You should post this on the main forum.

RACE both? No.
If the goal is to finish to knock the states off your list, it is possible to RUN both and finish them.

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

As someone who would actually consider something similar, I'd say NO unless you actually are OK with the possibility of 5hr+ for both races. AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

Thanks TC and AP. Both responses make sense and my gut tells me no. It is my emotion that say "sure give it a try" :)

If your goal is to finish both, and you *promise* to not care about your time, and you can *actually* hold back on the first one and run a pace ~:20-:30sec/mile slower than what you would normally do, AND you can rest and recover between- i.e. no late nights, heavy workload, excessive travel, get 2 massages and watch a lot of TV/read books with your legs up, AND you have no nagging injuries right now...

I would say do it.

If you've done 27 marathons your body can easily handle 26.2 x 2 one week apart, but NOT racing them!!! Just running at a strong tempo pace!!

I love this kind of shit. Quantity over quality is sometimes hella fun.

If you've done two long runs a week apart - what's the difference if both happen to have more company then normal? Its very doable. Just adjust time goals as appropriate.

You will have to throw away some of the "accepted" ideas of running marathons to finish the 50 States without huge time and money expendatures. Looking for doubles and week apart races is part of the fun. Its when you do three marathons in eight days is when you know there is an issue :)
In terms of experience with this sorta thing, I have done it a few times and only once had issues and a lower then expected performance. For background, I finished the 50 States in 2010, running three week Sparta and four doubles. My times were between 3:00 and 3:30. This was back when I was a runner though. I did Indianapolis and Columbus the same weekend to get those States done. I really enjoyed Indianapolis - but don't know if its the same course still. And in terms of times, as I got more used to the back to back and doubles, my times didn't change that much from race to race. Did a 3:09 Saturday race once and a 3:09 for the Sunday marathon. Does that mean I could have run faster had I done one quality marathon? Yea - but I wouldn't have had as much fun. I say go for it...
(Edited to fix typos)

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Vale!
Tracy T
http://www.thelencoaching.com
Some light reading::: http://www.tracythelen.blogspot.com

Yes it can be done. People do tougher events on a regular basis. Look at some of the multi-day ultras such as Marathon des Sables, Trans Rockies and double Ironmans. With the right training it can absolutely be done.

As already mentioned, be sure your expectations are adjusted accordingly.

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Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce

two 3:09s a week apart, that's awesome! What is your PR?

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

It was actually a day apart :) New Hampshire Saturday, drove to Maine and did the Maine marathon Sunday. Or the Missisippi and First light marathons. A little nuts....

I ran 2:55 on a flat course (Myrtle Beach, 2007) and 2:48 on a downhill alltitude course (Top of Utah, 2003)'

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Vale!
Tracy T
http://www.thelencoaching.com
Some light reading::: http://www.tracythelen.blogspot.com

Nice. I've run the Maine Marathon (I am from Maine) !

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

I think it's possible, especially since you're clearly an experienced marathoner. (Just my experience) You just need to plan differently in terms of mileage. About 16 weeks out you should build in a 2nd long run. So for instance if you are running long Saturday gradually add miles to Sunday until eventually you might do something like 20/18 one weekend. That way you get use to running on tired legs. I ran 5x's a week and at least 1x a week (Tuesday was my day) I did a 7-9 mile run. Worked for me and I know it works for lots of ultra runners.

Bottom line, you can do anything you want. Might not have the fastest times but if you're determined to do it... you will! :)
And I think it's awesome.

Thanks Tracy. Great info. One of the challenges for me is that many marathons are in October/November so to get it done I am going to double up on some. Can you please share which of the back to back and doubles you completed? I am looking for some ideas.

I can promise not to care about my time, I can hold back as this is about the experience not the actual time, I might be able to do all of the rest week stuff - that would be most challenging. I like the thought of 2 massages in a week!

This is great advice, I had not considered adding a long run on Sunday - starting small you say and build up.
I have a dream, fueled by AndyPants, to run the Comrades marathon one day. Maybe JenSW will join me as a team for the Ultraman Florida - she wants to run, I want to bike, now just need someone crazy enough to swim 6.2 miles!

Hi TC,
I was going to start another thread to ask you this: What can you tell me about the Mount Desert Island Marathon? I checked out the website videos and the course looks pretty but COLD in October.
Thanks, John

Marathonguide.com has most of the marathons in the country listed, with comments and details. The 50 states groups also comb through and put together lists of doable doubles. The other thing I did was have a mental list of the races and states I still needed to run. I would randomly check airfares to different locations before signing up for races and often times just go with the cheapest tickets for that week. (Hello Ellerbee Springs Marathon!) I didn't usually have my heart set on one particular race - it was what worked out best with school, work, and travel. When I was doing doubles I looked for one major thing - driving time. Running a marathon at any pace, then getting in the car and sitting for a pile of hours isn't the best. I think we tried to keep the driving time to under 5-4 hours. Anymore then that was torture. With that said, I've done Sat/Sun four times - some of these races may not even be around any more and dates shift.


