I risked ridicule and insults and posted a request for responses to the BQ(Q) on the Let’s Run forum.  I think this great response was in answer to that.  Thanks Wade, great advice, especially this:

I would tell anyone trying to get a BQ to worry about 2 things: volume & time at MP. Don’t get caught up in fast reps, or too much cross training stuff. There are no bikes, jump ropes, stair masters, or box jumps, on the marathon course. It’s just running, and how much you run will determine how you perform on race day. The other stuff is just ancillary work

Name: Wade O

Sex: M

Age:  36

Height: 5’8

Weight: 145

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

Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, AL  I needed to run >3:10 and I ran 3:07. Prior to that I had only run 3:20 the year before. I qualified on my 3rd attempt at the marathon.

How long had you been running when you ran your first BQ? Did you run in college or high school?

I started running when I was the 5th grade, ran in HS & college.

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

No way to guess on that. I will just say it was  A LOT.

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

I ran between 40-72 miles per week.

Approximately how many races did you run in that year?

8

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

I didnt use a written plan, (but people should.)  My basic plan was to run 1 med. long run during the week, 10-15 miles, 1 tempo session 6-8M, and a long run on the weekend that was 15-22 miles.

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

No

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?

Mostly tempo runs, no repeat 800s at the most I did some repeat miles at MP.

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

I had been away from the sport for a few years and decided to give the marathon a try. My first marathon was a total disaster, my second was better and I got my BQ at my 3rd. I have to say I was VERY VERY happy. It gave me a huge sense of accomplishment. I still remember how happy I was after finishing and beating my goal time by a full 3 min.          I think adding that extra medium- long run during the week helped me a lot. I would tell anyone trying to get a BQ to worry about 2 things: volume & time at MP. Don’t get caught up in fast reps, or too much cross training stuff. There are no bikes, jump ropes, stair masters, or box jumps, on the marathon course. It’s just running, and how much you run will determine how you perform on race day. The other stuff is just ancillary work.