Name

Dave

Sex:

Male

Age (at the time of first BQ):

55

Height:

5’7″

Weight (at the time of first BQ):

147

At which marathon did you get your first BQ?

Marshall University Marathon

Tell us a little about the race.

30 degrees w/ 5 mph wind at start. Flat, double loop course in Huntington, WV. Paved city streets with 6 miles of hard-packed crushed limestone path.

Pace strategy: Mile 1 – 8:45, 2-6 – 8:30. 7-20 – 8:00, 21-26 – 7:45.

Ran first half with a friend/pacer. Hammer Gel every 4 miles. Felt better as the race went on. Fastest mile was #26 – 7:20.

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

42 years

Did you run in college or high school?

                Yes

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

15,000

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

1,600

Approximately how many races did you run in that year?

7

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, Hansons Brothers with tweaks.

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

No

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?

Absolutely.

Speed in the early weeks (18) and then more strength. Two days per week.

Weekly tempo runs at half marathon pace (up to 10 miles). Intervals of varying distances/reps from 12 x 400m up to 6 x 2400m.

Long runs were at marathon pace (w/ w/u and c/d miles). By race day, MP was locked in.

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

1. Determine the right training pace for intervals, tempos and pace runs. It has to be one you can work with. Workouts should leave you tired but still able to complete the next one. If not, then it’s too fast. Easy runs will be easy/slow in part because you’re tired from the quality runs.

   2. Don’t over race. I like one race (13.1) at 8 weeks from marathon day to gauge fitness. Shorter races are a distraction from focused marathon training, and longer ones just beat your body up. Stay focused on the prize (BQ).

   3. Should also note that while I have been running since I was 13, I started marathons at age 50, 5 years before my BQ.