I Run Like A Girl....Try to Keep Up.

I was waiting to do this post so that I could add some of the race pictures to it, but the photographers are taking their time, so I will just add them when they finally become available...I just thought there will be some good photographic evidence of how the race went :)
Going to TO always turns out to be a little bit of a hectic event, especially when you give yourself just enough time and then hit something unexpected, like traffic. Thankfully, it all worked out in the end and Kim and I got to the packet pick up just in time and had little difficulty finding the hotel from there. SV wasn't arriving until later so we found a great little Italian place to have some dinner and then sat around and watched a girlie movie. It was a great pre-race evening and I loved spending time with my sister!

Race morning was an early one but I was able to keep SV on track and we were out front waiting for the cab almost right on schedule :) Kim seemed to be in a good space mentally and she looked ready, I was excited for her.
We got to the race start and went and got in line inside the Starbucks, you know you are at a race when the line up for the bathroom is longer than the line up for coffee (or there is no line for coffee, lol). We headed to the start line and gave Kim big hugs and kisses, I was so excited for her and knew she would be ok (her race started an hour after ours).
SV and I went to get in line at the start and just got right into the front, it was great, not too many people ahead of us, just enough to provide a little warmth. We decided to take the first couple of km nice and easy and just go from there, before I knew it we were off and running. Despite saying we were going to go easy the first couple km,we got swept along in the race, especially when you start at the front. We hit the first km in 4:04, I had to chuckle, nice and easy. Through the first few km we managed to stay side by side and even would yell to each other what songs we were listening to (which I am sure the others around us loved) and I was feeling really good.
I passed by one of my swimmers who was there to watch her mom run the race and she cheered me on really loudly, it was so fun. At 4km, I glanced at the person who was running by me and of all the random things, it was a friend I had swam with for many years in highschool and before. We chatted really quick before he ran by and put in an impressive race.

At certain points in the first 7km SV was pulling ahead of me, especially on the slight downhills, I began to feel like I was holding him back so I told him a few times to run on ahead. Finally by 8km he was ahead of me, I thought to myself that I could try to push and catch back up or I could just run my own race,I decided to just try and keep him in my sights and see how it went. I was still feeling strong but I didn't want to blow up and I knew that I should not try to keep up with SV but run the way I felt comfortable with. By 12km I felt like I had made some time back up on him and focused on trying to close the gap between us. Just after 13km I was at his side and he said he could hear me coming. It was great to run with him again and we were in a pretty nice area of the course. We ran together for the next few kms, I would pull ahead of him and then he would be right beside me again. At the 15km point I said to SV, "we don't even lace our shoes up for 6km" and decided it was time to pick it up. I started to put a little bit of distance into him but I thought he was always right beside me.
The last 4km is an uphill and I tried to push this part, I was ready to be done and my calves were getting tight. I would pick a person in front of me and focus on them until I ran past them, then I would pick someone else. I wasn't sure where SV was but I knew he was close.
The last km is around a loop and I was running out of steam, it is hard to see the finish line and for it to not feel like it was getting any closer. I was still working hard but I was also waiting for SV to come up beside me and out sprint me to the finish line but there was nothing I could do to run faster and then finally I crossed the finish line. It was so great to be done and when I turned around SV was crossing the line. It was great!
I was thrilled with my time, I had stopped looking at the time on my watch at 11km because at that point I thought it might be possible to break the 1:30 mark but I didn't want to psych myself out so I had just stopped looking. When I crossed the line, my watch said 1:28.19 I couldn't believe it, that is over 8 minutes off my best time and although it had hurt I had so much fun.
SV got a pb as well and we were both pumped that we broke the 1:30 mark.
I ended up being 3rd in my age category and was the 11th woman overall. I am very happy with my results.
Kim finished her marathon with an over 20 minute pb, which is awesome and she toughed it out all on her own! I am so proud of her!
My favourite things about this race was going with 2 of my favourite people. I loved running along side SV and the fact that we are able to push each other and both be happy for the others performance. It was great to finish together and make our way through the medals, food and massage together and then rewarding ourselves with a yummy Eggs Benedict breakfast!
Oh and I almost forgot, I loved that I earned bragging rights (at least for a little while) by beating SV by 13 seconds!!