Can I Run Both the Salt Lake and Ogden Marathons?

Can I run both the Salt Lake and Ogden Marathons?
Tia from facebook

In 2009, the Salt Lake Marathon (April18th) and Ogden Marathon (May16th) are 4 weeks apart. Tempting isn’t it? Why not run both! Well here are a couple questions to answer and ideas to mull over while making your decision.

Do you care about your finish time?

If you DON’T care about your time and you are doing these marathons solely to be a part of a really cool event, then the answer is pretty simple, run both. There are still some cautions here though. First, run both races at a very comfortable and conversational pace. Second, fuel really well throughout the marathon with gels/water or carb drinks every aid station. You will also need to walk through each aid station so you are getting enough food and water. If you do the above two, then Salt Lake Marathon won’t take as much out of you. And then third, rest plenty following the first race. The first week should be off, the second with some light 30-45 minute running, the third week can have an hour run thrown in to make sure you feel okay and then the 4th week is 30 minute running again to rest for Ogden. If you feel like your body is ready to go, then have a great time running Ogden!

*If you are a first time marathoner, then I recommend choosing only one marathon. If you would like to do another in 2009, then wait for a fall marathon.

Do you care about your finish time?

If you DO care about your finish time, then pick one marathon or the other. If you want to participate in some way in both events, then you can always run the half marathon at one or the other. If you run the half marathon at the Salt Lake Marathon, then be disciplined enough to run it at the pace you are trying to run your full marathon at and not any faster. This will be a great workout for race prep and give you an indicator of if your planned marathon pace is realistic. Then, you follow up the half with your last long run the following week and you’re set!

If you decide that Salt Lake Marathon is the place to attempt to run a fast marathon, then you can always come back and run the half at Ogden according to how you feel. I do NOT recommend running another marathon no matter how you think you feel. The reality is that marathons are very tough on the body at a deep cellular level. You are far more beat up and broken down than you realize, especially if you are trying to run a fast time. So pick one marathon or the other, be kind to your body and it will rise up to the occasion much better than if you overuse it.