Name

Bob S.

Sex:

Male

Age (at the time of first BQ):

34

Height:

6 ft

Weight (at the time of first BQ):

178

At which marathon did you get your first BQ?

Pittsburgh

Tell us a little about the race.

Beautiful morning starting at 54 degrees at 7am. Rolling hills and bridges with one real climb at mile 11. Nice flat last two miles. Temps in the low 70’s by 10am. Great crowd support, excellent marathon.

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

3 years

Did you run in college or high school?

Yes

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

3,000

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

1000

Approximately how many races did you run in that year?

4

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?

Yes

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

No cross training.

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

Speed work helped my legs and lungs get used to sustaining a faster pace and more efficiently using oxygen.

 

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

Do not get discouraged if it doesn’t come right away. The qualifying standards are meant to be a challenge. Speed work is important but I also feel that knowing the distance is even more important. Get your body used to running 26.2. I was lucky to have a great running club with experienced marathoners to help me train. Long runs (20+ miles) at a more relaxed pace make the final miles of the marathon exponentially easier.

If you do a bigger marathon join the pace group for whatever time you need. Pacers are experienced and will help you run consistent miles.

Mostly have fun with it. If you only focus on that BQ any minor issue on race day will hurt you mentally and make it even harder to do. Run the marathon for the joy of running and the experience of being able to do something most people would never even attempt. The BQ will come!