Perdita Felicien, left, races against Olympic champion Dawn Harper in their qualifying heat for the women's 100m hurdles at the world championships in South Korea. (Stu Forster/Getty Images)

The first round of the women's 100-metre hurdles competition is over, and what's most important is that I made it to the semifinals.

It felt great to race in Friday's heats for the first time since early July. The race was relaxed and precisely the rust-buster I needed. It only gets tougher from here, and the fight to make it into the finals is on.

I spent the days before the first round playing in the arcade here in Daegu, trying on custom Korean dresses and watching Teen Mom (don't judge me for the latter). All welcome distractions to fill my mind so it wouldn't be taken hostage by rogue thoughts.

Seeing my competitors these last few days has been great. I like seeing the other girls show up and how scowl-tastic our faces can get. It's like a parade of peacocks - whose tail is bigger, brighter and fancier? I just love it!

There are three Canadians in the semifinal. Along with myself, Phylicia George and Nikkita Holder have also advanced. I have a lot of respect for how tenacious and poised they are on such a big, new stage.

Tough semifinal heat ahead

Once you enter the competition domain you're locked in. We all aim to make the final, but career finalists know you are locked into this vacuum, a three-round twilight of nerves, energy, pressure, stress and a lot of deep breaths.

Each round is like those books I used to read in Grade 3 where you chose your own adventure. Before the gun goes up, I tell myself that I hold the key to the next adventure, the story of my choosing is only 10 hurdles away, so let's make it the story we want.

The only difference is that, as an eight-year-old, I would always go back and pick a different ending if the one I initially chose fell short of my expectations. A literary do-over of sorts. On top of that, if all the endings stunk, well, then I just curled up with a pencil and paper and made up my own ending. Simple, easy.

Unfortunately, in my adult vocation things don't work this way. There's nothing simple or cozy about competing against the best hurdlers in the world. In my Saturday semifinal heat I'll be sandwiched between the Olympic champion, Dawn Harper, and the Olympic silver medalist, Sally Pearson.

That's a challenge, but I won't back down and I'll feel excited about the potential of the race.

So instead of dreaming of a do-over, since there are none, I'll stand at the start line and decide in advance how the story will go. I'll crouch in the blocks and at the bang of the gun race to create that perfect script, the one I've written and re-read in my head time and time again.

Can't wait to go to work again. Let the fun begin!