UKC

Ok, I'm hardly Eddie Izzard, but I've just run a marathon and have another in two weeks. On the first marathon I felt tired and sluggish, so what can I do between now and the next one to ensure I am on top form?

I appreciate I can't really get any fitter, but I just want to make sure I am feeling fresh and full of energy in two weeks. I was doing about 45 - 50 miles per week in training leading up to the first one. 3 main sessions of intervals, tempo and long run, with some short recovery runs in between. Should I do any more of this now? For example I could do an 8 mile tempo run on Friday and a 12 miler on Sunday. Is that too much?

Thanks
Damo

In reply to mountainbagger:

Wow that's awesome.

Can't answer the question but just wanted to say it's awesome. (Though I bet the answer to the questtion includes food and sleep)

In reply to mountainbagger:

I would just run a slow 5miles every other day.

In reply to mountainbagger:

Your plan seems fine, although it does depend on how battered, or not, you feel since the marathon.

If you feel ok, you can simply consider your last marathon as a training run.

If I was in your position, which I have been a few times, then make sure you have two or three solid consecutive days of this week.

Next week, just get some shorter recovery runs in with perhaps one perkier, but short interval session mid week, just keep some spring in your legs.

Like you say, you won't improve your fitness in this time, but if you can arrive at the start line feeling relatively fresh and with a bit of spring in your legs that will stand you in good stead.

Best of luck.

In reply to plyometrics:

Ok, sounds good, thanks. Is there any hope of doing better in the second marathon than the first? I did the first 10 miles of the first at target PB pace, but then backed off, partly due to the original plan of aiming for a PB in the second marathon and partly because I didn't feel great. I found the rest of the first one a struggle to finish (it was hot but also legs were tired). I'm not worried about finishing the second one, just whether it is realistic to expect a better time with only two weeks between them?

In reply to mountainbagger: yes, plenty of potential to do better in the second, but you say you felt sluggish and so on? Sounds to me like you've overestimated your pb's pace or you've done too much training too close and not tapered.

What did you run - any splits - 10k, 1/2, last 10k, - more info . What's your desired time, and what have you done previously IN RACES

Based on what you say, your plan is way too hard. 5, 6 miles every second day and no more.

In reply to mountainbagger:

Eat well and get plenty of sleep. Maybe 3 short slow runs in between the 2 marathons but I'd have thought you better to rest than anything else.

In reply to wbo:
I think you might be right and I have trained perhaps a little too hard too close to the first marathon, but I also had a family holiday in the week leading up to it where, apart from a 11 miler along the Devon coastal path 7 days before it I was drinking and eating (and cycling one day) and generally just walking about with the kids. Not sure this was ideal as I probably didn't sleep well and ate too much rubbish!

My marathon PB is 3:18 3 yrs ago. I've done 9 marathons and a typical time when feeling good is sub 3:30. My HM PB is 1:29, though I think I'm more in 1:32 form at the moment. So I set myself with a goal for a sub 3:15 marathon, which I thought was reasonable.

The first 15k was pretty much even 7:20 mile pace, but I deliberately dropped the pace to 8:30 for a few miles after that as I didn't feel great and didn't want to ruin my chances for the second marathon by pushing too hard, then (unwillingly) fell to 9:30 for the last few miles as I felt really tired. It was also a bit too hot for me.

In reply to mountainbagger:

It's all a bit personal, but eat well and sleep plenty. I terms of running, I'd reduce mileage, maybe 5 or 6 miles every other day, but run at least some of it at target marathon pace.

In reply to mountainbagger:

Which marathon did you complete?
I finished a Hardmoors and I think most struggled a fair bit with the heat. I managed a PB for the first half but really faded around midday as the heat increased. It took me 1.30 longer to do the 2nd half than it did the first.

I would suggest shorter runs to loosen and keep legs loose rather than medium/longer runs. As you say you're not going to increase fitness now.
Treat the 1St marathon as your last training run and taper from there

In reply to mountainbagger:

As said above I would go very easy, 5 miles with longer, some strides or a slight up tempo only if feeling frisky.

Bear in mind that your marathon damages all your muscles, tendons, joints etc. You may feel tired and sluggish and think you just need some sleep and food, but in fact your body needs this gentle time out to repair itself. Your muscles are now rebuilding themselves so bear that in mind.

In reply to Oli Greg:


Brighton. By midday it was 21 degrees, which is a bit hot for people who have been training over winter!

London is the next one. Flat road marathons I'm afraid...still chasing that PB (for no particular reason other than I know I can do better than I have so far!)

Thanks to everyone for the advice, very useful. I think I'll stick to about 5 miles every other day with a few strides/short intervals amongst them and some of those miles (but not many) at target MP.

In reply to mountainbagger:
I ran Paris on Sunday. I binned my sub 4:00 at halfway due to heat. Felt lethargic from the start. Managed to sneak in a sub 5:00.

Your body needs about two weeks to build the red blood cells required to cope with the added volume of blood you need when your capillaries dialate in the summer. It can't do this in 2 days.

I would run easy runs of 3 miles for next two weeks.

What pace were you doing your long runs at and what kind of taper did you do?

In reply to DancingOnRock:


10 - 24 milers, 8 - 8:30 min mile pace, give or take.

2 week taper, from 24 miles two weeks before, with usual intervals and long tempo run that week, to 11 miles the week before with a family holiday drinking, eating, walking and cycling (not far!) in Devon in the days leading up to it, including a long drive the day before. Normally I would do a 3 week taper with my longest run 3 weeks out, but I was skiing that weekend!

I appreciate the above probably isn't ideal so I'm just looking for what I can do in these next 2 weeks (well 10 days now) to be as fresh as possible for the next one!

In reply to mountainbagger:

2 years ago I did Manchester followed by London the following Sunday (when they were back to back). I did no running at all in between but did a lot of easy cycling to help the legs recover.

London was 10 mins slower and, to be honest, I felt awful at Tower Bridge! But the atmosphere helped me dig a bit deeper.

I'll be there on the start line next week. Really hoping we don't get the same heat as Brighton!

Good luck.

In reply to JMGLondon:


Thanks, yes fingers crossed on the heat and good luck to you too!