2 World Major Marathons In 2 Weeks

Last Sunday marked the end of my 2026 racing season. Looking back on this year, there's a lot to be proud of, but the post-marathon blues are definitely hitting. Four years ago, I never would have imagined I'd run a marathon, let alone three, and definitely not two in two weeks. To me, that's one of the best parts of running. Things you once thought were impossible become possible, and you get to see what you're capable of when you consistently put in the work.

After getting home from Berlin, I took five days off running before attempting an 8 mile "long run" the following Saturday. I made it 6 miles before calling it. My legs felt heavy, and it was pretty clear I hadn't recovered from Berlin. I squeezed in three more taper runs the following week, but I could still feel those four hours of running in my legs, lungs, and mind.

I had plenty of doubts about whether I could get through another 26.2 miles on legs that hadn't fully recovered. But the energy in Chicago leading up to marathon weekend was hard to ignore. Everywhere I went, I was reminded of how much I love this race and how much FOMO I would have had watching 50,000 runners take on the city without being one of them.

I carb-loaded like I would for any other marathon, but otherwise, my approach was pretty different. For the first time, I lined up at the start feeling surprisingly calm. I didn't have a time goal or many expectations for myself. I just wanted to give it my best effort, enjoy the experience, and hopefully make it to the finish line. Looking back, I think taking that pressure off myself made all the difference.

My strategy was to get to the 10K mark and see how I felt before deciding what kind of effort I could give for the remaining 20 miles. I hit 10K feeling better than expected, so I decided to pick up the pace a little. Before I knew it, I was halfway through and still feeling good, both mentally and physically.

That was new territory for me. In my previous two marathons, the second half had always felt daunting. Even when I was physically doing okay, the thought of having another 13 miles ahead of me was intimidating. This time, I wasn't thinking that far ahead. I told myself to just get to mile 20, and I'd be happy with whatever happened from there.

Somewhere around mile 16, I experienced one of the best runner's high's of my life. I felt strong, I was having fun and I wasn't counting down the miles or wondering when things were going to fall apart.

By mile 20, that feeling hadn't gone away. I was still in a positive headspace and enjoying myself. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other, and suddenly there was only a 5K left. My legs were hurting pretty badly at this point, but mentally, it didn't bother me the way it had in past races. I'd been here before. I knew what those final miles felt like, and I knew I could get through them.

I was already so proud of myself for making it that far, but somewhere in the final mile, I realized I had a chance to beat my Berlin time and set a new PR. That hadn't even crossed my mind as a possibility when I lined up that morning.

I crossed the finish line with a PR and probably the most joy and satisfaction I've ever felt after a run. Without a doubt, this was my favorite marathon so far.

The biggest difference was my mindset. Usually, there's a point during the marathon when I start battling with myself mentally. The negative thoughts creep in, I get frustrated, and I spend a lot of energy trying to convince myself to keep going. On Sunday that just never happened. The race was still physically hard, but mentally, I approached it differently.

I think that's what I'll take away from Chicago more than anything. Having a race where I felt so strong mentally gives me something to look back on the next time I find myself in the pain cave. Now I know what it feels like when I'm not working against myself.

I know just about any advice you'd get would tell you not to run two marathons two weeks apart, and I can't say I'd do it again. But looking back, what a luxury it was to finish one World Major knowing I had another one to look forward to just two weeks later.

Marathon training takes months of work for a few hours of racing, and when it's over, there's always that feeling of wishing you could experience it all again. This time, I got to do exactly that. I'm incredibly grateful for the last two weeks, for two very different marathon experiences, and for a racing season that reminded me why I love this sport so much.

More to come on how Berlin and Chicago compared, because despite being only two weeks apart, they were two completely different experiences.