2014 Mississauga Half Marathon

I ran the Mississauga Half last weekend, this was my third time running this race and I can say every year has felt like a completely different race.  I went in wanting to beat my time from last year, really who doesn't go into a race wanting to beat their previous time?!   I reminded myself that this year has been very different than last year.  I had some very different motivation pushing me to run my ass off last year, just having come back from the Boston Marathon had left me running for very different reasons last year.  This year I was coming back from dealing with being diagnosed with Osteoarthritis and everything that goes along with it.  So this year was a very different race than last year.

I realized the night before how much I really do love racing. I haven’t participated in a race since my DNF at Ironman last summer. Saturday, as the afternoon was turning into evening I was getting the usual butterflies and pre-race anxiety…I love it!  It makes me feel electric!   On my way to Anna’s house I had the usual race morning brain fog and drove the wrong way to her house…Anna lives 4km away from me and I couldn't remember which the best way to go was! Can you see why at Ironman I stay right next to the starting area?

Anyway, the race was the usual route, I know it and I really like it.  I struggled with the inclines after getting half way up “the big hill” at the 10k point and walked all of them after that point.  It was just too painful.  I knew with that happening beating my time wasn't going to happen but I still wanted to push and get in as fast as I could. 

During the first 10-12 k or so I was trying to keep my form in check but somewhere after the half-way point (where the pictures started) I can see my training went out the window and I was just pushing to get it finished. 

While I finished 14 minutes slower than last year I still had a great race and I can’t wait to go back next year and crush my course record!

On the knee pain front...my dream team of doctors are working on getting me in for round 2 of the injections in the next couple of weeks.  Ironman training really starts to ramp up now so the sooner the better.  

Today we are at the 101 day countdown! It's go time folks!