My family and I registered just a week earlier to make it a winter outside activity. We were expecting sub-zero temperatures, but for our surprise, it was 6 degrees and sunny! It felt like a spring event. We started running and after a few minutes on the course, I noticed I was already warm and overdressed for the weather. That would be OK in a flat course, but not in one with several elevations. When going up, the heart beats faster, heating the body and stimulating sweating. That makes the run tougher.
But that was a shorter race after all. I knew my breaking point was far beyond that distance, so I went for an aggressive pace to match my fastest 10k pace. Pretty ambitious goal after running 16k and having a couple of beers with friends the day before.
The uphills really held me back, and despite running my fastest pace in almost three years, it wasn't still enough to beat my best one. I blame the lower volume of training during the winter, but specially my pre-race lack of discipline. The only thing I can't complain is the race organization. They were impeccable! Run Waterloo does a great job organizing races, attracting people from all over the province. The race started on time, the course was well marked, volunteers everywhere, precise distance measurement and timekeeping, gorgeous medal, and delicious and abundant food waiting after the finish line.
