Dirk has a great story about working long and hard to get a BQ and a great blog.Thanks for taking part, Dirk!

Name: Dirk H. http://dirkhayes.blogspot.com/

Sex: M

Age (at the time of first BQ): 42

Height: 6’

Weight (at the time of first BQ): 160, currently 151

At which marathon did you get your first BQ? Tell us a little about the race.

Huntsville, AL, Rocket City. I needed a 3:20 and qualified with a 3:17. This was after a failed attempt 30 days prior. I knew it was my day at mile 18. The miles just kept clicking off and this was the point of the only real hill on the course.

How long had you been running when you ran your first BQ?

About 7 years worth of marathons on 15 years of running.

Did you run in college or high school?

No, I started running 3 months before my son was born and after I quit smoking.

What was your approximate lifetime mileage at the time of your first BQ?

16,000 give or take.

How many miles did you run in the year before your first BQ?

1,761 miles the year before the BQ, which is down from my current mileage.

Approximately how many races did you run in that year?

6 according to Athlinks.

Did you follow a canned program? If so, which one? If not, give us an idea of what your training philosophy was.

Yes, I can’t remember which one, though. I’ve been chasing the BQ every year for 8 years. Lots of different programs. In the end, more miles and pace work worked for me. Typically six 20 mile long runs.

Did you run with a running club or utilize a coach?

Ran with a running club to make friends that I ran with regularly.

Did cross training play a role in your training?

Big believer that core work helps to maintain form in the later stages of the race. My routine was a really simple workout with dumb bells about twice a week.

Any other thoughts you would like to share with those of working towards a BQ? Lots of miles for me, but one of my buddies qualified his first time out. Go figure. Key for me was finding the balance of miles without getting injured. It was hard work, but I’m working just has hard now with more miles and running faster.