Concern about running a hilly course after tweaking a gluteal muscle near the end of a recent workout was a non-issue for Vancouver's Natasha Wodak, who was affected more by the cold and wind in Sunday's New York City Half Marathon.
Her time of one hour 12 minutes 33 seconds was nearly three minutes off her 1:09:41 best that once stood as a Canadian record.
Kenya's Hellen Obiri, the Olympic and world championships medallist, was also three minutes off her best but still managed to break the event record in 1:07:21.
Wodak placed eighth among the women's elite athletes, one spot lower than last year when the 41-year-old covered the 21.1-kilometre distance in 1:10:01. "Not my best, not my worst," is how Wodak summed up Sunday's performance on Instagram. "It was really windy, really cold.