I decided to run a winter marathon this year as an excuse to build a base that will help carry me through the summer racing season.  The winter marathon schedule is slim and there were not too many choices but the one that caught my eye was the Houston marathon on January 20th. Not knowing much about the course or the state for that matter I decided Houston was the one.

My training leading up to the race was steady and solid. It included a healthy mix of speed and distance and left me confident that if everything was clicking on race day, the clock would take care of itself.  To tell you the truth, I really didn't care what the clock said at the end but it would be nice if it agreed with my pre-race expectations.  I figured based on my training that I had the potential to clock somewhere around 2:50.

I often set a range around my goal that distinguishes between a great race and a good race. On January 20th I set that range at 2:48 if I was to have a great race and 2:52 if I was to have a good race.

	“	My training leading up to the race was steady and solid. It included a healthy mix of speed and distance and left me confident that if everything was clicking on race day, the clock would take care of itself.”
		— Ian Heffernan

The Houston marathon is unique as it combines the marathon with a 1/2 marathon so the streets are mobbed with runners as far as you can see. There were over 5,000 registered runners for the marathon and who knows how many in the 1/2 marathon so the start line was congested. The gun goes off and thousand upon thousands of runners charge off through the streets of Houston. 

My race plan was simple go out comfortable, don't get caught up in the hype in the early miles, and drop the hammer in the latter stages and attempt to negative split.  I still have the horrors of last years Boston's marathon etched in my mind of what it is like to go out fast and hobble home so I wanted to avoid that at all costs. 

I started in the front and as the early miles progressed herds of people went charging by.  I stuck to my plan, stayed relaxed, and kept trying to hit as close to 6:30's as I could. Somewhere around five miles the field had settled in and the shifting of places had pretty much stopped.  The miles started to tick by and 5 became 10 and I was feeling great.  In Houston as you go through the mile marks they give you your average pace. 

I didn't know this at first and kept hearing 6:27 and I kept thinking to myself how the heck did that guy know that my last mile was 6:27. Eventually it dawned on me they were reading off my average pace.  The half way point approached, I heard the timing mat beep and I looked at my watch and it read 1:24:38.  Cool if I keep this up I will hit 2:49.

By now there was not a whole lot of people to run with as a matter of fact I didn't run along side of another runner for more than a few seconds the entire day.  Mile 16 approached and I figured it was time to go.  The 6:30's became 6:20's and I was still feeling great.  I was slicing my way through the field and hadn't been passed by a runner since the start.  I could see the lead woman ahead and I had my sights set on her.

At this stage in the race we made a turn into a slight headwind heading back to the down town area which was still 7 miles away. I caught up to the lead woman, chatted for a bit as she tucked behind me to avoid the wind.  Within a minute or so she told me to go. 

By this point I was cranking. I was running full throttle eyeing the next runners up the road. The 6:20 became 6:15's by now 23 miles had gone by.  Now there really was not many runners to shoot for.  I would see one way up in the distance and usually it only took 2 or 3 minutes to catch them.  This is the stage where people lose minutes per mile but not me not today. Mile 24 and mile 25 were slightly rolling heading into the last mile of race.  I figured these hills would give me a chance to catch some more runners.  I caught 4 more and I could only see one more runner ahead so I gunned for him.  I heard at this point I was in 19th place once I caught that last guy I moved into 18th. 

The last mile was a straight flat shot to the finish.  The streets were filled with runners finishing the 1/2 marathon and lined with cheering fans.  I enjoyed the last mile running as fast as my body would allow to the finish line. The finish line approached and as I crossed the line the clock read 2:47:43.  A solid negative split as the second half was 1:23:04. Today was a great day as I even beat my best case scenario!  What a great choice the Houston marathon was.