I really enjoyed this BQ(Q) from Heather who qualified after running over 20,000 miles. Thanks, Heather for taking part!

Name

Heather

Sex:

Female

Age (at the time of first BQ):

29

Height:

5’3”

Weight (at the time of first BQ):

138

At which marathon did you get your first BQ?

Chickamauga

 

Tell us a little about the race.

I was sick, barely made it. The course has some hills, small race – no pace teams at  the time.

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

10 years

Did you run in college or high school?

No

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

21000

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

3000

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?

No, my training was loosely based Daniels Running Formula principles, workouts from Gold Elite Plan.

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?

Daniels tempos – 20 min marathon pace, 5 min threshold pace, repeat for 10-13 miles
or 20 min easy, 20 minute threshold, 20 min easy, 20 min threshold, 20 min easy — treadmill workouts with I pace intervals.

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

Do lots of easy miles to support speed work, lose all extra weight. I got down to very low body fat. I have not qualified fatter no matter what training I did. Anyone CAN do it; it’s just harder for some than others, and takes more sacrifice of normal life.