Two marathons in 4 weeks??

I've just checked my bank account and found that my cheque has been cashed for my London marathon entry (I didn't bequeath my entry fee) so I'm in! Only thing is that I was so sure that I wouldn't get in through the ballot that I've now entered Rome marathon which is exactly 4 weeks earlier! Eeek!
Does anyone have any advice on this? Has anyone had experience of doing this much so close together? I have run London before (in 2006) and have stayed pretty fit since then. Both races have so much going for them- in totally different ways- Rome is amazing scenes- and my first run abroad, but I live in London and I think it would be rubbish to miss it- and having done it before, the atmosphere is amazng!

Any advice welcome! Thanks!

Comments

  • in the mid 80s, i ran birmingham marathon in 3 hours 20 mins,then 3 weeks later i ran london in 4 hours 05 ,i was mid 20s very fit and mad as a hatter, i think you can do it but be careful of injury.take you time  and eat well in the build up,  good luck hethstar. ime sure you can do it so are you.......
  • Hi hethstar,

    I suppose it depends if you plan to 'race' both events, i usually attempt a marathon and use it as a 'training run' or 'long run'  approximately 5-6 weeks before i actually 'race' a marathon.

    The most i've done consecutively is 5 maras in 5 weeks (2004).  Then again more recently i ran Loch Ness marathon (07/10/07) earlier this month in 2.53.57 and ran Snowdonia marathon (last sunday, 27/10/07)) just 3 weeks later in 3.13.05 

    Either way, just go out and enjoy (both events).  No doubt plenty of other forumites will post their own experiences.

  • good going, flying ant.  your not a port talbot boy by any chance?
  • no problem at all

    But dont necessarily expect  good times at both

    that having been said, last year i set a pb twice during 11 in 11 weeks, that wa the fourth and the sixth marathon in the series

  • i was born in taibach, many years ago ant.
  • I did London April last year and Stockholm in june 6 weeks later, both were very hot days

     Can be done obviously but i just focussed on getting around the both of them injury free. May need to alter your goals regarding personal best etc but maybe use the London as a training run to conserve some energy for Rome.,Good Luck

  • Did Seaford mara in 4:58, trying to go nice and slow.  Still felt hard, though.

    A week later did a hilly 10 miler in 1:29, then another three weeks later did Beachy Head mara in 4:46.

    The hilly ten miler was really a mistake (although great fun) as I took a bit of a knee niggle away from it, which slowed me down at Beachy a fair amount.

    So I'd say that two marathons in four weeks is fine if you're going to take one easy and you don't do a hard race inbetween.

    Best of luck & enjoy ! image

  • Great, thanks a lot everyone!  It sounds like it's a lot more common than I thought I know there's always crazy people on the BBC coverage of London that do like 30 in 30 days!).  Anyway, I don't have any time goals set for myself- I did a great time last year in 4hrs12 so I don't think I need to beat that next year!  At least the two are in amazing scenery and atmosphere... just need to get through the winter training now!

    Thank you very much for your advice! image

  • Hethstar...

    A couple of years ago I did the New Forest marathon in 4:21 and four weeks later did Abingdon in 3:43.

    Admittedly I had a nightmare in the New Forest (it was my first marathon) and walked a lot of the second half but I believe that you should be able to set decent times in both. Don't EXPECT to......you won't know how the first race will affect you until after the second, but if all goes well then it's certainly possible.

    Between the first and second races I did the following:

    • Two weeks of rest, running maybe 12-14 miles on the second sunday.
    • 12 miles the sunday before the second race.
    • I also ran with a club twice a week for the last two weeks.

    You would have done all of the training for the second race before the first race so there's no need top bust a gut. Just keep yourself ticking over.

    I was thinking about doing the same next year....but as it's taken me soooo long to get into London I decided to focus just on it. Good luck!

  • this year did the duchy marathon then a few weeks later london both in 3.22 i just used the first as a training run but blew out in london cos of the heat but still did a 3.23.

    if you put some good miles in training  it should be no problem .

  • I did Cardiff last year in 2:52 and then Cornwall 4 weeks later in 3;03 and raced both.....just took it relativelty easy in between with a few 10k sessions to keep the speed up. I reckoned that the first marathon would provide plenty of enudrance training benefit for the second marathon. hoping to do something similar this month, as did the Devon 2 weeks ago and hoping to do Cornwall again in 2 weeks time.

    Port Talbot - Flying Ant/ nogbat - Brought up in good old Sandfields from the age of 2 until left home when 18. Still go back, run the Richard Burton 10k if I can and running the Margam 10K on 2nd Dec. Must be the 'air' that makes us all want to run so far.
  • I will let you all know what 2 marathons is in 2 weeks after the 10th November.
  • Interesting question FA...I was 376 but am 42 now.

    Good luck Tracey G.
  • Ah, a wee bit older than me then   (i'm 38, closely going onto 39, but dreading the big 40 as don't want to be known as a vet)

    I may see you at Cornish mara (if i get the other half's permission to run it), though as i'm unwinding for 2007 won't be racing it (that doesn't mean i'll be much outside 3.15 though)  image

    Yep, good luck Tracey, what maras are they ?  (is 1 of them New York ?)

    hethstar, a running companion of mine who ran Shakespeare marathon with me this year also did Rome and said it was a fantastic race, i'm sure he mentioned cobble stones somewhere along the route. 

  • FA - Being a Vet can be quite motivating, mid life sporting crisis. you'll do well with the times you've been running.

    It'd be good to see you at Cornwall and exchange tales of good old PT. I am probably 50/50 for Cornwall too..but if run will enter on the day depending on the weather - glorious last year but in previous years has been a bit of a struggle.
  • see you lovelies at cornwall

    at the beginning though

    x

  • FA

    I am doing the Five 2 Go Trail Marathon with our lovely Hippo. Got to say that or she will shout at me on marathon day.

  • WombleWomble ✭✭✭
    I did London in the heat then Shakespeare the following week 15 minutes faster. On bu88er all training. I've just done Amsterdam and Beachy Head on similar amount of non-training. It's not a problem if you have a few years of base training in your legs, they seem to shrug it off. I ran fairly hard in Amsterdam but was still fine for Beachy 6 days later. Enjoyed them both in different ways. I'm planning to train for these things one day....
  • I ran London and Halstead this year (Halstead is three weeks after London).

    I ran a faster time at Halstead, I think you have to go with how you feel after the first 26.2. If you recover quickly running a marathon again a month later is definately possible.

  • Yup, I hear half of Rome is on cobbles... just have to hope my knees hold out for London...!
Sign In or Register to comment.