Wow, here’s a cool and mysterious one which came in through the online form. Frank was an all American cross country runner and pro triathlete in the 1990s. Here he shares his story of the first time he qualified for Boston. Frank didn’t give us his last name, but I’m definitely curious to learn more. Get in touch Frank if you want to share more of your story!

Name

Frank

Sex:

Male

Age (at the time of first BQ):

28

Height:

6 feet

Weight (at the time of first BQ):

165

At which marathon did you get your first BQ?

Carolina Marathon 1990

 

Tell us a little about the race.

Early Feb. 50 and drizzling. Was first marathon, though was All-American NCAA XC and 1500m. Had been on the triathlon pro circuit. Made a bet for beers to run sub 6:00 pace for as long as we could then get beers. Finished in 2:28.

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

14 years

Did you run in college or high school?

Yes

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

30,000

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

1400

Approximately how many races did you run in that year?

10

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

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

No

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

Had run HS 77-81, NCAA 81-85 Nike Farm Team 86 Triathlon as a Professional 87-92. So I was swimming 20,000meters/wk, Biking 100-250 mi/wk and doing strength training. For 3 month before the BQ, run mileage was only 11mpw.

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

Fartlek, hills and track work were all elements.

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

Patience and persistence. Unplug and enjoy trail running.
Take care of maintenance with rehab/prehab. Strength train. Yoga and Pilates. Diet and sleep. Some barefooting and form work. All of these are key.