In episode 20 of the WALK Magazine Podcast, my friend Deb and I talk about the Skyline Chili 3-Way with Extra Cheese Challenge that was part of the Flying Pig Marathon weekend in early May. The 3-Way Challenge is a 3-race series that ends with the Flying Pig Half Marathon. The Extra Cheese adds a 1-mile race on Friday night of race weekend. (The 4-Way Challenge finishes with the full marathon instead of the half.)

Cincinnati is a great city and the Flying Pig is one of my favorite half marathons. It’s a pretty race with fantastic crowd support. Plus the swag – a nice backpack, five shirts, six race medals…

We also talk a little about the Run for Home Challenge – a 10K and half marathon we walked in April in preparation for the Flying Pig.

We both agreed we probably should have trained differently for these events. Here are six tips for training for and finishing multiple races back-to-back:

• I didn’t train hard enough. If you typically do long days of 10-12 miles for a half marathon, I’d recommend going farther.
• Practice back-to-back long distances over a weekend at least once.
• If you are staying in a hotel, try to find a location close to the starting lines, especially if the races are in a big city.
• Bring more than one pair of shoes in case of bad weather.
• It’s OK to take a nap after any of the races. If you need a special pillow, bring it with you.
• Finally, take it easy and enjoy the races. There is no need to go all out for the first one, then have nothing left for the last race.

For more information:
Flying Pig Marathon 3-Way — flyingpigmarathon.com/events
Run for Home — www.runforhome.org
Women in Sports Radio — www.wispsports.com

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