Running more than two marathons a year, a good idea?

Running a marathon is one of the hardest tests (with permission of the ultradistance races) that can be faced by a runner. Although the hardest thing is not to run the “D-Day” or make that effort that you have been waiting for so long: the hardest thing is to stay firm by doing each of the workouts during the months leading up to the race.

Each marathon requires a minimum of 12 weeks of specific preparation: three months in which the quality of training and nutrition are taken care of to the maximum, in which a great load of kilometers is realized and in which we prepare ourselves physically and mentally for the race.

Apart from some phenomena like Ricardo Abad, practically super men, who are able to run 500 marathons in 500 days or 100 ironman in a year, most runners opt for one or two marathons per season . Is it a good idea to go from this number?

Obviously, each body is different and it is not possible to give a clear answer in this matter: perhaps a person with a very good genetics, who has trained for a long time and who is able to manage the effort optimally two marathons a year will be they are short. But we speak of the common mortal: of those who suffer at least a little with each preparation.

Not only must we take into account those three months of specific training for the test, but we can not lose sight of the time our body takes to recover after a marathon . Usually a month of recovery is usually scheduled (which does not have to mean a total rest, which may include other sports activities or also a soft race) in which both body and mind can recover from the effort made.

This would give us a total of four months per marathon, including specific preparation and post-race rest. Taking account, we could run about three marathons a year. However, starting a new intense training cycle only one month after completing a marathon can take a toll on both mental and physical attrition: mental stress, greater ease of injury, possible muscular overload …

Most experts recommend taking a time after the post-marathon break to assess how our body responded to the effort and how we felt during those months of training: perhaps because most runners often choose to run two marathons a year, one in the spring season and one in the fall / winter.

It is normal that the moment we finish a marathon we see strong and in full form to point to the next and start practicing practically immediately. However, respecting rest times will give us better results in the long run.

Personally, this year I have scheduled the Madrid marathon in the spring season(which will be my first marathon) and the one in Florence for winter , next November. I think they are spaced enough to be able to recover well between them and to be able to train to give everything in both. For now, with two a year and a few stockings I have more than enough: later, time will tell.

How many marathons do you run each year?