Canada's Nicole Stevenson comments on Houston Marathon
Posted: January 20, 2006
Athletics: Canadian Marathoners Should Run the Houston Marathon
(c) 1996-2006 RunnersWeb.com - All Rights Reserved
By Nicole Stevenson
Just last week I had the privilege to be invited back to race the Chevron Houston Marathon. Of all the marathons available to me, why did I choose Houston? The reasons are many!
My coach, Hugh Cameron, and I agreed that this would be an ideal time to run a marathon – I could avoid summer heat and train through the fall then head south for a weekend right when ‘real’ winter begins to strike us Torontonians. This timing leaves the door open to race another marathon in the spring, making it possible to run three major marathons in the year, which may or may not be in the annual plan, but at least the option is there.
This was my third trip to Houston. In 2004, I ran a personal best 2:33 in the marathon and finished second female. My performance certainly made the trip a great experience! Aside from how I ran, I was impressed by how personable all the Houstonians were: whether they were volunteers, fellow racers, race organizers or part of the cheering crew.
Last year, I returned and ran the half marathon. The field was impressive and I was pleased to finish in 4th place. The marathon was won in 2:32 – making me think that maybe I could steal the crown of this race in the future…
This year I decided to go back for the full marathon, with the aspiration of a gold medal (or the Texan equivalent: a Stetson hat!) and a new personal best. After many attempts, I hadn’t improved from my 2004 time and I was hungry for a personal best. My preparation up to the event was absolutely solid -- hardly a hiccup in the program. When I flew to Houston (on Friday the 13th!) I felt calm and confident, knowing I was fit and ready.
When I arrived, it was great to see familiar people. The elite athlete volunteers were the same as in past years and the suite was in the same room. I knew I could look forward to NFL on the big screen and munchies on Saturday! I also planned on visiting with the Fallas family during my stay. I have known Ian Fallas since high school and it’s always good to catch up with him. Plus, his wife and kids are fantastic! I love being a surrogate aunt to many children! I had a relaxing pre-race dinner with Ian, Toki, Eric, Rachel and Claudia. Thank you for taking my mind off the race for a few hours!
On race day, I felt relaxed and ready. As coach Hugh would say, “Time to execute.” The weather was a perfect 10 degrees C at start time with very little humidity and only a touch of wind. We started just at sunrise and it was pretty cool to see the sun rise halfway through mile one!
I am not a fan of gels or food during marathons but I certainly do my fair share of drinking. I take a sip from every aid station, often one Gatorade and one water cup. The Houston volunteers were as reliable as ever and I thank them for keeping me hydrated with their offerings and motivated by their cheers!
I felt great throughout the race, knowing I was on record territory for me, even though I was far from the leader. I fell off from 2:31 pace over the last 10km, which is human, but that makes me hungry to finish stronger next time. I heard that I was catching the leader with less than a mile to go, but I was unable to see her and I was beginning to really struggle by then. I will always wonder if I could have mustered a bit more ‘oomph’ over the last five minutes to have caught her and nabbed that elusive Stetson! Regardless, I’m pleased with my 2nd place finish in 2:32.
I encourage Canadian marathoners to consider adding Houston to their race calendar. The race weekend offers fast courses over full and half marathons for those of you who chase personal bests. And for those who just want a fun weekend, Houston is a great respite from the north in January. There’s plenty of shopping and you know the food portions will be huge – it is Texas after all!
I know of two other GTA women who clobbered their records this year, so it wasn’t just me! Also, looking at the Canadian heritage at the event is impressive. Three of the top ten Canadian marathoners ran their personal bests on Houston soil! Carey Nelson 2:12:28 in 1991, myself 2:32:56 this year (and 2:33:47 in 2004) and Canadian record holder Sylvia Ruegger 2:28:36 in 1985.
But don’t take my word for it – try it yourself! Houston would love to have you.
