Thirty eight years of running and then a BQ! Congrats Tim!

Name

Tim Healy

Sex:

Male

Age (at the time of first BQ):

60

Height:

6′         

Weight (at the time of first BQ):

148

At which marathon did you get your first BQ?

Erie Marathon

Tell us a little about the race.

The last date to qualify for the following year. Course is flat and fast, said to be the flattest qualifying course (though some are net downhill). Two loop course in a state park peninsula that juts into Lake Erie. Beautiful views.

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

38 years.

Did you run in college or high school?

No

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

No clue, but 1000s of miles

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

1300

Approximately how many races did you run in that year?

8-12 including 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?

Yes, Higdons “running consecutive marathons plan”. I had done a full ironman just seven weeks prior, so training was not optimal with the limited recovery so I just trained to qualify, not to run my fastest time.

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

No

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

As an ironman athlete, I train regularly in swim, bike and strength training as well as yoga and meditation. They help me remain injury free.

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

Absolutely. Track workouts weekly as well as weekly tempo runs.

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

Aside from the obvious need to train as efficiently as possible while remaining injury free, you must choose your BQ race wisely. Flat course, not too crowded on a cool day. Train to run an even BQ pace. Don’t expect to do anything on race day that you haven’t been able to do during training.