Forums >Racing>40 Days from Marathon to 50k: doable or crazy?
SheCan
I'll tell you after Saturday. It'll have been 34 days after my marathon that I'll be running my first ultra. It seemed to work well for training purposes though. B U T, it wasn't my first marathon. After my first marathon, I had quite a bit of trouble getting back into the swing of things. I'd suggest that if you do that, don't go all out on your marathon. Keep in mind as you train and run the marathon, that you will need your body in working order to pick up training again after you complete the marathon (though you'd still need some recovery time. I took about a week.)
Cherie
"We do not become the people who this world needs simply by turning our backs on anyone we don’t like, trust, or deem healthy enough to be in our presence. " ---- Shasta Nelson
1500 miles over the course of the year averages out to less than 30 mpw. I am not convinced that that's sufficient time on your feet to be able to do a full comfortably, let alone an ultra. Everyone's different, but after I finished my first full there was no way I'd have signed up for a 50K less than six weeks later. It took a good 30 fulls before I finished one and thought "I could go another 5 miles after this!"
1500 miles over the course of the year averages out to less than 30 mpw. I am not convinced that that's sufficient time on your feet to be able to do a full comfortably, let alone an ultra.
Everyone's different, but after I finished my first full there was no way I'd have signed up for a 50K less than six weeks later. It took a good 30 fulls before I finished one and thought "I could go another 5 miles after this!"
Absolutely. If I decide to give this a go I'd definitely aim for a lot more mileage than that goal in my sig (which I picked long before this idea popped up). As it is, even if I only do the marathon I expect to do quite a bit more than 1,500 miles this year.
For an experienced full marathoner I would say "no problem" to the timing, but for a first timer I would be more cautious. I would certainly ramp up the training, especially long runs and trail runs, and presuming the ultra doesn't sell out I would not enter it until after I had completed the full and decided whether or not I wanted to run 50K shortly thereafter.
I think the day of the marathon also happens to be the day the price for the 50k goes up. As of last year, the race was limited to 300 entrants (looks like they had 274 finishers), but it definitely makes a lot more sense to spend $15 or so extra to wait than it does to risk paying the full price and not being physically able to do it.
Will Run for Donuts!
I'd say it depends on your goals for each. When I do mile repeats 2.5 minutes is plenty of time to recover between them but if I run all out for a mile race I will barely be ready to walk 2.5 minutes after I cross the finish line. If you want to run the fastest possible marathon you can and the fastest possible 50k that you can, then 40 days is probably not enough recovery time. If you want to do the marathon at 50k pace to (a) complete a marathon and (b) prep for the 50k then you should be ok and if your goal is just to complete both then 40 days is probably plenty of time.
I'd say it depends on your goals for each. When I do mile repeats 2.5 minutes is plenty of time to recover between them but if I run all out for a mile race I will barely be ready to walk 2.5 minutes after I cross the finish line.
If you want to run the fastest possible marathon you can and the fastest possible 50k that you can, then 40 days is probably not enough recovery time. If you want to do the marathon at 50k pace to (a) complete a marathon and (b) prep for the 50k then you should be ok and if your goal is just to complete both then 40 days is probably plenty of time.
I agree with this. It's all going to depend on your intensity in your marathon and 50K. I completed my second marathon ever as part of the Goofy Challenge at Disney World (half marathon on Sat., full marathon on Sunday) in Jan. and because I did both races at an easy long-run pace, it was unbelievably easy to finish both events and feel great at the end.
Free Beer
I don't know if there is much for me to add. Back in 2011 I did two marathons within 13 days, and followed that up 42 days later with my first (and probably last) 50 miler. I raced the first marathon, ran the second as a training run and successfully completed the 50 miler.
As others have highlighted, it all depends upon what your goals are with the two races.
I say go for it and enjoy...