2 ironman 6 weeks apart

when is your first ironman ?

seemingly you already signed up for both IM's, when did you sign up for the 2nd one ?

I'm sure others that have done IM's close like that will comment.

My experience, I've only done 1 IM, which was early Dec, and even though I felt pretty good after, my recovery seems to be pretty long....like more than 8 weeks.

Just now feeling good again to race, but no where near ready for IM distance.

Everyone varies a lot in their recovery, and I don't know how you will recover after IMLP.  I think a lot depends on how hard that race hits you, and how tough the second IM is.

My friend who does IM's like they are a walk in the park, seems to recover really fast. He said he starts swimming right away after the IM, and then starts picking up the training again after a week or so off.

Other than that, I don't have anything else to offer....

I guess as a newbie I should wait how I feel on my first one and do a double next year based on the experience this year.  When you have the chance, can you ask your friend how he trains after?  Like racing again in 6-12weeks after ironman.

thanks for sharing

I did Longhorn 70.3 and then IMAZ 44 days later and felt fine less than a week later and returned to training in earnest.  Everyone recovers differently.  I would caution though, as you are new to the sport, you may run the risk of burnout (mentally and physically) - Kind of like getting 2 holes in one your first 2 times you play golf.  My advice:  Do your first IM, allow yourself to recover and figure out where you made mistakes, then sign up for another one with firm goals on where to train to improve on the first one.  

(Needs to be said - worst case scenario, you run the risk of injury during the first one and cannot compete in the 2nd one)

I've done two IMs in a single year several times, but further apart than 6 weeks.  IM Arizona used to be in April, and I'd then do IM Canada in late August - 18 weeks or so.  Or IMC followed by IM Cozumel in late November - 13 weeks or so. Last year I planned IMCDA in June followed by IMAZ in November - a good 20+ weeks apart, but had to bail on IMAZ due to it being the same weekend as my daughter's "Dad's Weekend" at college.

Since those are fairly far apart, I could generally treat them as separate events and train for it.  But you can't because six weeks isn't nearly far enough apart.

If you really want to do a 2nd IM six weeks after the first, here's what I'd recommend:

• You treat your first IM as a run-up, "long training day" for your 2nd IM which is really the target race.  A lot of plans have a HIM at the six weeks to go stage anyway.
• On race day for your first IM, don't push your effort level, leave something in the tank when you're done. 
• After the first IM, you're back into training that week.  It's more recovery than training, but you train nonetheless.
• Your training is now aimed to peak for your 2nd IM.  Whatever plan you use, use the last five weeks of it.
• Your 2nd IM is your "A" race.  Go all out.  You'll know where that is better after having done the first one.

Smart move - I have friends that were able to meet the same time frame but it was made possible by having two mediocre performances rather than one A-Race effort.

You have to plan to hold back on the first one if you really want to enjoy the second one. Unless you have an extensive background and base in which case I would think you wouldn't have needed input from the board - you would already know.

If it doesn't fill up - then just wait until last minute to sign up for the 2nd Iron Distance. I think this is an option for the race you're referring to.

For me - 6 weeks I felt good but then I did a 70.3 and felt really bad. I definitely wasn't recovered but then again I used the July race as an all-out-effort. Had I planned ahead, I would have had to hold back in the July race.

I plan to do it this year - 140.6 in August and 281.2 beginning of October. I'll just treat 140.6 as a long training day.

I did IMWI Sep 11 then IMFL Nov 5 which is a bit more than 6 weeks apart. Anyhow, my training for my second IM was just to keep my fitness where it was.

The week following WI I swam, and biked just easy stuff, long walks, nothing intense. I listened to my body. I eased back into running the second week and then my training ramped back up for 4 weeks.  I did a lot of short but intense workouts. I only did a couple of long bike ride 80 miles had a 5:40IMFL bike split, and a couple of long runs of 1:30-2:00.

I found it much easier to do 2 Ironman, as your training is already done for the first one, and it is just maintaining fitness.  Also, there is none of the Ironman blues, since you have another race to look forward to.

However, it does depend on how you recover from your first race. I am fortuante and recovery pretty quickly. I do remember when I was training for my first Ironman, there was not way I could not begin to imaigne how people do two or more Ironman in a year, but now I cannot imagine only doing one.  It is an addiction.

Good luck with your race. Enjoy the day it goes quickly