Excited to share the story of the first time Dan from Canadian Running Magazine qualified for Boston.

Name

Dan Way

Sex:

Male

Age (at the time of first BQ):

24

Height:

5’6”

Weight (at the time of first BQ):

135 lbs

At which marathon did you get your first BQ?

Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Tell us a little about the race.

STWM is Toronto’s signature running event and one of Canada’s largest with about 4,000 marathon finishers. It features a flat and fast course along the lakeshore and is run largely as an out-and-back. The year I ran (2011) was particularly windy and meant facing a 15-20mph headwind for the final 5 miles. Temperatures were near ideal.

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

Two years

Did you run in college or high school?

No

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

2500

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

1500

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?

Yes, A lydiard/bill squires adapted program

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, I ran as much as I could and cross-trained only when injured.

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

Absolutely. I did a dedicated speed session (usually long intervals at ~10K pace) once per week with a more minor (tempo or fartlek) workout on another day. Also did hills during most long runs.

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

Mileage matters most. The more you can run without getting injured, the better. Doing a weekly long runs and speedwork should also be considered essential.