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Holly Pinto: Race recap from McLean Mill 10K

I brought home my best time ever for a 10km. Nothing about this article has to do with that. Just thought you should know. You should also know the McLean Mill 10K was the Kinder Surprise Egg of the series. Y’all, edge of my seat! In reference to my last post about rituals… there was no room for that. So, what do we do when a race goes nothing as planned? 

Step 1: stay warmed up…

Step 2: just run. 

It’s been said before, it’s not the destination, it’s the journey. While I can exaggerate the importance of keeping race day similar to training days, sometimes I don’t have control. It’s going to rain though the forecast said 0% chance of precipitation. It’s going to false start right when the preworkout kicks in. You might cross the finish line just to… cross another? With all that eclipse energy to share, I shouldn’t have been surprised that nothing was how I planned. A gentle reminder that we all came to simply… run. 

Like every race in the series, you can’t help but get lost in the beauty of the course. There’s no hustle and bustle. I zig-zagged the back road forest which canopied the rainfall. That’s why I run. To be lost in amongst trees. I forgot for that moment the stress of this and that and just ran. Yes, race day should have a pressure to play your best. However, the heart in showing up is the love for the run. With the Vancouver Island Run Series, we escape into pockets of the island’s lushest country life. And the McLean Mill 10K was so. As rolling hills take you through the miles you can’t help but feel like a Mario cart driver in the jungle using all gears. The snowcap mountains in the background display you are in fact running at the most beautiful place in the world. And that final stretch UP humbles efforts of going for the fast finish. 

After we cheer Dog Mountain Brewing beer we congratulate each other. Ribbons are handed out while we warm up to the most perfect chilli. A thought I had: I didn’t ask a single person their timing. No one asked mine. You know why? We were all there for the love of running. Our runner’s high didn’t leave space for competition (ok, a little). Rather everyone was smiling and joyously hollering and celebrating. This is the best part of this friendly island cup game. The camaraderie is a balance of chasing goals while catching up with pals. It’s about just running. 

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Ambassador Holly: This is the race I’ve been waiting for (McLean Mill 10K)

Three sleeps until the McLean Mill 10K.

This is the race I’ve been waiting for. I’ve called Port Alberni home for almost a decade. Leading up to race day I had the same nerves as I did pre-Comox — the last race I participated in. Even though any race starts with jitters, I have to credit the Vancouver Island Race Series for routing out incredible backdrops that completely distract me.

The Comox Valley RV Half Marathon did not disappoint. With rolling country backroads and farm animal spectators, my favourite snippets from the last race in Comox will reflect here in Port Alberni. I know the route coming up on Sunday. Like Comox, there will be snow-capped mountains in the distance with old-growth trees lining the course. While My goal for the Comox race was to complete it. This Sunday, I’m hoping to bring home my best time for a 10K. No matter the distance, I like to keep prerace day rituals the same. With three sleeps out here are my go-tos (as an amateur runner):

Go-tos

Sleep. Snack. Stretch. Sip.

Sleep.

Leading up to race day I make sure my sleep schedule is clean. No late nights, no sleeping in. Keeping my rest regimented allows me to know how I’ll feel come race day. There’s nothing worse than a sleep hangover from too much sleeping or exhaustion from not enough. With three days out, I’ll be turning off my phone and hitting the pillow for 8-10 hours sleep. 

Snacks! Snacking is any athlete’s favourite part of training. Leading up to race day I ensure I’m getting in my protein and carbs. No skipping meals or splurging on treats. The value in keeping the gut clean for race day is crucial. There’s nothing worse than showing up for a race after investing in training just to have your gut hold you back. 

Stretching. Movement. Flow. I rest on my weight lifting and running workouts this close to a race while allowing an easy run, like chit-chat pace, to keep routine. Each day leading up I’ll continue to do a classic “warm up” with simple drills and mobility offering my muscle memory to keep in action. In the evenings I’ll do a foam rolling for fascial release and bring blood flow to the spots holding tension. Conserving my endurance for the big day while still keeping my body moving. 

Sip, sip, hurray! An honest mistake I have made as a rookie is chugging all the water 24 hours out from a race and then feeling sluggish. It’s frustrating hitting the course on race day just to be interrupted for a toilet break. Starting now, I’ll make sure I am sipping my water continuously until the race. A couple hours out from the race start, I’ll add my favourite electrolytes in. Supplementing these minerals has me prepped for the first few race kilometres. Like gas in the tank rather than starting on empty. 

Banking on these pre-race rituals helps me feel prepared and eases the pressure leading up to racing. The starting line is close in sight today and I’m ready to see fellow racers. Not just to see ribbons handed out, but also to toast personal bests and some friendly “I did its!” 

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Hurricane Hatley ‘24: a race recap

By Ambassador Holly Pinto

When I first read Hatley Castle 8K, I immediately thought like anyone would; of magic and folklore. And while indeed it’s a beautiful architecture; magic quickly transformed into adventure. With a 95 per cent chance of precipitation, I anticipated a wet, west coast running race.

Like any quest, Hatley promised an “over the hill and around the bend” course. I started the course with a gentle decline slope leading to ocean views. Headwinds on that moody February morning combined with rainfall set the scene for a J.R.R. Tolkien quest more than a Disney fairytale. Then suddenly at 2K the course took a rolling incline; with a baby hill and then a mama hill. In my peripheral I viewed stone walls with vines as the castle awaits at the bottom, connecting one hill to another. Perfect placement to occupy my thoughts as I climbed and climbed. If magic was really here, there would have been a unicorn ride with a catchy soundtrack. Yet, this is a running race and I kept perspective and pulled one foot up after the other. Trumpets sound triumph as raindrops trample trees; the beast of a hill has been slayed. And soon the summit brought me into the forest.

By this point, I am drenched from torrential rainfall. Washing away all that sparkly sweat. And the only twinkle was that of a wiggle in my toes to keep warm. ‘Are we having fun yet?’

Well, this was Hatley Castle and I was on an adventure.

I sloshed through muddy puddles which I didn’t care to miss because Hurricane Hatley had left me already soaked. Around 6K the wind picked back up like a big ugly monster. As the fauna ahead led to the end of this quest, I took time to enjoy the eye of the storm. As the path was smirking with pools of rainfall and paces were withheld by potentially slippery corners there is something. Something in lieu of a rainbow and sunshine. And it’s you, my running friend. Sometimes, the prize is within the adventure.

You see, I set to make my best 8K time on this day. But fate had otherwise. I knew that morning weather would withhold my goals. Like any true adventurer, I adapted… Close to me from the starting line was a team of runners. Their goal: to finish. More than that. To finish happily. While I was caught up on the weather and the letdown by the downpour they offered an opportunity. And that is the heart of VIRS. The eye of the storm; the beauty within. Showing up and completing the adventure with your team. Coming together to cheer each other on despite coastal conditions and soggy socks. Chasing personal best times is rewarding. Seeing the race through with the team is the trophy.

Now I’m left wondering, will the next race recap be named “Soggy Sooke 10K” from winter weather on Vancouver Island. Or perhaps “Sunny Sooke 10K”?

See you there!

Pioneer 8K
Comox Valley Half Marathon
McLean Mill 10K
Bazan Bay 5K
Sooke 10K
Hatley Castle 8K
Cedar 12K
Cobble Hill 10K