Running back-to-back half marathons
Thinking back to when I ran back-to-back half marathons (one was on a Saturday & the other one was the following Sunday), the Emerald Bay Half-Marathon and the Rock 'n Roll Denver Half Marathon. This was the first time that I've ever ran two races so close together and I learned several things that worked and a few things that I would recommend not doing! I ended up PRing at both races, beating my first race PR by a minute and then beating that PR by 4 minutes!
DO:
- Fuel properly between races (eat healthy, get a good mix of protein/carbs)
- Get extra sleep that week
- Drink extra fluids (with electrolytes, not just water)
- Limit your travel/ time on your feet
- Add in a few easy runs between races
- An easy strength training/ yoga session between races to ease stress (only if you normally do this; try nothing new during this time)
- Foam roll often!
- Legs up the wall everyday
- Keep your race expectations in-check. Maybe utilize one as a training/recovery run and the other as a potential PR/hard-effort. Listen to what your body needs.
DO NOT:
- Travel in the car for many hours between races (yeah, we drove back from California after Emerald Bay and then I drove to Denver the next weekend..not the best idea)
- Eat lots of sugar/ junk food between races
- Drink excessive coffee
- Skimp on sleep
- Run hard between races
- Not run at all between races
- Have high expectations for both races! Have FUN!