Banker Spotlight: Chevron Houston Marathon Participants

A new year often means a journey towards developing new healthy habits. While, as business and personal banking experts, we are focused on helping you build strong financial resolutions, as Houston’s largest community bank, we are dedicated to much more. We practice what we pledge, and our bankers are a prime example of that.

This year six bankers started the year off strong by running the Chevron Houston Marathon. 2022 marks the 8th year Allegiance Bank has been a sponsor of this event and are proud to have joined forces with West Houston Assistance Ministries. Together we supported the Run for a Reason program which, since its inception, has raised over 32 million dollars by connecting passionate race participants to philanthropic efforts, bringing awareness to meaningful causes in our community.

While we are proud to have supported this race monetarily, we are even more proud of our bankers who started the year out on the right foot by getting involved. We asked the marathoners the following questions about why they Ran for a Reason, and here is what they had to say:

Rodney Nabors: 

What motivates you to run? I like to eat good food that is not necessarily good for you!

Why did you want to participate in this race specifically? The Chevron Houston Marathon is a hometown race that is known for its great course and good community support.

Any advice for someone who is daunted by starting their fitness journey as part of their New Year’s resolutions? Start your journey by taking small steps.  Slowly build up your program over a period of time.

Melodie Harris: 

What got you into running? Running is my sanity and my stress reliever.  I got into running when my kids went off to college and I did not know what to do with myself.

Why did you want to participate in this race specifically? It is a great race with great support. Plus, I am going for my “legacy” status…10 in a row  (2 to go!!)

Any advice for someone who is daunted by starting their fitness journey as part of their New Year’s resolutions? Just start…baby steps and build on that. I remember the first time I started running, I could only go for a block…just start somewhere and stay with it!!

Gary Henderson: 

What got you into running? I started running/walking in the neighborhood and got to the point of needing a goal, so I signed up for a 5K and enjoyed it, so started running more often and participating in more 5K’s.

Any running tips? Have fun and enjoy being outside…the race is against yourself.

Any advice for someone who is daunted by starting their fitness journey as part of their New Year’s resolutions? Go slow and build up time and distance; check out Youtube and Instagram, both of which have a lot of running content available.

Angel Espinoza: 

How long did you train and what did that consist of? 8 Weeks, slowly building up to 8 miles. I started with 2 miles the first two weeks and I added 1 mile each week until the race.

Do you have any pre-race routines? I load up carbs the night before and make sure to hydrate prior to the race.

Any advice for someone who is daunted by starting their fitness journey as part of their New Year’s resolutions? JUST DO IT!

Joanna Lacey: 

What motivates you to run? The freedom to let my brain wander and be inspired by what I see around me. Plus the exercise!

Why did you want to participate in this race specifically? Running in a half-marathon is inspiring, exciting, and exhilarating. After COVID prevented a marathon from happening last year (in the traditional sense), I was ready to experience that exhilaration again!

Any advice for someone who is daunted by starting their fitness journey as part of their New Year’s resolutions? Start small, start now. I started running by declaring I would run from here to a stop sign (maybe 100 feet), and then from there, it became “how about if I run to the next stop sign” and so on. It’s starting with small steps that are powerful in creating a new habit.

Rickey Jimenez: 

What got you into running? I played sports all my life, eventually as I got older I started doing 5Ks because I enjoyed the competition.  Then I started to learn more about endurance running and discovered ultra-marathons (2022 goal). I’m motivated because I want to be active with my kids and I also enjoy the challenge that comes with pushing myself both physically and mentally and endurance running does both.

Why did you want to participate in this race specifically? I love running and love running for a good cause even more!

Any advice for someone who is daunted by starting their fitness journey as part of their New Year’s resolutions? If you slip up, it’s okay!  We all do.  I’ve gone through long periods where I’ve lost my focus, it doesn’t mean you failed.  The longer you allow for time to pass though the harder it is to get back in a routine, so when you do have a misstep recognize it, learn from it and get back to your routine.

Allegiance Bank is proud of our bankers who chose to participate in the 2022 Chevron Houston Marathon to better themselves, as well as the community. Congratulations to our six bankers and the thousands of other participants who took on the 26.2-mile trek around Houston!