Welcome to the very first OFFICIAL week of Chicago Marathon training! Whether you're on a treadmill or just hanging out on a run, lace up and join me for a 35-minute run for week 1 run 1 of my 16-week Marathon Build For The Chicago Marathon!

BQ or Bust started in 2016 as a moonshot goal for me to take my marathon time from 3 hours 59 minutes to 3 hours 35 minutes which, at the time, was my Boston Marathon Qualifying Time (BQ). I vlogged the entire experience and had to rumble with perfectionism, a fear of failure, and pre-defined limits. I was given the opportunity to explore beliefs that were holding me back and given space to grow and change.

After a few attempts of falling short, 9 years later I'm trying again. Originally, I thought I aged up. I was back to 3 hours 35 minutes. Then, the qualifying times changed AGAIN and I'm back to 3:30. But like I learned, the only way you can fail is if you fail to try! DARE TO FAIL. WHY NOT!?!? In this episode, we dive into: -I'm injured! Week 1 and I have a little overuse injury.

-Defining our why

-What I focus on at the start of a marathon build

-The heat

-What I want out of this marathon build.

This go-around is different. Yes, a 3 hour 30 minute marathon is still my North Star, but honestly? The bigger goal is to see what I'm truly capable of. WHY NOT?

Now that I'm a running coach with years of experience under my belt, I'm approaching this from a totally new place. This series is my chance to push back on so much of the terrible advice I see online. Running is complicated—and if you're an everyday runner, you cannot just mimic what people running 50+ mile weeks are doing. Here, we're focusing on:

✅ How to make training work for your life

✅ How to avoid burnout

✅ How to have more fun chasing your dreams

Throughout the BQ or Bust series, you'll get:

✔️ Weekly "Run With Me" treadmill episodes

✔️ Weekly roundup vlog and podcast episode to keep you in the loop

✔️ Social media hits WHY NOT? Let's find out what's possible—together.

👉 BQ or Bust is sponsored by Fuel Goods—a women-run marketplace making sports nutrition simpler and smarter—to bring you $10 in Fuel Cash, 10% back on every order, expert resources, and a whole lot less guesswork. https://fuelgoods.com/pages/partners/balg?ref=balg

👉 Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellykkroberts/

👉 Join our FREE online BALG community: https://www.balgcommunity.com/

👉 Come train with me + join my Badass Lady Gang Training Team: https://www.badassladygang.com/join-our-training-team

👉 Upcoming Training Experiences: https://www.badassladygang.com/training-experiences

👉 Get a Running Plan: https://www.badassladygang.com/running-plans

👉 Hire a Running Coach: https://www.badassladygang.com/private-coaching

👉 Learn more: https://www.badassladygang.com/

👉My videographer & co-producer Scott Herder https://www.instagram.com/itsscottherder/