Ken is another regular over at Running Ahead, the best running forum on the internets.  Thanks for taking the time to respond Ken!

Name Ken (kencamet at RunningAhead)

Sex: M

Age (at the time of first BQ): 36

Height: 5’8″

Weight (at the time of first BQ): 168

At which marathon did you get your first BQ?

Silicon Valley Marathon.

What was your finishing time?

3:14:03

Tell us a little about the race.

I didn’t realize it was a BQ (didn’t know that I had run a ‘BQ’ time till someone told me).  The race was flat, perfect weather, started/finished in the same place (though not out-n-back).  I just ran the best I could on that day, though it entailed a big fade the last few miles including some walked water-stops.  I remember the sun being right in my face for the last 4 miles which psychologically affected me in a negative way.

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

About 6 years.

Did you run in college or high school?

No

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

About 8,000 miles

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

~1500

Approximately how many races did you run in that year?

2 (Si Valley Marathon and Big Sur Marathon)

Did you follow a canned program? No.  If so, which one? If not, can you give us an idea of what your training philosophy was?

I just ran a lot and did long runs of 20miles most weekends.  I think I probably averaged about 40mpw with a peak week of, at most, 50miles.

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

No

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

Probably as I was doing a lot of mountain biking back then.

Did speed work play a role or specific workouts play a role in your training?

Not significant.

 If so, how?

I rarely if ever did any.