2 marathons in 2 weeks - madness?

Anyone who has done this, is it very hard?  Obviously, it depends on background but I am considering doing Chester marathon then Liverpool marathon the week after.  I have both booked in and am working towards Chester as my race BUT a little devil on my shoulder telling me to do both.  I have completed one marathon before (this year, Manchester) and am pretty lucky re injury etc. 

Comments

  • What is your background?  Have you done many marathons before?  If you are a hardened sinner then marathons a week apart are quite doable. 

  • I Think madness would be the last word I'd choose to describe it but I guess it's all about your experience.
  • I did Manchester this year and Sunderland the following Sunday, didn't find it bad, quite the opposite, felt good at Sunderland and was quicker than expected, as long as you've got the miles in for your Marathon youll be fine. Wouldn't advise going flat out on the first one though. Currently I'm injured but still hope to do Loch Ness and Chester which are one week apart, might be a bit slow though.

    Go for it!
  • Bear - background is I'm a solid runner, put in 40-50 mile weeks, most weeks of the year, run 20-22 milers twice a month. Pretty much always marathon ready but only starting upping race distance from HM to marathon this year. I do lots of hills and trails and am a club runner. So not a novice, just am at racing marathons. My aim would be to race Chester and jog Liverpool and wave to my fellow Scousers whilst grimacing and cursing myself. I ran a HM 2 weeks after my last Marathon (yes, I know not the same but just giving some background) and managed a PB and was fine.



    EG see you at Chester hopefully!
  • EG hope injury woes subside - is it serious?





    Reason I have both marathons booked is one was a standby in case of illness etc. however as its getting closer and I feel pretty strong, the idea of doing both (live in Chester, born and brought up in Liverpool) appeals to me...
  • MsEMsE ✭✭✭
    Clearly you are a mad woman. Possibly also asking for an injury. If Chester gets you a PB then you may well jog Liverpool as you claim and enjoy it, but if not, I can fully imagine you (knowing you as I do!) going for it and doing yourself an injury or getting completely demoralised by a second missed goal.



    Just make sure you take Liverpool very easy as you will, regardless of how great you feel, be suffering from muscle damage and could compound that with the second marathon. You would not do two LSRs in consecutive weekends so doing this is breaching your usual rules and you must be especially wary of coming off badly.
  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    I think as long as you keep up your mileage and have the sanity to not do the second if you get injured in your first - then it should be fine. I think it's sometimes hard to employ common sense when you want to do both (I know for me - i'd be stubborn enough to do it!).

    good luck!

  • You would not do two LSRs in consecutive weekends so doing this is breaching your usual rules and you must be especially wary of coming off badly.

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  • There was a bloke on the forum who did three in a row - Brighton, London and Milton Keynes. All in subsequent weeks.
  • Helen Owens75 wrote (see)
     I'm a solid runner, put in 40-50 mile weeks, most weeks of the year, run 20-22 milers twice a month. Pretty much always marathon ready


    No problem, just take them both as long runs, doing two marathons a week apart is easier than running a double marathon, or a 100 miler in a day yet no one would think thats impossible.

  • There are many who have passed this way before, if your used to runing long distances its very doable, just don't expect to PB in either of them. Do nothing in the week between the two. 

    I don't agree with Lardarse though, I have done 3 marathons in 3 days and 100 milers, its easier to keep going for a 100 miles than stop, stiffen up and go again the next day and again the next day.

    Good luck

  • Helen - Injury clearing up but slowly, will still aim for both but won't be flying on either, also with your mileage you won't feel two marathons in a week unless you really attack one of them.

  • At 42 y.o. I did Paris and London two weeks apart and tried to go fast in both of them. It worked up until half way through the second race and the proverbial wheel fell off and the axle dug in the ground. But as I'd already PBd in Paris I was pretty comfortable with that and proceeded to run walk around in 3h30 and had a great time.

    I'll never try to do two fast (i.e. according to my capabilities) maras close together again though. One hard, one easy, that's OK. Your experience may differ though. Good luck. image

  • With your background perfectly do-able (IMO of course).  I did Brighton (PB) and London (15 minutes slower) in 2010.  I did a couple of easy sessions on the turbo (static bike) and a couple of easy swims in the intervening week just to get the blood flowing through the damaged muscles.

  • Race #1, totter #2, sounds like a fine plan!

  • Thanks for advice everyone (MsE, you know I am mad and will do whatever my body allows!)  I will only make the decision the week after Chester.  It just appeals to my nature I think, I don't tend to do things by the book. image


    EG what time would you be expecting to do Chester in "injured"?

  • With such little time to pick up again I'd be happy just to finish, my best ever is only 4:30 was hoping to do 4:15 this year but maybe later in the year I'll try It out at Liverpool
  • By Liverpool I meant the new year one,
  • JeremyGJeremyG ✭✭✭

    It's all perspective and what you are used to - one persons normal is anothers madness. Race one, jog the other you should be ok with the usual provisos - listen to your body etc etc. It depends a lot what you are used to and think is normal! eg next month I'm doing a 3 day 30mi/day event and while I won't be at MP I don't intend to hang about. Has taken a few years to build up but now seems normal to me image

  • I did Cardiff in 4.01 followed by Abingdon 4.05 a week later, that was back in 2005, I was 55 then and suffered no ill effects. I had only been running for a year but had put in the miles.

    If you have done the work and are feeling good, go for it....good luck!!

  • WiBWiB ✭✭✭

    you have loads of tiem between them, no problem at all.

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭
    I think as long as you prepare and manage your expectation then it should be fine.
  • I would have NO expectation on the second marathon, would be more to enjoy the whole marathon experience rather than race it.  I wouldn't care what time I finished second one in to be honest (although I bet it won't feel like that on the day,,, image ) - there are no rules are there?  Horse for courses I s'pose.  

  • Dubai Dave wrote (see)

    I don't agree with Lardarse though, I have done 3 marathons in 3 days and 100 milers, its easier to keep going for a 100 miles than stop, stiffen up and go again the next day and again the next day.

    Good luck


    No one said anything about doing them one day after another, they're a week apartimage 

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