What It’s Really Like to Train for Two Marathons in One Season

Have I mentioned I’m running a marathon Sunday? Because I’m running a marathon Sunday.

As in…three weeks after the last time I ran a marathon. After being injured for a good portion of the summer.

LIKE, WHAT?!

I took off most of July from running on the advice of my physical therapist and running coach. Some people have questioned why I pay a coach when I can download a plan off the Internet or devise one myself. I’ve had amazing results since I started working with Jess, but having someone to help me make smart decisions coming back from injury was completely invaluable. I trust Jess implicitly, and I knew that between her and my PT, I’d be able to get through this experience as safely as possible.

That said…

The Good 

• I managed to go from cleared to run a 5K August 1 to running a marathon on October 11. Though I always wondered how quickly I could get marathon-ready, I was never ready to test it with anything shorter than a traditional 16-week program.
• I ran two half-marathons and did a triathlon in those 10-ish weeks, with the tri just five weeks after I was cleared to run again.
• I ran that marathon faster than my first two!!!
• Just one week after Chicago, I ran 15 miles. That is INSANE to me. (Granted, I took it easy for me, but still, I ran 26.2) The year the NYCM was canceled, I struggled to get through 8 miles a week later.
• Though I had some pretty intense calf pain the week after Chicago, I really haven’t felt much rougher for the wear.
• I’m proud of myself for even attempting this. I know I can do it, which is a big change from three years ago, when I was TERRIFIED to try for two in one year and dropped down before even getting to the halfway point in Rehoboth. (But if I have to be fair, I think I knew I was going to do that.)

What I Didn’t Expect

• Confusion: am I tapering? am I recovering? What am I actually doing? Am I coming or going?
• ^^ How do I eat for this?
• Two marathons with only two weekends in between equals awhole lot of not running/exercising. Since the week of Oct. 5, here’s roughly what my weeks of training have looked like:
  • Oct. 5: taper – 2-3 short runs
  • Oct. 12: recover – 1 run during the week, 1-2 classes, 1 weekend long run
  • Oct. 19: OOH a semi normal week of running! ~3 runs during the week, weekend long run
  • Oct. 26: taper again! 2 short runs during the week, THREE REST days, a shakeout on Saturday morning
• I didn’t expect that the above schedule would drive me a little nuts. I’ve had one week of normal-intensity workouts, and I am craving that normalcy.

If you’ve ever run back-to-back marathons, what have you learned (especially that surprised you?)

Related posts:

1. On the Express Train to Taper Town
2. Running for Mike
3. Prognosis: Good!