This was my second year doing the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (half marathon) event and I had mixed feelings. I did quite well last year (had a personal best time for a half), but as I keep bitching about, I haven’t been in the greatest shape of my life this year.

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My dad came down to Toronto from Ottawa to run this one with me, so we suited up before dawn on the morning of the race. It was slightly above freezing but thankfully there was no wind.

I started off the race not knowing what pace to even aim for. In training I had been languishing around 6:30/k and not overly enjoying myself. But if I stuck to that I’d come in horribly slower than I’d ever done during a half marathon. I came to the conclusion that I could do 6:00 minutes per kilometer without much effort and it would put me on target for having a faster half marathon than I’d had in the past (although not by much). I wasn’t breathing hard and it was relatively comfortable so I decided to stick with it.

Unfortunately, by the third kilometer, I realized I really, REALLY had to go to the bathroom despite having emptied out my bladder fifteen minutes before we started the race. At this point I’d come up to Bloor Street, and the first porta-potty in sight had a lineup already. I kept on running and waited until I saw a row of five of them with a few available. I ended up racing some guy for the porta-potty and beat him to it. Overly concerned with losing time, I kept an eye on my Garmin’s timer. Thankfully, I was in and out of that porta-potty in just under a minute.

With my lost minute in mind, I started doing some mental math. If I could pick up my pace a little bit and stay somewhere between 5:50-6:00 per kilometer, I’d actually be able to make-up my lost minute and stay on track. And that’s what I did! As the kilometers added up, I started to slowly gain back the seconds I had lost in the bathroom. (Which is to say, I was gaining them back as if I was sticking to my 6:00/k pace.)

My pace was going so extraordinarily well for the first 10k that I kept wondering when my body would be like “fuck you, I’m done – slow the hell down”. But it never happened. While I hit the 10k mark at a rather slow pace for myself (just over an hour), I knew that if I just kept going at my pace, I’d be able to get a new personal best time.

My toes went numb around the 14k mark (thanks shoes), but I didn’t develop any knee pain like I did in the previous year. Frankly, I spent a lot of this race incredibly pleased with myself. I felt excited and proud that I hadn’t pushed a ridiculous pace at the start of the race like I normally do (like 5:00/k for three kilometers then I bottom out), and that I was able to work out what I needed to do to set me back on track after my bathroom break had stolen time from me.

I even felt amazing at the end of the race! I saw my husband in the VIP Scotiabank area at the end zone and I was in such good spirits that I was actually able to throw him a smile and a wave without looking like death (which is how I normally look after a 5K).

And you know what? I did it. Despite not feeling like I was in awesome shape and despite going to the bathroom during the race… I still got a new personal best time. I crossed the finish line in 2:07:09, 16 seconds faster than last year. And it may only be minutely faster, but I’m feeling pretty proud of that time since I started out thinking I’d do quite poorly. ESPECIALLY since I did freaking terribly during the Ottawa Half Marathon back in May.

I finished up my race, exited the runners’ finish chute, grabbed my medal and joined my mom and husband in the Scotiabank VIP area to watch my dad finish. He came in down the finish line and totally ignored us despite being only a foot away from us while we were shouting at him. Too funny – when you’re in the zone, you’re in it!

I was very thankful to be a Scotiabank employee for this event. Since I raised enough funds, I was able to get myself and my family into the Scotiabank VIP spectator area which was not only catered, but spacious and not even remotely crowded. I had hot coffee waiting for me at the finish line! On a day when it’s only two degrees outside… that’s amazing!

I had a lot of amazing donors during my fundraising efforts and managed to raise a total of $675 for United Way Toronto! While I have thanked everyone personally for their donations, some of my donors were actually bloggers and I’d love to give them a shoutout for throwing cash my way. (If I missed one of you, please tell me – so many people marked themselves “anonymous” on my donation page!)

• Julie of Swatch and Review
• Chantal of Chantal’s Corner
• Alison of Ali Does It
• Sarah of Workaday Beauty
• Zoe of Writing Whimsy

Course Details

The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (half marathon course) is labeled as a flat and fast course. Here’s my take on it: The first 1.5 kilometers are uphill to Bloor (not steep, but still noticeable), then flat across Bloor and downhill down Bathurst. Along Lakeshore to the loop back point (which is around 13k) it’s either flat or slightly downhill. Once you loop back, it gets a bit uncomfortable. There’s an uphill climb that’s a bit longer than I’d like, but not terrible. The worst part is the uphill ramp in the last two kilometers, followed by the very last kilometer being uphill. It’s not super steep, but you’ll feel it for sure. Thankfully, the cheering section is really strong in this area and the finish line is one of the best I’ve experienced in all my races in terms of energy.

Race Summary

• Finish Time: 2:07:09
• Pace: 6:01 per kilometer
• Overall placement: 5527/10255
• Gender placement (F): 2363/5568
• Category placement (F30-34): 393/904