Name: John Fellows

Sex: Male

Age (at the time of first BQ): 48

Height (at the time of first BQ):  6’2″

Weight (at the time of first BQ): 178

At which marathon did you get your first BQ? Portland

Tell us a little about the race. Portland is a relatively flat race with a really good climb at mile 16. Temperatures are usually too warm by mile 18 to give a person a shot at a really gast run though. I’ve run it 3 times. 2014-3:55, 2015, 3:29 and 2016, 3:24.

How long had you been running when you ran your first BQ? 5 years.

Did you run in college or high school? No

What was your approximate lifetime mileage at the time of your first BQ? 2500-3000

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

Approximately how many races did you run in that year? 2

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, Hal Higdon Advanced

Did you run with a running club or utilize a coach? No

Did cross training play a role in your training? If so, how? I do no cross training.

Did speed work play a role in your training? If so, how? Yes and no. I run everything but my day after long run recovery day at a faster pace than my goal. 6-8 milers would be 6:30-6:45. Long day might be a 7:20-7:30. Day after 7:45-8:00.

Any other thoughts you would like to share with those of working towards a BQ? Don’t get caught up in what program you follow. I raced on 40-45 miles a week following my training program in a very loose manner. Meaning, I used it as a suggestion. When a week long August vacation came, I didn’t fret over losing a week of training.