1 - Triple Crown Trail Dawgs Marathon (Delaware) on Saturday then New Jersey Shore Marathon (New Jersey - 3:23) on Sunday. This was the crazy, explore the east coast trip, and we followed those two with the Potomac River Run Marathon (Virginia - 3:13) the next Sunday
2 - Indianapolis Marathon Saturday (3:01) then Columbus Marathon on Sunday (3:28)
3 - Mississippi Marathon Saturday (3:10) then First Light Marathon (AL - 3:06) on Sunday. This was too long of a drive between races and wasn't the easiest double.
4 - New Hampshire Marathon (3:09) on Saturday then Maine Marathon (3:06) on Sunday.


We didn't do as many week apart races - finding that much time off work wasn't easy, so when we did it was a vacation.
1 - Cairo Ridge Runners (West Virginia - 3:31) explored the appliachations a little then Hatfield-McCoy Marathon the following week (Kentucky - 3-21)
2 - a fore mentioned three in eight days stunt. That was fun and we got to see D/C
3 - Hartford Marathon (CT - 3:10) then went to Acadia National Park and explored before finishing the circuit with the Green Mountain Marathon (VT - slow, had a bad day and injury 3:30ish)

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Vale!
Tracy T
http://www.thelencoaching.com
Some light reading::: http://www.tracythelen.blogspot.com

 

MDI was my first. I live on the island in the summer. The year I did it, it rained...
It's a little chilly, but I wouldn't say cold (then again, I am from Maine). It's probably not going to be above 55* . It is a long-sleeve sort of race... I wore long sleeves and shorts.
It's very hilly. The Maine Marathon is our "flat" one; Sugarloaf is downhill/flat. But it's a beautiful course and I would do that over Maine if you have the choice.
It has started to fill pretty quickly so if you're interested, sign up when it opens.

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Which one would you choose over Maine - Sugarloaf or MDI?

My wife raves about Maine, especially Bar Harbor, so we want to go for a vacation.

Can you describe the course beauty - MDI vs. Maine? I really like a more nature oriented race and less urban view. The Pittsburgh marathon last week was a pretty ugly course. Very good race otherwise but the scenary was just urban decay.

Thanks for the info Tracy. My friend did the Delaware/New Jersey double which is how I got the idea for my Chicago/Indy try.
I have competed some of the states you have listed but the New Hampshire/Maine double is interesting too.

 

Maine: starts on a path along Back Bay. Pretty little ocean path. Then you get on the road, go over a bridge, and go way out through some neighborhoods - it goes out straight - then a turnaround and you come back through. Lots of trees, but mostly just trees. Definitely prettier than the urban decay you said in Philly.

MDI: WAY WAY prettier. Starts in downtown Bar Harbor; you run out through Otter Creek on a road that goes by a mountain and a marsh in front of it. You go by Seal Harbor Beach, which is super pretty, and just past it, a seawall (15 ft high rocks so when we get hurricanes the roads won't flood). Then you go into Northeast Harbor, running down the main street there... it is a classic little New England harbor - one main street and a bunch of shops. Then you go on the prettiest 2 mile stretch, which is along Somes Sound. It's the only natural fjord in North America (I swam it last year :-) .... that road is RIGHT BESIDE the ocean so to your left there are rocks, lobster boats, the sea... the tree on the course logo is from that stretch. It's miles 15-17. Then you run through Somesville, another cute little village, and the final 10k is that along Echo Lake and into Southwest Harbor to the finish.

Sugarloaf is Maine in spring - lots of green trees and the course runs along a stream (it's a big stream but it's not a river). You also run by Sugarloaf Mountain, the biggest ski area up here. The spring-ness is pretty too.

I guess my recommendation is to run Sugarloaf, but vacation on MDI and bring bikes. You can get way more of the island on bikes (in addition to the marathon course, there's the park loop roads, and you can run on the carriage trails, which the marathon doesn't use at all) but I rarely go up to the Sugarloaf area just to bike (did it last year though because you can ride from there to Canada, which is cool).

But if it's MDI over Maine, then MDI wins hands down.

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Definitely - I started with 20k (Sat) + 16k (Sun) and worked up to 42k (Sat) + 20k (Sun) before switching to the single big days. If you can do 42k then 20k, and not be completely shelled by that, then go for it. Just check the time expectations at the door and enjoy the day(s).

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

Hi Tracy, Jen, AndyPants, TC, and others,

I am not going to run the two marathons 6 days apart but I am on schedule to Run Chicago and then New York City three weeks later. What do you recommend I do in the 2 weekends in between?

Thanks, John

Which race will be the primary race? That will change the training and recovery between events.

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Vale!
Tracy T
http://www.thelencoaching.com
Some light reading::: http://www.tracythelen.blogspot.com

Chicago is my primary - for time. New York is for the experience of the event.

Since Chicago is the goal race, don't worry about NY while you are racing. Focus on the moment and the goal. Then when you finish, it's time to think recovery. You will have the fittness from Chicago to finish New York. I personally am a fan of ice baths after races. N-1 but it has helped me recover quickly. Week one after Chicago is recovery - swim, easy spins, get the muscles flushed from the first marathon. Nothing big or fancy with lots of sleeping. Week two - more of the same, but add in some easy and short runs - but only what you feel like doing. Then it will be time to head to NY - which is an experience.

Hope that helps.

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Vale!
Tracy T
http://www.thelencoaching.com
Some light reading::: http://www.tracythelen.blogspot.com