Hey Everyone!

I ventured back to my hometown to race the Mississauga 10km this weekend. I haven't raced a 10km race in a few years so I was curious to see what I could do and to see what kind of running shape I was in for the World Chamiponships (Olympic distance) in a few weeks. I had posted some 21 minute and change 5kms over the past few months but my previous PB for 10km was 46 minutes. So I decided to aim for 45 minutes.

The weather was great and the course was good except for some spots along the waterfront paths that were a bit 'buggy'. Needless to say I had a little extra protein along the way. Involved with the 10km was a student relay challenge where the students were running 2.5km and then tagging their team mate. It was great as there were always a crowd of people at every 2.5km increment and also some very excited and energetic runners during most parts of the race which kept me energized and going. I hit the 5km mark at 21:41 and felt pretty good so I thought I'd go for it and try to maintain that pace.

I struggled a bit between the 7.5 and 9km markers but didn't let myself look back to see if any other female was behind me. In the final km I was able to pick it up again and finish strong in front of a large crowd near the finish line. There were a few people along the course that were cheering "Go polar!" As I was about to cross the finish line I heard the announcer say that I was the third female to cross the line which was a nice surprise. My chip time was 43:11 which I'm very happy with.

Next race...Victoria's Duathlon

Happy Training!

Heather