Name

Eric Wheeler (Ewheeler1976.tumblr.com)

Sex:

Male

Age (at the time of first BQ):

39

Height:

5’8″

Weight (at the time of first BQ):

155

At which marathon did you get your first BQ?

Providence

Tell us a little about the race.

Spring marathon, relatively flat, no wind, smaller field with a 1/2 and 5k running at the same time

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

5 years

Did you run in college or high school?

Yes

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

6,000

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

1,200

Approximately how many races did you run in that year?

4 road races, 5 triathlons

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?

Swim, bike, run – went on to do an ironman later in the year

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

Yes, I typically do 800 repeats one week, a tempo run the next and mile repeats the week after that followed by a week without speed work. I also incorporate tempo sections into my long runs i.e.- 20 miles with 2×8 miles at aerobic threshold pace in the middle