“Train fast, train long, then combine them and train fast long.” – Solid advice Cecil, thanks for taking the time to share your story!

Name

Cecil

Sex:

Male

Age (at the time of first BQ):

58

Height:

5’7″

Weight (at the time of first BQ):

134.5

At which marathon did you get your first BQ?

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Tell us a little about the race.

Net downhill course, gravel path – old rail bed, point-to-point, perfect weather conditions, and it was my first marathon. I did everything right and had a perfect race. Time was 3:08:34, BQ at age 58 was 3:40 so this was more than 30 minutes under BQ time for my first marathon.

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

6 years

Did you run in college or high school?

No

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

8000 – That’s a wild guess.

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

1500 more or less

Approximately how many races did you run in that year?

15

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?

I ride my bike in the summer and I did a lot of steep (30 degree slope) uphill treadmill walking prior to the marathon.

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

I have always done a lot of speedwork.

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

Train fast, train long, then combine them and train fast long. Don’t be afraid to run up to 23 miles if you feel the need. I did that 3 weeks out from my race and it was the absolute right thing for my training. Running a good marathon requires a lot of study on the art of running long. I probably spent more time reading and thinking about running the marathon than I actually spent training for it. Research every aspect of it, but ultimately make your own training and racing decisions.