Lacking sharpness at the Scotia half

Happy finishers

Sunday's Scotiabank Half Marathon was an awesome race on a day that actually felt like summer.
 
It was the first half my sister started in Canada (she moved here three months ago). She did fantastic, lowering her best time for the distance to 2:07 from the 2:17 she did in her debut in December in the Netherlands.

Angelique with 10-min PB!

Feeling good throughout this race gives her an extra boost of confidence as she now prepares for her first marathon, Victoria in October.

I felt good, too, but lacked sharpness. Hitting the bottom of the big hill, which also marks 10km, in 41:33, I was right on target and felt OK. Even so, I missed that extra gear needed to improve on last year's 88:30, let alone my 88:13 PB.

Mentally it was hard work to stay focused on the good stuff, and I reminded myself over and over again to stay relaxed. After all, I was still right on pace. In the second half, as my sub-88 goal began slipping away, I concentrated on making every step the best it could be at that moment.

Focused with less than a km to go

It's a challenge, after all. Ahead of me I'd noticed a woman ducking into the bushes for a mini-stop before catching me again, which she did at least four times over the next few kilometres. This fast runner was clearly having a tough day with stomach issues. But rather than giving up and packing it in, she kept going.

I crossed the line in 89:44, fast enough for second place in my age group though short of my goal. Thanks very much to the organizers for the elite starting slot, wish I could have done better but I suspect that my cold of the previous two weeks, interrupting my training, took the edge off my performance.

Overall, it was an awesome event which drew 19 runners of 70 years and older. The fastest woman in that division ran 1:55 while the fastest man ran 1:46. Inspiring or what?

Overall winners Kip Kangogo and Ruth Perkins ran a swift 63:22 and 76:14 respectively.

Tim, Luka and I

A big thanks to Tim for getting us to the start on time, cheering us on, taking care of the dogs, and the gorgeous photographs! It's his turn to race next weekend at the Vancouver Half Ironman.