I think Allison takes the prize for the least number of miles run (400!) in the year before her BQ. Thanks for sharing Allison!

Name

Allison

Sex:

Female

Age (at the time of first BQ):

25

Height:

5’6″

Weight (at the time of first BQ):

125

At which marathon did you get your first BQ?

2010 New York City Marathon

Tell us a little about the race.

It was my second marathon, and my first NYC. I went in hoping to get a BQ, but really just wanted to give it all I had and see what happened. I hadn’t been doing a lot of pace specific work, and probably only ran 30-35 mpw.

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

7 years as a kid, then picked it up again about a year before i BQ’ed

Did you run in college or high school?

Yes

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

800

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

400

Approximately how many races did you run in that year?

9

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

Yes, Nike+

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

Yes

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?

I’m sure it did! I was doing a tempo, a speed, and a long run, as well as running another day or two.

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

Build a good base before hopping into a training program. Run with a team or a partner. Race a half about a month out from your race as a time predictor.