What does bq stand for in running

The natural speed and marathon goal is perhaps the biggest variable. Jack Daniels , arguably the best marathon coach alive, famously recommends capping the long run to 2. He suggests that a training run lasting beyond that time offers big risk in injury and burnout. Athlete A is an elite marathoner, with a marathon goal pace of minute miles or a finish goal.

Athlete B is an experience marathoner, with a marathon goal pace of minute miles, or a finish goal. Athlete C is a marathoner, with a marathon goal pace of minute miles, or a finish goal. So based on the above, you can see that the miler equals very different stresses on the body. The slower the runner, the more steps and more time one will spend out there, and that equals stress.

Instead, it would be recommended that athlete caps the long run to 3 hours, or embraces a double, or other training methods. The mentally hard part: Athlete C would cover less than 17 miles in 3 hours. Most athletes will say they need 20 miles. How can they be ready for a marathon finish if their longest long run is 3 hours?

Runners are going into them with tired legs and additional runs throughout the week. When you add the training up, the taper, the crowd support, ideal weather, etc — the fitness will carry through. This means an athlete running mile weeks should cap the long run to the mile range.

An athlete running mile weeks finally runs that coveted mile long run. Now, most runners I coach never make it to mile weeks. Should they? Well, in my opinion it then goes back to the Daniels theory above. Most runners will not thrive on mile weeks. Though many do run at a pace that allows them to safely clock long runs at or near the mile peak.

Elites like Ryan Hall have been known to clock mile long runs. We also have to consider that someone like Ryan Hall is running mile weeks. However during the second half, the runner slowly picks up the pace towards MGP.

This run teaches the runner how to speed up on tired legs, and break the habit of going out too fast. As one can imagine, this is a higher stress long run than the classic LSD. Dividing the run between two runs within in hours gives the body time to recover and is essentially less stressful than running say 5 hours at once.

The second run of the day will obviously happen on tired legs, which is helpful for marathon preparation. So there are some clear advantages and disadvantages to this option. Aside from all of the physical adaptions and stress, most runners feel strongly that they need to miler in their training to feel confident and ready at the starting line. That confidence is incredibly important, and is a good reason why a coach may make an exception to everything above to give that athlete the mental edge.

In fact, I capped my long runs to a miler. Do we risk injury to give mental edge? Do we prioritize health and accept that the runner may feel unprepared because their long runs never got close to that magical miler? Science screams that I need to put my foot down, but that athlete is screaming the opposite.

At the end of the day, I usually take it case by case, but I usually side with science, being conservative, and instead doing other things to promote mental edge and confidence for that marathoner. Boston Marathon. For many runners, it is essentially the magic unicorn of marathon running. For many runners, qualifying is a goal. It takes some of us numerous attempts, years of hard work, and some soul-crushing attempts. But there is nothing like Boston.

There are few things that compare to the feeling of being in your corral in Hopkinton. Being around thousands of other runners who all met a time standard, whether on first attempt or 10th — the energy at the starting line is something unique. As I sit on my Amtrak ride up to Boston for my 5th attempt from Hopkinton to Boylston Street, preparing for what will be perhaps the worst weather I have yet to trek No nerves. No negativity about the weather. But each marathon has taught me something new about myself and the sport.

With this being my 18th or 19th? Bad weather is part of marathons. These less-than-ideal days make the good days that much more rewarding when they happen. No joke. No matter the weather, this is Boston Marathon.

The best marathoners in the world will be leading the way. For many of us marathoners, this unicorn is the height of our marathon racing in a few ways. Aside from a few marathons that offer some perks for speedy qualifying standards, most of us are never going to make it to Olympic Trials. No matter the weather, tomorrow will be a day.

An opportunity. I can find few better ways to spend a Monday. On May 15th I ran my first solo marathon since Boston My goal was simple: lock in a BQ. The course is over feet net downhill, which also sounded pretty darn appealing. Add the location, less than two hours from NYC, and it was the best fit.

At the end of the day, I ran my second-fastest marathon to date! I finished 5th overall woman, 1st in my AG, in the official time of I clenched my Boston Qualifier by over 20 minutes. I am very hopeful for my goals in Berlin, and going into those goals with some confidence.

Would I run Pocono Marathon again? Probably not. The Boston Marathon has been part of my marathon journey since my first marathon. Working towards a BQ Boston Qualifier gave my training a specific goal.

Achieving that goal, and anticipating Boston was a magical experience. Three Boston Marathons later, and my journey seems somehow complete for that chapter. In my opinion, the Boston Marathon is the most famous, historical, and prestigious marathon in the world.

Unless you opt to run for a charity, every single runner on the course earns their way to the starting line by achieving a qualifying time. I like that. Just my opinion. This is because that starting line and For many of us, its as close to an Olympic Qualifier, or Olympic Trials experience.

Besides being earned, the course is amazing. There are a few quiet miles through Boston farm towns and suburbs, but they are short-lived and broken up by the most passionate fans and towns I have ever witnessed. You can hear the Wellesley girls famous for giving out kisses to runners a mile or so away. The energy is electric. The locals set up tents, fire pits, and parties in their front yards — often handing out orange slices, candy, tissues, water, and all the enthusiasm they have.

