Two half marathons in one month

Hi all,

Is it safe to run two half marathons in a month?  What kind of training should I do between them?

I'm signed up for the Great North Run on 7 September and the Redcar Half Marathon on 23 September.  I'm following a six month intermediate running plan and if I keep up the training I'm hoping to finish each in under 2 hours.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Comments

  • I'm doing 3 in September - I'm just focusing on 1 as my main race and the others as training/easy runs. I'd take it fairly easy for the few days after the first one and then repeat the taper plan up to the second. 

  • Thanks @Rachelcgen, how long is the taper plan, is that the last couple of weeks?

  • Are they the fiest you've done? If not, you'll know how long it took to get running again after, if first- you should probably take about week's rest, then a few gentle recovery runs the weeks before the second race-you won't need to train between the races- that first race will be the best training run imaginable!

  • tricialitt wrote (see)

    Are they the fiest you've done? If not, you'll know how long it took to get running again after, if first- you should probably take about week's rest, then a few gentle recovery runs the weeks before the second race-you won't need to train between the races- that first race will be the best training run imaginable!

    This. Assuming you don;t get injured 2 weeks is plenty of time between the 2 events particularly after 6 months of training

  • Stephen, yes, a plan would usually reduce miles a few weeks before the race.  There's nothing left to train for, not enough time, you'll have done it all. So rest and then just use the plan and repeat the final runs left in the plan to keep the legs moving.

  • I have a similar quandary. I am doing the Edinburgh Half marathon on 25th May and  was looking to get under 1.50. Out of the blue due to a neighbour being ill, I got offered a place in the White Horse Half Marathon at the weekend and surprised myself with a 1.45.  My legs (and toes) are feeling it a bit at the moment and wondered what peoples views were on the best strategy to adopt for Edinburgh. 

    - Rest for a bit , take things easy and assume some residual retained fitness will see me OK?

    - Get back to the same level of training I had prior to the recent half?

    -Some other alternative?

     

  • Rest for a few days, do some steady recovery runs this week, do a kind of reverse taper next week - so follow your plan but do shorter sessions earlier in the week, back onto the plan the next week up to your next half. Assuming you have a plan?  

  • MR- 25th may is a good few weeks away- you can do a little bit of trainig in the "gap"- but ease in slowly- not too much ( perhpas nothing other than recovery runs) this week and next, then you've got a 2 week window to get a littl bit of traing before you tpaer again. Most importatnt is to avoid over-doing it while legs still tired. Well done on the 1:45- you could easliy find you can beat tht next time, as the benefits will have had time to kick in.

    Good luck

  • I did three in three weeks (15/2 - Dorney, 23/2 - Portsmouth and 2/3 - Reading) this year and felt progressively stronger from week to week.  No issues for me.....

  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    If you've trained appropriately then most weekends you be running 12-14 miles in training so two a month apart is more than acceptable. Its even enough time to take some fitness gains from the first.

    There are a few folk on here who ran the Manchester marathon on Sunday and are doing London this Sunday. Thats perhaps a bit more extreme!

  • Of course it is safe (well apart from the fact that they are in Newcastle and Redcar!)

    Just do some easy runs in the first week, and treat the second week like the week before your first race. 

    Perceived wisdom is to wait as many days as miles you have raced before you race/run hard again, so a fortnight is perfect after a half.

    I ran a marathon on Sunday, and wouldn't really want to run another the day after tomorrow, but I've been back out there running 5 miles at faster than marathon pace for the last 2 days. Might have a pop at parkrun tomorrow and have my eye on a 10k a week on Monday.

  • HankstaHanksta ✭✭✭
    I've been reading this thread as I'm doing 2 half marathons with a 2 week gap between . They are only my second and third races.

    Good advice from forum members , thank you.

    Apart from the poster who wrote "FFS man up" !

    Really not helpful and why in earth bother to go to the effort of writing such ?
  • What is your weekly running mileage?

    What are your times for 5k and 10k?

    According to running calculators breaking 26 minutes for 5k and sub 54 minutes for 10k are bare minimum times needed to run sub 2 hours for HM.

  • HankstaHanksta ✭✭✭
    Sub 2 hour half you need to be doing 9 min miles .

    ( 13.1 x 9 = 118) . So 9 min miles gets you in two mins under the 2hr mark.

    Good luck with your runs . I did stratford on Avon half last week and have the market bosworth next week . All good fun .
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