Name

Tom Cali

Sex:

Male

Age (at the time of first BQ):

41

Height:

5’4

Weight (at the time of first BQ):

120

At which marathon did you get your first BQ?

New York City

Tell us a little about the race.

It was my first marathon, and I had no idea what I was doing. I seriously bonked at mile 19. Went out too fast and didn’t eat enough before the race. It wasn’t fun, but it was a great experience.

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

6 years

Did you run in college or high school?

Yes

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

15000

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

2500

Approximately how many races did you run in that year?

10

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

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

Yes. Our club does a track workout every Thursday.

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

I’m lucky that I’ve never had to worry about achieving a BQ. Even my sub par marathon times have been well under my BQ time. My qualifying time for this year’s marathon is about an hour under my required time. That being said, my general philosophy is to run comfortably 4 days a week, do a track workout one day, do a long run on the weekend, and take a day off. Track workouts give you speed for 5 and 10ks. 5 and 10ks give you speed for longer races. I also like to run a few halves and 10 milers each year.