were a 56k and 34k a week apart.
I would run both marathons at a long run pace instead of racing them. Also watch your nutrition the week between the marathons. You will need to replace what you have lost during the first marathon and fuel up for the next one.
Good luck, let us know how it went!0 -
Week apart will be no problem as long as you are realistic about what you are going to do. You aren't Michael Wardian so don't try "racing" both races. After the first one the temptation will be to take a few days off; this is wrong. You need to keep the legs moving so they don't tighten up on you. First day get a slow and easy 3-4 mile run in. Second day you can rest or eliptical, after that just repeat the last couple of days of the original training plan. No speed work!!! If you can manage it try and get into an ice bath as soon as possible after each race.
MM #3307
Great advice!
I have done Twin Cities and if you are a crowd/big race lover, you will love this one. Do some hill training to prepare - it's not a flat course.
Good luck!
MM #75940 -
There are a bunch of things to consider here, but the basic questions are as follows:
1) Do you have the running base and endurance to handle back-to-back marathons? (meaning you have run more than 2 marathons in a year, and are accustom to the marathon distance)
2) If 'No' to #1, then have you at least run 1 marathon before? If yes to above, then your body will at least be able to handle the stress.
3) If 'Yes' to #2, then how was your recovery time after that marathon?
4) If you recovery was quick, then you should be fine to handle the 2nd marathon. Just keep in mind that your body may not be fully recovered and your overall race performance will be significantly less...unless you have trained for back-to-back.
It really comes down to how your body recovers after long distance races and just being honest without yourself and understanding that in reality, any amatuer runner will typically not have the training to recover from a marathon within just 1 week, and thus your following marathon you may experience performance, mental, or other issues you are not used to.
I would personally do it. I just ran a marathon this past weekend and am back into my half ironman training schedule as of 2 days after the race. I am tired, but my performance isn't seeing any issues.
Whatever you choose, just try to be safe and have a great time!0 -
Well, FWIW, a whole slew of runners do Boston to Big Sur which are two marathons less than a week apart. In fact, the overall winner of April's BSIM was a B2B participant - he ran Boston, flew out to CA and WON Big Sur and set a combined time record while he was at it. He's obviously an elite runner - but having done Big Sur myself, I can tell you that it wasn't just elite runners doing the B2B challenge.
I think if you reset your expectations for both events and don't push too hard in either, you'll be OK.0
