So how is it that I went from absolutely loving the “no race to train for” off season to suddenly having only 12 weeks to prep for two half marathons only a month apart? Hmm…

The truth is I’m not really sure what happened, because the fact that I got into that first race was pure LUCK!

On Black Friday I got a reminder email for the Asbury Park Runapalooza Half Marathon in April, and finally signed up. I knew I wanted to run this one again – it was my first post ACL surgery half  marathon last year and I loved it. They’ve finally repaired the last remaining parts of the course that were still damaged by Hurricane Sandy (plus I just really adore Asbury) so it was a given.

Cut to the following week when I threw my hat into the ring for the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon (scheduled for a month earlier than Runapalooza), never expecting to get in. It was a total blind try: my first time trying to get into anything NYC related that wasn’t guaranteed, I’m not even an NYRR member, I was brutally honest about my 3 hour predicted finish time; to say the odds were against me would be an understatement. But wouldn’t you know it, the Running Gods smiled upon me, and I got in!

So within about two weeks I went from leisurely starting my serious training around the middle of January to “Holy crap I’m running two half marathons within a month of each other with 12 weeks to prep!”

Have you ever found yourself in a similar position? I know I’ve asked about running semi-consecutive races like that, but does anyone have any advice (aside from “don’t fall in the first race”), or other training resources for a condensed schedule? HALP!