Forums >General Running>Biting Off More Than I Can Chew?
Allow me to preface this thread with the fact that I hold no "preconceived notions" that I am a fast runner. I know what I am, what I can do...and I am happy with that. What I don't want to do is "hurt" myself...and I have felt pain for weeks on end when I "did it wrong"...which brings me to my question...
I'm registered for the Davis Stampede Half on 2/3. I'll be running on a regular basis up until 3 days prior and then rest until the half. I then have the Oakland Half on 3/24. No worries there either.
What worries me is the Elk Grove "Running of The Elk" half on 4/7...just 2 weeks after Oakland.
I "think" I can do all of them running with no walking, but any suggestions/advice on how I should plan out a regimen would be appreciated since I really am just a guy...who runs. Heh.
A Saucy Wench
without any idea of what kind of running you currently do there is really no way to answer this.
I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets
"When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7
20-30 miles/week mixed between TM and road work. Just finished a 10K yesterday with no prob.
The first two are far enough apart (7 weeks) that recovery should not be an issue and you should
be able to race both if you choose. For the 3rd one I would just take it easy and enjoy the experience.
Summer 2011 at age 49 I did these races (plus others before and after)
August 14 - half marathon (raced it)
August 27th - Sprint du (raced it)
August 28th - half marathon (just for run)
October 2nd - half marathon (to test marathon pacing)
October 16 - full marathon (raced it)
So I guess that was 3 halfs in 7 weeks plus the sprint du, the followed by a full 2 weeks later, with no issues at all
and PR'd on the marathon. Now I have been running 1/2's for 10 years and fulls for 2.5 but I think anyone who
listens to their own body cues, and takes rest/easy days as necessary during that 7 week should be able to pull it off
and have fun.
If you are looking to run your best race I would use the 1st to test pacing, that will give you an idea of
what you can handle, then race the 2nd one, then have fun and celebrate on the 3rd one.
Kewlness....Thank you for the suggestion(s).
Run Like a Mother
I was also going to suggest running the 3rd one for fun and not trying to PR or race it. I don't really have a clue, but I would think you would be okay with the first two as they are further apart. Have fun!
I remember reading something years ago saying that full recovery from a race should take one day for every mile in length the race was. So 2 weeks should be just enough time to recover from racing 13 miles.
In fairness, I've never done it so I can't provide any personal perspective on it.
Just listen to your body. I recently ran 2 full marathons 3 weeks apart, and PRed both. I took a lot of down time in between and wasn't shooting for time in the second race, but I felt awesome that day and pushed my pace, finishing 4 minutes faster in the 2nd race.
Donate to my NYC Marathon fundraiser for Every Mother Counts!
NYCM: 11/4/2018
Hey Pinegrove, it would be really helpful if you had a public running log. That way you could get much better answers to questions like this.
Done. I thought it was. Sorry 'bout that. Still learning the ropes of the site.
i think you're right to be slightly but not overly concerned about the half 2 weeks after your previous half.
I'm not a long time grizzled vet runner, just an old guy like you who runs, but if i were pressed to put my 2 cents in, i would recommend getting your mileage up to 35 mpw or so with a long run of at least 12 miles.
I found that after running my first (and only) "big" race last october, i went through a 2 week recovery phase followed by a fairly noticeable increase in fitness. This increase allowed me not only to run longer runs but to not need a day off after my long run. I was able to run 12 miles one day and 8 the next, no problem. So if you can get to that point after your feb, 3rd half's recovery phase, you'll be more ready for the very closely spaced halfs you're going to run.
During my recovery phase, i ran every day, for 2-3 miles. I felt it was important to run, and not to just take days off. I have no scientific evidence at all to prove that running those short distances daily was better than taking days off, but i have the belief that it was. After those 2 weeks, like i said, I noticed a marked increase in my running fitness