The VIRA Island Race Series Hatley Castle 8k took place on Sunday, February 24. If you read my preview for the race, you would have seen that this is a fun and challenging event.
In the morning, the weather was somewhat questionable. It was definitely a cold Sunday morning and just before the race started, I honestly didn’t think I wore enough clothes. For about a half hour or so, it even snowed a little bit at Hatley Castle (but the snow didn’t stick to the ground).
This was one of the few times in the last several years of running that I’ve decided to keep my toque on. For a brief moment, I even wished I brought my gloves!
Luckily, by the time the race started, the weather substantially improved. With that being said, it was still a bit cold out. At least it wasn’t snowing nor raining.
Again, I opted not to wear my watch and my intention was to run it slow. I was feeling a little bit off that morning so I knew I had to take it easy or potentially risk getting sick.
I’ve been working very hard to not get sick and so far so good (fingers crossed!). As a side note, I would absolutely hate to miss work, workouts or run training days due to sickness.
VIRA Island Race Series Hatley Castle 8k 2019 Start. Photo by: Joe Camilleri
How the race went for me
I started a bit faster than I intended to. However, the big hill at around the 3-4k mark reminded me that I should have started slower. While I didn’t struggle getting up the hill, I would have liked to be able to run up it a bit faster. Some people in front of me made the ascent look super easy.
Above: The big hill that everyone talks about at the VIRA Island Race Series Hatley Castle 8k. Can you spot me? Photo by: Joe Camilleri
Once I got up the big hill, I decided to slow it down a bit and finish the last half of the race comfortably.
Running through the trail part of the race felt peaceful and calm. I was breathing clean air feeling relaxed as I ascended the last hill.
Doesn’t the red VIRA Island Race Series toque look awesome? Photo by: Lois DeEll
Then, it was time to start our descent towards the finish line. Running downhill on gravel and trails takes a special kind of skill. It’s a skill that I admit I need to keep working on because I don’t run on trails enough. I do most of my training on the roads or the treadmill.
With about 600m to go, I decided to pick it up a bit. My legs were feeling good and I was adamant about finishing strong.
The last few hundred meters towards the finish was a flat gravel path. There were a couple of other runners sprinting with me towards the finish, which was awesome.
This was just before the finish. I always find myself sprinting to the finish beside someone else who is also wearing a blue shirt. It’s a different person each time, but nevertheless they seem to always wear a blue shirt. Photo by Lois DeEll.
The results
My time was about what I expected it would be. Considering the terrain and how I was feeling that day, 36:46 is not too bad. I was 3rd in my age category and 17th out of 184 for the women.
VIRA Island Race Series Hatley Castle 2019 Age Group Awards. Photo by Joe Camilleri
I was pleasantly surprised with how I placed.
Huge congrats to Matt Noseworthy and Julia Tschanz for winning the race!
Looking forward to being back again next year. The event was well-organized and the post-race food was great.
As a side note, the VIRA Island Race Series is not over yet! There are still 5 more races to go. The next race is the Cedar 12k, which got rescheduled to March 3rd due to bad weather earlier in February. Stay tuned for my preview of the new, flat, fun and fast course. 🙂