The VIRA Island Race Series TriStars Sooke River 10k will take place on March 25, 2018. It’s an undulating out-and-back route along the Sooke River Road.
Runners of all levels are welcome to participate.
The beautiful thing about the running community is that regardless of how fast you can run a 10k, you will be welcomed with open arms.
Furthermore, early start is available to runners and walkers who feel that they will take longer than 1.5 hours to finish.
Last year, when I did the race, I did the early start and I’m thrilled that they had that option for people.
Why did I do the early start last year?
To tell you the truth, I knew I wasn’t going to get anywhere near sub 45 min at that time. I was on the mend from a knee injury caused by an improper back adjustment, so I didn’t want to test to see how fast I can run a 10k. I was ok to run, but just nothing too fast.
However, instead, I used last year’s Sooke 10k as an opportunity to raise funds and awareness for a great charity-Wounded Warriors. I decided to ruck the Sooke 10k with a 35 lb rucksack. The ruck march took me 1:38:19 and I was happy with that result.
Furthermore, it resulted in over $500 being donated to Wounded Warriors.
To me, that accomplishment meant a lot. I got just as much satisfaction out of completing the ruck march that raised money for Wounded Warriors last year as I did running a 41:35 10k in Sooke in 2014.
I may have finished towards the back of the pack, but I felt fulfilled and HAPPY in a different way. Wounded Warriors, a charity that supports veterans suffering from PTSD and injuries, ended up with an extra $500+ as a result of this. That is all that matters. Looking at my race results on Raceday Timing, people won’t know this story, but I’m grateful for this story to be a part of my life.
Additionally, being able to walk the course allowed me to become more familiar with it.
I also took in the beautiful surroundings and felt ZERO pressure.
In the past, I used to put a lot of pressure on myself and my pace. For a while, it got so bad in 2015 that the initial joy I used to get from running was no longer there.
I had to reframe my entire train of thought in order to re-ignite my passion for running again. I know it’s a HUGE passion because every time I’ve been forced to stop running, the only thing I wanted to do was to get back into it. When I didn’t run, I missed it.
What is the Sooke River 10k course really like?
Compared to the TC10k, this course is slightly more challenging. It will most likely result in a marginally slower time than at TC10k or the Sun Run. For me, the difference was no more than 1 minute when I was posting my best times.
The race starts and finishes at nearly the same place. As we can see on the map below, there are not many turns in the race.
Within roughly the first 3-4k, you will encounter an incline. Try not to spend all your energy on this hill. In fact, try to conserve your energy for the way back. Once you get up the first hill, there will be some downhill.
Take advantage of the downhill. However, be cautious about going too fast. If you go too fast on the downhill, you risk trashing your quads and burning out..
Between the turnaround point and the 7km mark, there should be a nice stretch of road. If you are struggling at this point, then that means you started too fast.
If you are having an easy and fun time, then that means you can afford to pick it up a bit as you reach the home stretch. I recommend conserving your energy for the last 3km.
If my memory serves me right, there was an incline within the last 3km. I noticed it because it was towards the end of the race. However, this is where you will want to do your last push. If you see anyone slightly in front of you going up this final hill, try to challenge them a bit. Keep your body relaxed, especially your arms. Try not to hunch over.
Conclusion:
Towards the end, if you didn’t run too fast at the start, you should be able to finish strong.
The Sooke 10k is a great way to see where you are at if you are training for the TC10k in about a month. It’s also a great way to assess your overall fitness.
Most importantly, this is an opportunity to have fun.
As for my goal, I hope to finish it under 45 minutes.
Also, I hope to see you there!!