Monday, December 27, 2021

The Road to Houston - A Look Back: Yaya Herrera and Laura Godfrey in 2019

We've all been there after a race, regardless of our ability level.  

That nagging question:  "What if?"

The race plan is executed well.

We run strong.

Our coach is pleased.

But we miss a personal best, a time goal, a time standard, such as a BQ, or a benchmark like 3:30.

Ugh.

"The 2019 Chevron Houston Marathon was a good day for our group," said founder Bill Dwyer.  "We'll circle back over the next few days with a few other mentions."

Dwyer called the weather "favorable" but Yaya Herrera remembered that it was a cold morning.

With the exception of some easterly winds, it was perfect racing weather for the 2019 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)

"I don’t like the cold so when the temperature is low I suffer," she said.  "The waiting time in the starting line is always hard."

She was also a little disheveled because "we got there a little late and just on time to line up in the starting corral".

But even though she said that she never knows how she is going to do, "if my legs feel good I just move" and "that morning (my) legs felt great".

The temperature at the start of the race was a crisp 53 degrees that never got higher than 56 through the duration of the race.

But the winds, which were at nine miles an hour at the start of the race and ticked up to 13 mph by the time Herrera and Laura Godfrey made it on to Allen Parkway, made it seem much cooler.

Godfrey said she remembered taking advantage of the tailwind -- as it it came out of the east or east-northeast the entire day -- in the first half of the race because she "knew the headwinds were going to slow me down coming up Memorial".

Dwyer saw them both - among all of the other Volte athletes - and remembered them "looking to be on a mission at six miles".

Herrera, who started 25 seconds behind Godfrey, caught her at the 10K timing mat.

Herrera was having a great day on the course at the 2019 Chevron Houston Marathon.
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)

"Laura has always been like one of my superheroes:  very strong, determined and a beautiful human being," said Herrera.  "That's why I felt so happy when I caught up with her on the route. 

"She is very familiar with the route and I remember she described to me what was next, I think a hill or something like that.  That talks loud about her beautiful heart."

That day was Godfrey's 7th Houston Marathon, having started in 2012 with a time of 4:38:29 and interrupted just once by the half marathon in 2013.

She said that she also drew strength from Mayra Caamano - who she caught just before - because "as always, (she) told me words of encouragement."

To Dwyer's point, both runners produced their fastest 5K split on the way to the 15K point, which is just after turning west off Main on to University.

Herrera, who was making her Houston Marathon debut, passed through the halfway point in 1:42:43 with Godfrey not far behind in 1:43:57.

Their paces slowed a little getting to the Tanglewood area, but quickened again to the 30K marker - with 7:49 and 7:53 paces - before starting to be exposed to the head winds.

And that's where Herrera remembered - mile 21 - "that it was hard".

Laura Godfrey running strong, like Herrera mentioned earlier.
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)

But Dwyer said that - even with the headwinds - "at mile 23 (both) were still holding on to PR pacing."

He lauded them for "their focus on the task at hand" being "incredible".

Herrera two years earlier had posted her best at the 2017 Tunnel Light Marathon with a 3:34:02 - her first try at Houston was in January 2018 with a 3:39:32.

Godfrey's, meanwhile, had come a year earlier at Houston with a time of 3:37:59.

She remembered seeing Dwyer and fellow Volte coach Layton Gill on Allen Parkway thinking "I had a chance at making it under 3:30".

And while Herrera wondered post-race with Dwyer that "I should have pushed a little harder for the 11 seconds to break 3:30", it was likely God - even with Herrera saying that she repeated her personal mantra throughout the race of "I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me" - who had the greater say (with the wind) - and perhaps another plan - in the day.

Regardless, both Herrera and Godfrey were rewarded with brand new personal bests of 3:30:10 and 3:31:16, which represented respective improvements of 3 minutes and 52 seconds for Herrera and six minutes and 46 seconds for Godfrey.

Yaya, after finishing her first Ironman in October at Ironman Texas, will be racing her third Chevron Houston Marathon in less than three weeks.

No comments:

Post a Comment