Michael is fifty and running sub 3 hour marathons. Completely inspiring for an old man like myself. Thanks for sharing your story, Michael.

 

Name

Michael Iverson

Sex:

Male

Age (at the time of first BQ):

44

Height:

6’0″

Weight (at the time of first BQ):

155

At which marathon did you get your first BQ?

New York City Marathon

Tell us a little about the race.

NYCM 2010. Planned and trained to run a marathon 1 year before I actually signed up. I wanted to be properly trained for the marathon.
My goal was sub 3:15, but thought I had a decent shot at 3:05. Ran very consistent effort through 20mi. Tried to speed up a little for the last 10k; tried for 10s/mi, achieved 5s/mi. Finished 3:04:54.

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?

3000

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

1800

Approximately how many races did you run in that year?

13

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, Pfitzinger/Douglas 18 weeks / 55mi

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

No

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

2 weeks of pool running 5 weeks from the race d/t a foot injury.

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

Weekly track workout. Weekly tempo workout.

 

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

It’s easier to qualify for us older folks. I’m 50 now and my BQ time is 3:30. I ran 2:44:04 at Chicago 2016.