MONTEGO BAY, St James — After years of running in pain and being frustrated, Jamaica’s premier middle-distance runner Kenia Sinclair is finally on the mend and looking forward to even better things.

The 32-year-old former St Jago runner, who has flown the Jamaican flag in the 800m and 1500m for a over a decade, suffered from a painful “disc herniation of the lumbar spine” which forced her to withdraw from last year’s Olympic Games in London.

Sinclair says her battle to full recovery is being played on the mental field than the physical.

“I am healthy now,” she told the Jamaica Observer after finishing second in the 1,500m at the Jamaica International Invitational recently.

“Physically, I am not where I want to be, but mentally I am trying to get back after struggling with this injury for so long,” she said adding. “It has been a long time I have been struggling with the in jury but was able to compete through it,” Sinclair added.

The Commonwealth Games and IAAF World Indoors silver medallist, who is now based in Orlando, Florida, said the mental battle is even more difficult than the physical and said even her race in Kingston where she lost for the first time ever as a senior, beaten by Ethiopia’s Gudeto Feyne, was difficult.

“I think I raced competitively, but it was more like trying to break through mentally more than physically,” she explained. “But I am happy to have completed the race (although) it’s my first time losing in Jamaica and I am disappointed, but I am not always going to win.”

Her great relationship with her coach Gregory Massey, Sinclair claims, has been vital on her road to recovery.

“I told my coach before I came here, I am not afraid to lose… I just have to learn from my mistakes and disappointments and pick myself up.”

According to her, she took away positives from her loss. “The next race will be better because I realise where my weakness is, but at least I know how to run my race, not to jog the first part then burn up too much energy,” she reasoned.

Last year was the first time since 2005 that she failed to go under the two-minute barrier with a season best 2:01.55 that she clocked while easily winning the 800m at the JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships, snapping a series of seven straight years dipping below two minutes, including her persona best of 1:57.88 set in Rethimo, Italy in July 2007.

Sinclair appeared poised for a major breakthrough in 2008, but finished sixth in the 800m final at the Olympic Games in Beijing when she was expected to medal.

The IAAF World Championships in Moscow, she says, is the ultimate goal for this season even though she is yet to make the two- minute qualifying time.

Sinclair said her coach has been the greatest source of inspiration in her struggle to get back to the top of her game. “I am just grateful for him, he is very patient with me and I am just happy that I have someone who understands me and my injury… he is always by my side to motivate me,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

As the lone consistent middle-distance runner for Jamaica, Sinclair also said the reception of the fans have always lifted her to do her best whenever she performed in Jamaica.

“I am always happy to race here in Jamaica, as I feel like every time I step on the track I get the same welcome as the others and seeing I am the only middle-distance runner and trying to keep Jamaica on the map, I think they appreciate that and I am grateful,” she ended.