Port Alberni Paper Chase 15k 2020 Race Report

The 2020 edition of the VIRA Island Race Series Port Alberni Paper Chase 15k took place on March 8th. At that time, little did I know that this would be our last race of this spring due to the worldwide coronavirus concerns (more on that in my next post).

The morning drive from Victoria to Port Alberni was comfortable, relaxing and uneventful, which is just the way I like it. I wasn’t worried about anything, which doesn’t happen too often for me (but I am working on it, slowly).

When I arrived at the Cherry Creek Community Centre, I thought the weather was a little bit cold but I made up my mind that it was going to be a tank top and shorts day no matter what. I arrived a little earlier than I thought because the drive took a lot less time than I had given myself.

I was happy that I arrived earlier because I had time to relax and socialize.

I had my pre-race banana and Axio in order to get some energy before starting the race. Finally, it was “go time”, so I ditched my Garmin.

When I got outside, I got a bit cold relatively quickly but I knew that we would warm up as soon as we got moving.

Above: Near the beginning of the Port Alberni Paper Chase 15k. Photo by Lois DeEll

The race started and I forced myself to go slower. My goal was to do the first 2km slow to save some energy for the next 13.

At the beginning, I cracked a few jokes with my friend from the military before proceeding at a pace that felt like “4:30 per km”. He was encouraging me to keep going. I dropped back a bit but ended up catching a couple of ladies and ran with them for a bit.

Then, I picked up pace after the 5km mark. At the turnaround on Smith Rd (slightly shy of 7.5km), I knew that I was going to need to slow down and watch my footing as I go through the McLean Mill.

We entered the Mill just after the 8km mark and I felt myself slow down. I wasn’t tired, but I took this as an opportunity to “recover” before I got tired so that I could push myself once we got out of there.

I felt like it took me forever to get through the Mill. There were quite a few turns that made me feel like I was going very slow. The distance through the Mill was less than 1km but it felt a lot longer for me.

When I exited the Mill, I felt relieved. I’m not a trail runner which is why I was going slow through there. A number of my friends really love this part of the race, but I’m just not a trail runner. I don’t hate it (trail running) but I prefer to be able to go as fast as I possibly can on paved roads.

Once I came out of the Mill, I was excited to pick up my pace. I felt strong and focused. There were a couple of ladies about 300m ahead of me and I made it my goal to try to get closer to them before we all reach the finish line.

As I passed the 12km mark, I noticed that I was slowly closing the gap between the ladies and I. I never looked back because I was too busy looking forward.

Then, shortly thereafter, I spotted Lois DeEll with her camera, taking our pictures at around the 13km mark. This time, I was ready to make a “good” facial experession for the camera as I passed her.

Above: Me attempting to make a “good” face when I spotted Lois DeEll taking photos at the ~13km mark. And how is my sock game?

After the 13km mark, a few people passed me and I let them go. I didn’t try to chase them and maintained a steady pace because I wanted a stronger finish.

Once I reached the 14km mark, I knew that the ladies in front of me were a bit too far for me to catch but I also knew that I was going to finish strong.

I picked up the pace again and the next thing I knew, I took the last corner, and I was sprinting to the finish with the gentleman that was ahead of me by a few seconds. He gave me that push I needed to sprint to the finish.

My time was 1:06:19, which is 4:25 per km, on average. This pace was about 10 seconds per km faster than the Hatley Castle 8k.

Above: My age group awards. Photo by Lyndon Cassell.

For the very FIRST TIME in 2020, I was able to WIN my age group and placed 7th overall (out of 140) for the women. There are many talented and strong runners out there, so I am grateful for every age group win or top 10 placing.

Above: so excited to add this beautifil first place age group medal to my wall.

I’d also like to give a HUGE shoutout to my training client Howard, who finished 7th in his age group and completed the race in 1:17:41 (chip time). His pace was 5:11 per km, which means that he is on his way to reaching his goal, which is to run a 10k in 50 minutes (or faster).

Above: My client Howard (bib 2768) receiving his age group award at the Port Alberni Paper Chase 15k. Photo by: Lyndon Cassell.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my previews and race reports. While the remainder of the VIRA Island Race Series has been canceled, please stay tuned for my next post where I will share my thoughts on the whole situation as well as ideas on how to get through it.