Two races in one day...

[bellrae]

So, my grand plan for November was to do Wine & Dine for my C2C and then the following weekend hit up Vegas to do RnR (as I loved the idea of being on the strip at night for a run). I was all good with not doing Avegners and not having to worry about the crazy registration process.

Then I woke up this morning and realised that the challenge didn't sell out in 30 seconds flat and was only 97% sold and I registered on a whim.

So my question is this - has anyone ever done two in one day? I could in theory do the Avengers half, hit the airport, fly to Vegas and then do the race that night in Vegas as well.

Am I crazy for even contemplating doing both?

 

[DOOM1001]

Here's some youtube videos of Kimberly Markey doing this in 2 videos.

 

[GrandAdmiralStrife]

Wow, Half Marathon and a full ON THE SAME DAY? Maybe THAT should be the real Goofy/Dopey Challenge

 

[Dis_Yoda]

If you feel your level of fitness can handle that. There are a few people on this board that have done a 5K & Half in the same day but other than that youtube video, I haven't seen two halves.

Are you planning on doing the half or the full? If you are planning on doing the half, it may be doable as instead of training for a half you can just train it like you would a full marathon.

 

[FFigawi]

I think you'll be fine doing both as long as you've trained properly. Didn't seem to bother this guy any. Two halves is pretty much the same thing as running a full only with a nice break in the middle. A half and then a full is like an ultra, and those aren't too bad either with the right training.

 

[derekleigh]

As long as you've trained accordingly and can physically be present at both I don't see any reason why not. I've done several double race days, but usually they are a 1-miler or 2K and then a half 45 minutes later. Did one this past weekend actually, a 1-miler and a half. PR on both so I was running hard on both. But if its two HMs, you probably won't be running all out on both.

 

[bellrae]

If RnR do the half of the half this year on the Sunday as well I might downgrade to that (looking at the registration details you can downgrade to a lesser race, so I can downgrade my half registration).

I did the Rebel Challenge earlier in the year and my body backed up really well (my 10K split for the half on the Sunday smashed my time on the Saturday). I actually found the more I moved the better I felt. Also helped that I had a big chat to Jeff Galloway at the expo and he gave me some awesome tips for back to back races that I stuck to and really helped.

I was thinking training wise I would stick to a similar program to what is did for Rebel Challenge and that should help for two races in a day. Unless someone out there has a better suggestion?

 

[FFigawi]

If you're going to train for two halves in a day, I'd view it as training for a marathon, not a half marathon. Your legs are going to be far more tired running a half twice than a 10k followed by a half after nearly a full day of rest. A typical half marathon training program will not get your legs the mileage they need to run 26.2 in a day.

 

[Slogger]

Love out-of-the-box challenges like that. You could follow the Dopey training that RunDisney and Jeff Galloway have shared as that challenge ends with a half and a full. Hopefully not much difference in running first thing in morning and later that night compared to running two mornings in a row.

Only concern I can see might be the air travel from one destination to the next.....flight delays, bad weather, etc.

Sounds like fun. Go for it.

 

[Castle2Castle]

I agree with the suggestion of training like you would a full in order for your legs to handle the mileage within a 24 hour period -- not to mention the added 6.2 miles the day before. Also, I think the rest in between could be a challenge more than a blessing. Pretty much any time I'm finished with double digit mileage my legs are a bit stiff and less responsive if I try and use them again that day. Sitting upright -- as you would be on an airplane -- would probably exacerbate that issue, for me anyway.

A flight to Vegas probably isn't that long, and you may respond differently after running double digit mileage than I do, but it's a flip side to consider about that inbetween period. Not that you can't do it -- I think it's a totally doable challenge -- just think through some worst-case scenarios so you can anticipate the mental and physical hurdles and have a plan to overcome them.

Good luck!

 

[spideymike]

I think you can do it. If you're trained enough for a full marathon, breaking it down into two "shorter" races would work. Just ice while in between!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I have flown within a few hours of really long runs with no problems. I will be flying 3 hours after I finish the NJ half in 3 weeks. The flight will only be a problem if you are the kind of person who tightens up after a race. The real risk, as mentioned already, is flight delays that keep you from making it to the 2nd starting line on time.

 

[Keels]

My only concern would be the flight on a cramped airplane and how my legs would respond - even if it is a short flight.

Good luck with your choice!!

 

[Ariel484]

In addition to what everyone else said, I'd make sure to drink a good amount of water/Powerade in between races.

 

[FFigawi]

In addition to what everyone else said, I'd make sure to drink a good amount of water/Powerade in between races.

And use compression socks or tights on the plane