By the time you get to the Newton Hills, you are charged and ready for the hills that await you. Turning the corner in Newton at the fire station, and seeing one of the first big climbs, you cannot help but feel confident and strong as Bostonians scream for you.

From Brookline to the finish line on Boylston Street, the energy simply carries you. If you have never run Boston, and have it on your list of goals, I highly recommend you do what you can to qualify. The race took place in less than ideal weather. Off and on rain sometimes a heavy pouring rain! The rain held off for me until I got to Natick, so I was a good miles into the race before the weather got nasty.

Based on the slow elite times, it obviously was a factor. The worst part was losing feeling in my hands and arms, making opening my final GU a real challenge. But in the big picture, a pretty minor inconvenience. I have had a hard time processing this past Monday. I almost bailed on the race all together. In , the year it was over 80 degrees at the start, I was battling a stomach bug that forced me to DNF at my It was a truly terrible day, and I was so heartbroken and sad.

I had never pulled out of a race before, and Boston seemed like the worst of all races to do so. On what was a beautiful day, and an incredible journey with my friend Cipriana, that was all erased at the finish line. If you are looking to run the BQ running time for the Boston Marathon, there a few things you need to know. The Registration happens over two weeks each year. Firstly the BAA Boston Athletic Association assesses the registration data and assigns the qualifying standard for each age group and gender.

The fastest runners can register the first week, which usually happens in September each year. Runners who managed to run 20 minutes faster than the qualifying time are allowed to register first. Those who were 10 minutes faster are next in line, followed by the runners who were 5 minutes faster. Because the number of marathoners has increased significantly over the past two years, the BAA made adjustments to all age group qualifying standards.

In doing so, they have increased the time by five minutes , making it faster than in previous years. Because of this adjustment, it has become harder to gain entry into the prestigious event each year. Average times are getting faster as more people are trying to enter each year. So you will need to focus more on your marathon training if you want to participate.

They are then able to apply for entry into the Boston Marathon. Although this may sound simple, it is a little more complicated than that. With the Boston Marathon registration process, there are two possible answers. This is the final push runners give at the end of a race to increase their speed to the finish line. Leave it all on the road.

Chip time. Often measured by an electronic chip in the sneaker or bib, this is the precise time it takes a runner to get from the start line to the finish line. If a runner has an even split, it means they ran the same pace through the entire race. DNS did not start or DNF did not finish is what will appear in the race results if a runner does not start or finish a race. What happened?! Did you fall into the Porta-Potty? Or get lost along the course?

These coveted letters stand for personal record and personal best. These qualifying times vary by age and gender. A newbie, or beginner, often learns the basics of the sport by training for a short race, like a 5K.

Keeping their clothes on usually! Streaking events like this one are fun ways to stay motivated while clocking those miles. These totally badass runners, like Dean Karnazes , take on any distance longer than Ultramarathons are typically 50K, K, 50 miles, or miles, but the most well-known ultra is the mile Comrades Marathon in South Africa.

No matter the distance, elite runners are fast. Really, really fast. Moisture-wicking clothing. Noncotton running attire or technical apparel keeps sweat away from the body to prevent chafing.

Many runners rely on this brand or other GPS-enabled sports watches to track distance, pace, heart rate, and more. When going long, runners have to fill up their tank! Running nutrition comes in all kinds of forms, including energy gels or GUs , chews, bars, and even jelly beans. Others prefer to chomp on pretzels or sugary candies like Swedish Fish!

Running tights. Especially during cold weather months, runners squeeze into these spandex leggings or capris to keep warm. Compression socks. Often a post-run tradition, runners don a pair of compression socks. These are very snug, knee-high tube socks that are meant to speed recovery.

Some even wear them during the race itself, believing they get oxygen to the leg muscles at a faster rate. Minimalist shoes.

Runners often wear these sleeveless tank tops while racing. This refers to the way the foot strikes the ground while running. The heart rate or beats per minute BPM is the number of heartbeats during a minute. Runners often have a target BPM to get the most out of each workout. Aerobic vs. While both aerobic and anaerobic exercises burn glucose , there are some differences. Aerobic exercise is long in duration but low in intensity like walking or jogging , while anaerobic exercise is short in duration but high in intensity like sprinting or heavy lifting.

Your body stores glucose in the form of glycogen to be used for energy. Lactic acid. Anaerobic threshold. This is the point of exercise where the going gets tough and lactic acid begins to accumulate in the bloodstream. VO2 max. How do we put this gently? Sweat and fabric rub against the skin while distance running and can cause painful irritation and rashes. To prevent chafing, coat up everywhere and we mean everywhere with a product like Bodyglide or Vaseline before hitting the road.

Black toenails. You decide. Discolored toenails on runners are a result of impact and pressure on the toe. Sometimes they may fall off completely! The discomfort of DOMS, or delayed-onset muscle soreness, can occur between 24 and 48 hours after running.

It can make walking up and down the stairs especially challenging. Foam roller.