Sunday, April 29, 2007
Finishing Well -- April 21 in Waterloo
Last weekend was my first warm weather race outing of the season -- the EnduRace 8 K run at 6:00 PM on Saturday. The weather was clear skies with a balmy temperature -- an ideal Ontario spring day. In the busyness of this season, I had not done enough training to go for a personal best (47:10 at that distance). And springtime allergies had left me unsure whether I should even be trying. But I hoped to have a good training run and break the 50 minute barrier. I felt unprepared and more anxious at the start than I had ever been for a race. Once we got underway, I actually felt pretty good and discovered that what training I had done was carrying me along. My pace was not as fast as I could, but as others faded around me, I continued to feel strong and passed four runners in the final half kilometre before the finish line. The clock read 49:10 as my race chip beeped at the end.
I am convinced that the miles that I had run in training were the difference in the final stages. Perhaps it's an illustration for life -- preparation and discipline more than talent are often what carries you through at the end. GG
