Today I finished the Royal Victoria Marathon in 3:44:42.  It's not my best, and thankfully not my worst.  I had my doubts at first, after the last two races-- Vancouver last year was rough and this year's Rock and Roll in Seattle was a flame out.  It is nice to know that with the right amount of training, and the mental discipline to dig deep and commit, anything is possible.

In terms of a recap, the weather couldn't have been better.  Sunny, not too cold, and a slight breeze.  Great conditions for a race.  The crowd was solid, though a little patchy in places.  It was nice to see the standard beer giver outers, and students cheering you on.  There's also this guy -- Coach Mike -- who rides the course giving people encouragement.  I remember him from my first RVM, and it was great to see/hear him again.  I say hear, as he has a very distinctive voice that resonates and caries well across the crowds.  Thanks, Coach Mike -- you helped me dig down and finish strong!  Overall I felt pretty good.  It's always nice when you have to tell yourself to slow down.  There was one point around mile 20 where the km markers (it is Canada, afterall) seemed to take forever.  Other than that though, I felt pretty good.  Probably I could have pushed it more -- and possibly I may have gotten a PR, but following my last outings, I just wanted to finish.