Happy trails,
Nicole Stevenson
Athletics: Canadian Marathoners Should Run the Houston Marathon
(c) 1996-2006 RunnersWeb.com - All Rights Reserved
By Nicole Stevenson
Just last week I had the privilege to be invited back to race the Chevron Houston Marathon. Of all the marathons available to me, why did I choose Houston? The reasons are many!
My coach, Hugh Cameron, and I agreed that this would be an ideal time to run a marathon – I could avoid summer heat and train through the fall then head south for a weekend right when ‘real’ winter begins to strike us Torontonians. This timing leaves the door open to race another marathon in the spring, making it possible to run three major marathons in the year, which may or may not be in the annual plan, but at least the option is there.
This was my third trip to Houston. In 2004, I ran a personal best 2:33 in the marathon and finished second female. My performance certainly made the trip a great experience! Aside from how I ran, I was impressed by how personable all the Houstonians were: whether they were volunteers, fellow racers, race organizers or part of the cheering crew.
Last year, I returned and ran the half marathon. The field was impressive and I was pleased to finish in 4th place. The marathon was won in 2:32 – making me think that maybe I could steal the crown of this race in the future…
This year I decided to go back for the full marathon, with the aspiration of a gold medal (or the Texan equivalent: a Stetson hat!) and a new personal best. After many attempts, I hadn’t improved from my 2004 time and I was hungry for a personal best. My preparation up to the event was absolutely solid -- hardly a hiccup in the program. When I flew to Houston (on Friday the 13th!) I felt calm and confident, knowing I was fit and ready.
When I arrived, it was great to see familiar people. The elite athlete volunteers were the same as in past years and the suite was in the same room. I knew I could look forward to NFL on the big screen and munchies on Saturday! I also planned on visiting with the Fallas family during my stay. I have known Ian Fallas since high school and it’s always good to catch up with him. Plus, his wife and kids are fantastic! I love being a surrogate aunt to many children! I had a relaxing pre-race dinner with Ian, Toki, Eric, Rachel and Claudia. Thank you for taking my mind off the race for a few hours!
On race day, I felt relaxed and ready. As coach Hugh would say, “Time to execute.” The weather was a perfect 10 degrees C at start time with very little humidity and only a touch of wind. We started just at sunrise and it was pretty cool to see the sun rise halfway through mile one!
I am not a fan of gels or food during marathons but I certainly do my fair share of drinking. I take a sip from every aid station, often one Gatorade and one water cup. The Houston volunteers were as reliable as ever and I thank them for keeping me hydrated with their offerings and motivated by their cheers!
I felt great throughout the race, knowing I was on record territory for me, even though I was far from the leader. I fell off from 2:31 pace over the last 10km, which is human, but that makes me hungry to finish stronger next time. I heard that I was catching the leader with less than a mile to go, but I was unable to see her and I was beginning to really struggle by then. I will always wonder if I could have mustered a bit more ‘oomph’ over the last five minutes to have caught her and nabbed that elusive Stetson! Regardless, I’m pleased with my 2nd place finish in 2:32.
I encourage Canadian marathoners to consider adding Houston to their race calendar. The race weekend offers fast courses over full and half marathons for those of you who chase personal bests. And for those who just want a fun weekend, Houston is a great respite from the north in January. There’s plenty of shopping and you know the food portions will be huge – it is Texas after all!
I know of two other GTA women who clobbered their records this year, so it wasn’t just me! Also, looking at the Canadian heritage at the event is impressive. Three of the top ten Canadian marathoners ran their personal bests on Houston soil! Carey Nelson 2:12:28 in 1991, myself 2:32:56 this year (and 2:33:47 in 2004) and Canadian record holder Sylvia Ruegger 2:28:36 in 1985.
But don’t take my word for it – try it yourself! Houston would love to have you.
Happy trails,
Nicole Stevenson
posted by WalkSports.com | 6:23 PM
1 Comments:
What a great endorsement of our marathon.
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