Olympics goal for marathon novice with time on her side

Whangarei athlete Mary Davies has set her sights on qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics but she admits that as a marathon competitor, she still has a lot to learn.
Davies, who has lived in Houston, Texas, for almost a year  after graduating from the University of Oklahoma, was shot into the national rankings by qualifying for the Marathon World Cup in Berlin in  August in her first  marathon.
The 26-year-old didn't disappoint in Berlin, leading the Kiwi team into eighth place in the team's event. She finished in 35th place, in a time of 2:38.48, ahead of teammates Fiona Docherty (41st) and Shireen Crumpton (44th). She ran a measured race, improving from 44th at the halfway point and was a little disappointed her race plan didn't completely pan out - even though she managed to shave almost four minutes off her first marathon time.
"I was hoping for a faster time but it was surprisingly hot in Berlin and the World Cup isn't really a time race.
"But  I couldn't expect too much more in only my second marathon," she said.
She will spend the Northern Hemisphere winter training for competition next year - although she says winter never really arrives in Houston.
"I'm planning to run another marathon in April to see where I am and then I'm going to do quite a few halves (half-marathons), starting with the Houston event ... the idea is to get a few miles in and not over stress the body.
"The next goal is qualifying for the Olympics, the qualifying [period] starts in October next year - so I'm going to run in New York or Chicago to try and make the qualifying standard."
If she can't hit the qualifying mark in her first attempt, then there will be other attempts - but there is also another sports event on the horizon.
"Qualifying for the Commonwealth Games is also an option, they haven't released a time for that yet but it's probably going to be around 2:36, so I'm much closer to that. I think for the Olympics last time it was about 2:31, so I've still got a bit of work to do but I've got the time to do it," she said.
A year ago it would have been ridiculous to suggest that Davies could represent New Zealand in the marathon in next year's Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, but the former junior and senior cross-country national representative has always had the potential, her former Whangarei coach Ian Babe maintains.
Her fast climb up the national rankings has been accelerated by the demise of Olympian Liza Hunter-Galvan - who was banned for the use of EPO at the end of August. Davies lives near San Antonio, where Hunter-Galvan resides, so they aren't strangers.
"I heard a whisper about it in Berlin at the Track and Field Championships ... I can't say what she did was very good but she's certainly facing the consequences now," Davies said.
The 40-year-old athlete, who also competed in Athens, was banned for two years but the NZ Olympic Committee, extended the ban to rule her out of contention for the 2012 Olympics in London.
Davies may benefit from less competition from the disgraced athlete but still has another Olympian to pace herself against.
"I've still got a bit of work to do to catch up to Nina [Rillstone] though, she's the Olympian and  the top marathon runner now," she said.
Rillstone finished in 16th place in Beijing and is clearly the leading contender, but at least Davies has time up her sleeve.