The weekend’s events were hosted in Houston at the Hilton Hotel and the George R. Brown Convention Center, an enormous facility with an appropriate red, white, and blue interior. Olympic Marathon Trials banners and the Olympic rings adorned the streets and buildings, creating a festive U.S.A. atmosphere. The Houston Marathon Committee clearly put extensive thought and detail into planning and hosting the event. They definitely succeeded in making it a memorable event for both the athletes and the spectators!
Friday, January 13th
Shortly after arriving in Houston, my husband, Corey, and I proceeded to the athlete check-in and the uniform check. To ensure accordance with USATF and the IAAF uniform policy, every piece of clothing the runners planned to wear during the warm up and the race had to be checked. It was quite the process! Next up was a mandatory athlete meeting. This is where the nerves settled in and the reality hit that I would soon be running 26.2 miles with (or rather behind!) the best marathoners in the country. As I walked into the room, I saw Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher sitting in the front row. I think I’ll take a seat in the back, I thought. The meeting was extremely thorough and almost comical as they covered every logistical detail imaginable, including what to do if your waterbottle blows over at a water station.
An opening ceremony kicked off the evening events. The runners were ushered in while waving American flags. Several Olympic medalists, including Joan Benoit Samuelson, inspired the crowd with their presence and motivational speeches. The Houston Marathon Committee then hosted an amazing dinner under the shelter of a big, white tent. They took into consideration every possible dietary need a runner could possibly have- gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, etc. Yum! After stuffing ourselves on chicken, vegetables, brown rice, pasta, and rolls, we made our way back to our hotel to rest before the big day.
Saturday, January 14th
Around 6:30 in the morning, Corey and I jogged our way over to the convention center. Although the women’s race did not start until 8:15, most of the athletes were already warming up by 7 am. It was the longest, most thorough warm up session I have ever seen! The schedule of the entire morning had been carefully planned out to avoid unnecessary congestion and having to wait outside in the cold. The men took off at 8:00 sharp, and we made our way to the line just a few minutes before our anticipated start time of 8:15. The crowd roared as we made our way to the start line. It was absolutely exhilarating, one of the most exciting running moments of my life! As expected the second gun went off at 8:15, and 180 women took off. The crowd was screaming like crazy and the pack effortlessly floated through the initial two mile loop.
After the first two miles, the woman began to spread out into little packs. I ran the first half of the race at a decent pace, but slowed dramatically during the second half. Despite running at the tail end of the race, the spectators still cheered enthusiastically and yelled out my last name, which was printed on my bib. Their encouragement to smile, push hard, and enjoy the experience reminded me of how grateful I was just to be in the race, even if I crossed the line last (which I didn’t, but it was close!).
After the race, the runners were taken back to the convention center where they provided Oreos, muffins, and other post-race snacks. We were also treated to an amazing massage provided by volunteer massage therapists from the Houston area. A gourmet Texas style BBQ lunch was the grand finale event of the weekend. It was a time to hear the stories of each of the six Olympic qualifiers, how hard they had worked to get where they were and what it meant to them. Their stories were truly inspirational. I was also touched by the individual conversations I had with many other woman. Some were in the process of healing from stress fractures, one woman had just experienced a miscarriage, while others were balancing full time jobs with running and parenting. So many stories of dedication, perseverance, and hard work. Although I did not leave Houston with a PR, I did leave feeling inspired to keep setting goals and to continue to challenge myself in all areas of my life.
Of the 387 men and women who qualified to run in the Marathon Trials, 44 of the runners were from Colorado. Congratulations to those who qualified and ran at the Trials! I hope to join you, as well as many new Coloradoans, at the 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials.
Thank you to the Houston Marathon Committee and the USATF for putting on a spectacular event!
Written by Kim Dobson
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