Due to some weird race shuffling, I’m signed up for three half marathons in seven week’s time (January 27th, February 24th and March 17th. They are all similar courses (All in Central Park, with only the third race, the NYC Half, leaving the park at mile 8 or something.)
Having been seriously lazy the past month or so, I’m going to be the least prepared for January, but I’m wondering if anyone thinks it’s a mistake to try and race all three times, assuming the weather cooperates. I normally train in Central Park, so the hills aren’t an issue. During the weeks that there’s no race, I’d be just running as many easy miles as I could, with maybe one day of speedwork each week.
I guess my other option would be to be prepared to race each time and see what weather each day brings.
Has anyone done anything similar? How did it work out?
I did a half-marathon last year in April and finished 7 seconds behind a PR. Two weeks later, I ran a marathon and finished with a 3 minute PR. 6 weeks later, I ran a second marathon and ran that one 3 minutes slower than my new PR (but beat my previous PR by a few seconds). So my take is that it's possible to race all three, but don't expect all PRs. One will be better and the other two slightly slower. I must add that in between races, I continued training as usual, speedwork and all. I just took 2 or 3 days with no running after the first 2 races. I just usually go as I feel...
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
Are we there, yet?
I see no reason not to. There's ample time for recovery and maybe even a week of normal training between depending on your recovery rate.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
I've done that and PRd in two of them (with the middle one being the slowest due to weather). You can do it. Take it as it goes and decide the day prior to the race, based on how the training has gone and how you feel. Good luck!
Damaris
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Labrat
Depends on your recovery, but certainly should be feasible.
I ran 3 HMs 6 weeks apart and PR'ed in all of them in the Fall of 2010.
5K 20:23 (Vdot 48.7) 9/9/17
10K 44:06 (Vdot 46.3) 3/11/17
HM 1:33:48 (Vdot 48.6) 11/11/17
FM 4:13:43 (Vdot 35.4) 3/4/18
This makes me feel better about the 3 I'm racing (in Feb, March, and April). .
Good luck to you!
Formerly Jackie_601 on RW
Next up:
4/27 - Green 6.2 10K
Sounds super reasonable to me, especially since you're not a newbie at the half. But I thought you were running the Central Park Marathon?
Warrior Princess
Mine was a little more drawn out - 10/31 11/18 1/18 but I did better at each. The first was my first half so the times got progressively better. The January half is still my pr - 2 years later.
I think it depends of if you are used to mutliple races in a short period of time and what kind of training you
have been doing. I often do half's within 2-3 weeks of each other. As you said you have been "seriously lazy"
the last month or so, therefore your race effort may not be up to your normal standards for the first one.
There is lots of time between those races if you recovery properly and stay healthy so I don't see
why you cant "try" to race them and see what happens.
Summer of 2010 these races were part of my schedule at age 48 and I did fine. 17 races in all that
summer so I was pretty much racing every 2nd weeked and sometimes 2x on one weekend..
August 14 - half marathon ( sub 2) raced and PR'd
August 27 - sprint duathlon (PR) raced and PR'd
August 28 - half marathon for fun (since it was a 2 race weekend I chose to race the duathlon)
Sept 11 - 5 miler raced and PR'd
Sept 25 - 10 k - PR raced and PR'd
October 2 - half marathon tested pacing for full
October 16 - full marathon raced and PR'd
The time period from the 1st half to the 3rd half was 7 weeks. I only purposely raced one of them but ran sub
2:08 on all of them. Even if I am in marathon training I will take off at least one day after racing a half to let
my body recover, 2 if I feel it necessary.
I think it depends of if you are used to mutliple races in a short period of time and what kind of training you have been doing. I often do half's within 2-3 weeks of each other. As you said you have been "seriously lazy" the last month or so, therefore your race effort may not be up to your normal standards for the first one. There is lots of time between those races if you recovery properly and stay healthy so I don't see why you cant "try" to race them and see what happens. Summer of 2010 these races were part of my schedule at age 48 and I did fine. 17 races in all that summer so I was pretty much racing every 2nd weeked and sometimes 2x on one weekend.. August 14 - half marathon ( sub 2) raced and PR'd August 27 - sprint duathlon (PR) raced and PR'd August 28 - half marathon for fun (since it was a 2 race weekend I chose to race the duathlon) Sept 11 - 5 miler raced and PR'd Sept 25 - 10 k - PR raced and PR'd October 2 - half marathon tested pacing for full October 16 - full marathon raced and PR'd The time period from the 1st half to the 3rd half was 7 weeks. I only purposely raced one of them but ran sub 2:08 on all of them. Even if I am in marathon training I will take off at least one day after racing a half to let my body recover, 2 if I feel it necessary.
That looks a little like my race schedule back in 1980:
September 21 - HM raced (4th best AG rated road race for the year)
September 27 - 5M paced a friend
September 28 - 10K paced a friend
October 4 - 3.25M raced (2nd best AG rated road race for the year)
October 19 - 10M raced
November 2 - 8.4M paced my top girl from the xc team (she finished 2nd woman OA)
November 9 - Marathon raced to 2nd fasted time ever
#dowork
I'd make third one your goal race and use first as training run and second as training run with last 5-6m at goal HMP.
PR's - 5K - 20:15 (2013) | 10K - 45:14 (2011) | 13.1 - 1:34:40 (2013) | 26.2 - 3:40:40 (2014)
Up Next:
???
Thanks, I may just do that, unless the second is an unbelievably gorgeous day and I feel like going for it.
never runs the tangents
I don't know if I could RACE them all but I could treat say the first two like long training runs, progress checks sort of and then race the last one. Would that work?
“Do what I do. Hold tight and pretend it’s a plan!” Doctor Who
I think so. Like I said, if the February date is extraordinary weather for some reason, I may race that and see what March brings me.