Ilene is one of the many runners who make the message boards of Running Ahead so fun and rewarding, thanks for filling this out Ilene!

Name: Ilene (ileneforward on running ahead)

Sex: Female

Age (at the time of first BQ): 58

Height: 5′ 4″

Weight (at the time of first BQ): 129

At which marathon did you get your first BQ?  

Long Beach marathon

What was your finishing time?

4 hours and 25 minutes     (qualified as a 60 year old- ran in 2011)

Tell us a little about the race.

It was a long way

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

6 years

Did you run in college or high school?  

No

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

9,000

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

2000

Approximately how many races did you run in that year?   

30

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

No, do some 20 milers

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

running club

Did cross training play a role in your training? If so, how?   

No

Did speed work play a role or specific workouts play a role in your training? If so, how?  

Nope

Any other thoughts you would like to share with those of working towards a BQ? 

I tried to run faster when I did my long runs and I lost some weight

My BQ time is now 4:25:00 and I ran 4:23 last February so I am going to Boston again in 2013.   I am continuing to set PRs, and I think running consistently, holding down my weight and luck avoiding injury are my secrets.