I read in Inside Triathlon that people are really starting to go for 1/2 IMs because the recovery is so much shorter than for a full IM. (I assume that is mainly because 13mi run is so much easier on you than 26mi run recovery since the non-load bearing sports recovery is just about fitness, not about pounding). They even said that one could race 1/2 IMs every other week if you were in shape. COuld that be?
So I have 2 questions:
a) How long after a 1/2 IM before you would consider doing another tri of olympic distance?
b) In the training program I am on for the 1/2IM, the run prep is pretty close to the beginner’s marathon training from runners world except for the one ultimate 20 mile run training they have 3 weeks before the marathon. If I did the 1/2IM that day, instead (yes, less running but still 6-7 hours activity seems pretty good), do you think it would be realistic to run a marathon 2-3 weeks later or should I still be recovering?
I did the Peterborough Half Ironman last year ~July 10th.
3 weeks later, I did the KTown Tri Long Course. Felt pretty good as I took some recovery days aftet the Half and then just maintained my fitness from the Half.
BUT…everyone recovers differently. The first time I did a Half IM, I wasn’t too thrilled to be biking with the local club 5 days later!
For question B: Having done 1 marathon and a poor job at it, I couldn’t tell ya what to do
I am quite similar to Irongirl. I did the Parry Sound 1/2 and then did Wasaga Beach Olympic 3 weeks later and did fairly well. I felt a little sluggish in the beginning of the run but it went away. I think a lot depends on how long you have been doing this and how easy do you recover from a hard race. For instance I races the White Lake 1/2 down in North Carolina which is as flat as a pancake. I was able to work out 4 days later no problems at all. But then I did Peterborough and I was out for about a week and a half. So many variables in the equation it is tough to give a blanket answer.
A) my personal experience is that the 1/2 IM was much less taxing on my body that the 50K (trail run) that I did. I would feel comfortable doing a Olympic distance 2 weeks out.
B) What is more important to you - the 1/2 IM or the marathon? The 1/2 IM will not (in my opinion) prepare you for the marathon like a 20 miler will. You need to get your legs used to running for several hours (depending on your pace of course!). Cycling does not carry over to running very well for me. My legs have to adapt to the pounding that 20 miles will give them.
In my case I am doing another 1/2 IM in 2 weeks (4 weeks out from the 1st one), and then a marathon 10 weeks later. During that 10 week period my focus is running, period, with some cycling/swimming just as cross training.
It depends on many, many things, including your fitness on race day and how the race itself went. If I’m in my very best shape, as I’ve been on 2 occasions where I’ve done 1/2, AND if the race goes perfect and I leave it all on the race course, then I’m wasted for 3 to 4 weeks. If I’m not in my best shape and I don’t gauge my effort well (as I did when I blew to pieces the first three miles of the run a few years ago, forcing me to shuffle my way in) then the recovery is much, quicker. It took over 6 weeks to recover from an IM 2 years ago when I had my best race ever.
Everyone is different, and every circumstance is different. LMy suggestion would be to listen to your body and only worry about the next race.
