Is this daft? From memory, it’s on the cups of decent recovery, but I thought I’d ask around.

The marathon would be a target or really wanting to get a good time. The Ironman not quite as serious.

TIA

Is this daft?

Yes.

TBH I dont see too much wrong with this – Start the Ironman taper following the Marathon, you’ll tick off your longest run box (from memory my last long one prior to an Ironman was about 30k so whats another 10…) maybe focus on stretching / swim technique / spinning out the legs for the week following the marathon.
After my last Ironman I had no problem getting back in the pool, I really didnt want to run for quite a bit though.
Good luck.

Are you Tim don or one of the Cartmells.

If not unlikely to do well in both as target events.

By all means both will be finishable with the right training.

Anyone that pays 700 quid for an Ironman place and risks it all by doing a target marathon 3 weeks before is mad in my book -but then different folks have different financial constraints.

Humblebrag

i’ve done it loads of times. no probs

If the Marathon is the target race and the Ironman a complete rather than compete then go for it. You’ll sufffer during both!

Cheers all, the IM is unbranded so <£300. I’d like to get sub 11 and sub 3 (have come close to both). I didn’t train scientifically for the IM previously and tapering was “gradually doing less”.

Thing is they are both ideal events for various reasons but I guess I need to change one of them…

I did a half ironman 3 weeks before an ironman.

I felt bloody great doing the half.
I felt bloody awful doing the full.

I think a marathon would take a similar amount out of you. and not enough time to recover properly.

The trouble with asking advice about this on a forum is that you’ve got no idea where everyone is coming from in terms of ability and training load and we have no idea where you are.

Personally I would expect to be fully recovered 3 weeks after a marathon but others may not be.

I saw Endgame the same day as I did a long bike ride. Film was good, but my legs were tired.

It’ll be fine, but obviously your IM times will suffer. Not that much, but a bit. Don’t forget you’ll also be missing at least 2-3 weeks of proper bike training that you could otherwise get in.

3 weeks is enough recovery after the marathon to complete the Ironman.  Your problem will be the compromised training leading up to the marathon if you want to set a PB

I think you’ll be fine, albeit the IM will be harder. 3 weeks out is longest run week so you’d likely have done something similar anyway, though perhaps not at the same intensity.
I did a 100 mile bike ride the week before a marathon this year. I can confirm that was not a good idea and I wasn’t fine…

If you were cruising the marathon? No bother.

There’s no way I’d be on form 3 weeks after a fast marathon though.

Lad at work did Ironman Wales and a week later did the Half X up in the lakes, so anything is possible if you’re fit enough.

Last year I did the Etape 1 week after an ironman, actually I felt reasonably recovered and performed OK. I was a couple of weeks after that before running much and legs felt heavy and slow so I’m not sure I would want the two marathons that close personally unless it was done as an easy long slow run. I thought usual advice was no running for a week, then short easy runs for another week before starting to run properly.

3 weeks sounds adequate to me – given that the IM will be at a lower intensity level than the marathon, you should be OK. Obviously everyone bounces back from races differently, and depends on how balls-out you’re running the marathon and how will prepared you are for it.

Of course you can complete them both, but your IM will be compromised.

Also be mindful if you blister easily or pick up injuries.

I bailed out of the marathon at the Long Course Weekend and just did the half, did full swim and bike but felt full marathon would take too much recovery and would compromise training, I was 4 weeks out from an IM.

Interesting spectrum of views now!

I’ve done a marathon 6 weeks after an IM and it’s possible there was compromise, I didn’t beat my marathon time from 5 months previous. For that that’s worth!

I did a bike ride 1 or 2 weeks after the marathon tho and was weak

A friend flew to the US, ran a marathon the next day then drove to a different state and did a 100 mile race a week later. I’d have still been crippled from the marathon. He’s close to having run a marathon or ultra in every US State. Impressive given he lives in the UK.

Merry Xmas all!

Back to this…latest idea is an IM 4 weeks after an ultra. I’ve never done an ultra but have signed up for Devil of the Highlands, and the best ideal slot (allowing for 10UTB and Carlisle marathon, which I hear is fast) is 4 weeks after.

My ultra-running mate says this will be fine, what say you?

Humble brag Willy waving

As ultras go the Devil is pretty easy so you should be fine.

LOL, not meant as any level of brag. It’s 6 years since I was fit enough (mentally more than physically) to consider events like these, and I just can’t remember enough about my recoveries.

Can’t a guy ask a question here anymore?