Cedar 12k 2020 is tomorrow! Let’s do this!

This year’s Cedar 12k will be taking place tomorrow (February 9, 2020) at 11:00am. The Cedar 12k is the third event that’s part of the VIRA Island Race Series.

As a side note, back in 2013 (yes, that’s 7 years ago!!), the Cedar 12k was my very first ever VIRA Island Race Series event.

Finishing my first ever VIRA Island Race Series Event, Cedar 12k 2013. Photo by Ian Simpson

I still remember that day like it was yesterday. Immediately after finishing that race, I was inspired to continue to do more VIRA Island Race Series events. At that time, I had NO IDEA, that nearly a decade later, I would continue to do these and look forward to them.

Tomorrow, registration and bib pickup will be open from 9:00am to 10:30am at Cedar Elementary School, located at 2215 Gould Road, Nanaimo.

The Cedar 12k welcomes runners of all levels and offers an early start beginning at 10:30am for those who expect to take longer than 90 minutes to complete the course.

I’m very excited that we will continue to run on the new, flatter out and back course that follows Quennell Road, with stunning lake views and scenic countryside. With the exception of a few undulations in the middle, the course is relatively flat.

Above: Cedar 12k 2020 map.

I was there the year that the course got changed due to an unfortunate event back in 2018. Then, we all loved the new course so much that the race organizers decided to make that change permanent.

Prior to 2018, if you remember the old course, there was a number of fairly large hills. This new course is great because the biggest hills are gone.

The race will start on Gould Rd between Yellowpoint Rd and Cedar Rd and will finish in the same place.

While on Cedar Road, all runners will run on the East side of the road at all times. While on Quennell Road, runners will stay to the left hand side of the road facing traffic.

The course does not have a lot of turns which makes it a bit easier to maintain your pace.

Above: Here’s a pic from the Cedar 12k last year. I’m making a REALLY FUNNY FACE…but at least the scenery looks great and my form is OK!! Photo by Ken DeEll

Tips for having a great race

1.Don’t stress out about your pace before you start your race. Being stressed out releases unnecessary negative energy and we don’t want that. You want to go into it with an open heart and an unwavering desire to have fun.

2. Give yourself enough time to get there. If you are coming from Victoria, it can feel like a long way to go. So, don’t put unnecessary pressure on yourself to make it to bib pickup on time. If you arrive early, there are plenty of awesome people to chat with and maybe you will even meet some new lifelong friends there.

3. Run the first half slower and try to get a negative split. When you start slower, you save your strength for later. From personal experience, I know that whenever I start too fast, I get tired earlier in the race. Then, as I get tired, people start to pass me because they ran a lot smarter than me. However, when I start a bit slower, I don’t have as many people passing me but I end up passing a few people in the second half. You want to set yourself up for a strong finish!

4. Get out of your own head. When you are racing, it’s important to “be in the moment”. Therefore, while you are in the middle of the race, you should not be thinking about those tax papers that you haven’t organized yet or that utility bill you haven’t paid yet. You also should not be thinking about how tired you feel while running because what you think about, you bring about.

5. Make sure that you are well-hydrated long before you start. No, this does not mean guzzling 500ml of water one hour before you start. This means that you should have started hydrating at least a few days before the start of the race. If you are going into a race even slightly dehydrated, you will feel a bit tired and you may even get a headache or cramps.

6. Forget how the last race went. Your last race or run may not have been ideal. But, in order to have a good race now, you have to believe that it’s a new day and a new race. This time, things will be different.

Safety considerations for Cedar 12k participants

First, safety is everyone’s responsibility.

Even though all event organizers do a great job of keeping the participants safe, they need our help and they rely on our cooperation. This is why we should all be mindful of vehicular traffic during our warm up and race.

The roads are not closed to traffic so participants need to be aware of their surroundings at all times.

Cedar Road is a busy road and while Quennell Road is a quieter country road, you must listen to the directions from the course marshalls.

I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow!!

Don’t forget to stop by and say “hello” if you see me there! I always want to talk to other runners.

Stay tuned for the race report after the event.