I'm doing 2 marathons in two days in January. I'm planning on using a conventional training schedule and just loading up a couple of long runs on the weekend, with the Saturday run at about 75% the distance of the Sunday long run.

Any thoughts, or ideas where I might locate a schedule for this kind of thing?

Thanks in advance.

matt.

I ran the Tahoe Triple marathon last year, which was three marathons in three straight days on a very hilly course. My preparation was a typical 70 mpw marathon training schedule, but with a few back-to-back 20 mile run weekends and two back-to-back-to-back 20 milers (3 days straight). All very easy pace. I was more than prepared. For two days straight, I would work in a couple of days with back to back 20s (you need to understand how to run easy pace long runs). On the first marathon day you'll hold back a bit and make sure you save something. Afterwards if you can take a cold bath immediately following and perhaps a hot tub in the evening, that would help. The next day use up what you've got left. Since doing that race, I frequently run back to back 20s on the weekends now, which is great prep for 50 mile and 100 mile races.

Thanks Formationflyer,

I have a question. What is a typical 70 mpw marathon training schedule? I know you put in major miles, and I have seen posts by you refering to typical mpw in this range. But I have also seen you refer folks to Hal Higdon's schedules as typical. These programs don't approach 70 mpw. HH's Advanced II maxes out at about 50 mpw, with some speed workouts. The Intermediate schedules (which I use) max out at 50 flat. I really appreciate the time you invest in this site, but I always get a sinking feeling when I see that "typical 70 mpw" that I'm undertaining. Do you mean typical in terms of mileage distribution as opposed to mileage total? Any clarification would help, cause I can't stand a mystery. By the way, I have bumped up my planned back-to-back trainers from 15-20s to 20-20s. thanks!

Ok, certainly a valid question and a good point. My suggestion is something that will minimize the pain of the back-to-back marathons, but it is certainly more than the minimum you need to do. You certainly can get by with 50 mpw of running and, really, 15-20s will be of reasonable utility. Pfitzinger has a 70 mpw schedule, but I don't really bother with detailed schedules. A 70 mpw schedule for me would look like this for M Tu W Th F Sa Su:

7 0 13 10 7 13 20

and for back to back 20s, I'd just change the Sat run to 20 and cut out from another day if so desired. If you're going to use a schedule like that and you're used to running lower mileage, then you really don't want to do much in the way of speedwork and maybe just a few miles a week at tempo pace (I don't do any speedwork or tempo pace runs).

One reason I emphasized the mileage is because if you're doing two 20 milers in a week then you need to have enough overall mileage to support two long runs. For the most part, you should be able to follow HH's highest mileage plan minus the speedwork, and replacing one of the race pace runs with another long (but easy) run. I am pretty flippant when I talk about these things, but that's just because all of the details don't really matter. What's important is that you don't run most of your mileage too hard, you incorporate plenty of recovery, and you cut back if fatigue starts to really accumulate.

Just to follow back up, I'm assuming you've run a few marathons before, is that right? I'm also assuming when you said two marathons in two days, you meant back-to-back days? If either of my assumptions is wrong, let me know because my answers will change!

Yeah, my first marathon was LA in 2005, and I've run 6 since then. So I've run a few, but still a beginner by the standards of lots of folks I talk to. And yes, back to back days. I'm running the Habitat for Humanity Diamond Valley Lake Marathon in Hemet (the name is almost as long as the course) on Jan. 20, and the Carlsbad Marathon on Jan. 21. Training has gone well, and I feel ready.

Thanks for all the help, and sorry about the slow reply.

sorry it this is the wrong forum, does anyone reside near Burbank CA?

Yes, I do. I think this is the wrong forum. What's up?

how did your double go, by the way?

As a running experience it did not go well at all, but as a life experience it was fantastic.

I injured my knee coaching my kid's soccer team about two months before the event, and had to miss a lot of training runs right when I was supposed to be hitting maximum volume. In fact, I did not run at all during most of the December preceeding the late January event. I did a 12 mile run early in January and felt fine, and just did shorter runs, 8 mi and under leading to the event.

When I did the first marathon on Saturday, I only got halfway through it before I was experiencing pain in my knee to the point that it affected my stride (favoring the other side). I had to take a bunch of walk breaks, and finished in 4:45. Not too bad considering I'm very much a middle of the pack runner with a PR of 4:01, and most finishes in the 4:15 - 4:20 range.

When I woke up on Sunday for the Carlsbad Marathon I had such sharp pain in my knee I could barely decend the steps from my hotel room to the car. I'm sure I was quite a sight limping as I walked to the start line. I decided to try to walk the marathon if I could.

Once I got going I was able to walk ok, I even tried running several times but could go no farther than a couple hundred yards or so before the pain was too much to bear. I kept moving and walked the whole course in about 6:25. Considering the condition I was in, I was very happy to finish. I've never walked a marathon before, and don't plan on doing so again, but it was a really wonderful experience. My friend walked the whole thing with me, even though he was perfectly healthy. That was very nice of him. It was nice to come in with the truly back of the pack people who are perfecty satisfied just to finish. Anyway, I'd like to try to do it properly, I believe I can do it.

Since then (Jan. 2006) I've been more focused on Triathlon, and just completed my first Ironman in mid April. I am looking at a couple of Fall marathons in this area though, and have had a hard time deciding between one of my favorites, the Long Beach Marathon, and an inaugeral event, the Pasadena Marathon. I recently checked the calendar and realized they're fully a month apart! So I'm considering doing both of them. Hmmmm.

Anyway, good to hear from you FF, take care.

matt

sounds great, I do a lot of tris as well, but I mostly focus on ultramarathons. glad you made it through it and hope you come back to try it again!