Tag Archive for: Karen McCullough
McCullough’s Westcoast Sooke 10k re-cap
I had intended to run the Hatley Castle 8K but we were travelling home that morning after a weeklong family Reading Week vacation back east and I got sick on the flight home. I brought along my race bib for nothing. This illness sidelined me for a week and a half and, in the lead-up to the Sooke River 10k, I had only managed a terrible 23k long run last week and no other running all week. So what was the Westcoast Sooke River 10K going to look like for me?
I knew it was a rolling out-and-back course — I quite like the out-and-back courses — but having run so little the previous two weeks, my “B” goal was to try to run under my age. I just turned 56 on Friday, so this was a realistic goal for me. My “A” goal was to beat my Cobble Hill 10K time. My race strategy was going to be to try running while feeling a little uncomfortable, find a runner to keep pace with and then try to pass them in the second half.
So what happened? You may ask.
Approaching the 3k mark, the first of the leaders were already on their way back, but I also made a note that we were going down a hill, meaning we’d be going uphill on the way back. This could be a challenge.
By the 5k turnaround, I still had my pacer in sight ahead of me and another, faster friend who was also ahead of me. I managed to power up the hills and pass my first pacer and, to my surprise, I had reeled in and passed my faster friend too. She’s been faster than me at every Island Race Series race so far, so I knew this meant she was not having a good race.
With two kilometres to go, I managed to push a little harder and sprinted for the finish. I could see the clock and pushed hard to beat the 56:00 gun time. It was not after I crossed the finish line and stopped my watch that I knew I was a few seconds over 55 minutes. I beat my Cobble Hill 10K time —“A” goal success!
One of my best friends, who lives in Langford and knew I’d be doing this race, had decided in the last couple of weeks to sign up for the Sooke 10K too and, though she had done a long trail run the day before, she wasn’t too far behind me. It was really special to be able to celebrate our races together.
The post-race food was next level. Two large, fluffy, fluffy pancakes served with strawberries, whipped cream and two sausages were such an unexpected treat! I knew there were pancakes and sausages, but the strawberries, whipped cream and the sheer size of the pancakes took me totally by surprise. What was even more delightfully surprising was the inclusion of vegan pizza slices and celiac-friendly options as well. The race organizers really went the extra mile to include everyone! Besides the amazing post-race treats and the age group prizes, the best part of the Vancouver Island Road Race Series for me has been the warm and friendly community of runners I’ve met. At each race, I’ve met new people and it’s so much fun to see them along the course and to be able to yell out their name and cheer them on. After each race, I found myself saying, “That was so much fun. I would totally do this race again!”. I love this race series! See you at the Comox Valley RV Half Marathon.
By Karen McCullough, series ambassador
How do you prepare for a 12k?
How do you prepare for a 12k race when you’ve never run one before? This was me going into the Cedar 12k. A 10k race, sure I know what to expect, even a half marathon. But a 12k? What was I going to do about pacing? I decided I wouldn’t worry about it and just go with “This is a 10k, but just a little longer.” Having just done a 19k long run in my training for the Comox Valley RV Half Marathon coming up on March 24, 12k should be a breeze, I told myself.
I knew it was a rolling, out-and-back course, and the hills weren’t going to be too bad. Now, I live near Mount Tzouhalem, so I KNOW hills! Doing some quick math on my way, I figured I’d try to stick with my 10k time from the Cobble Hill 10k. The second race of the series just two weeks earlier. And the plan was to just stick it out another 2k. My B goal would be sub-1:10 and my A goal would be sub-1:08. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?
My husband and I arrived good and early and had plenty of time to get his bib and get a 2k warmup in. We lucked out with the weather. By race time, the rain had eased up and I decided to go without my rain jacket and just the long-sleeved shirt. We all gathered at the start and, I guess I was too far back, but I didn’t hear a start horn or anything and everyone just started running. It’s a small enough race that this wasn’t a huge deal. It’s chipped-timed so it doesn’t matter when you cross the start line anyway, right?
Heading out, I kept it kind of conservative but still within my 10k pace. I saw a young woman pass me from behind and she reminded me of a friend in Vancouver, so I decided I’d stick with her and keep her in sight as long as possible. The course was so enjoyable. With a couple of turns in the first three kilometres and then gentle rollers to the 6k turnaround. I took note of my time at the turnaround and did some mental math to see what my finish time might be. By then, I knew what to expect going back and decided to kick it up a notch. I started passing people and it felt good. At some point between 8 and 9k, I even managed to pass “my friend.”
So at 10k, how am I doing?
At 10k, I was just a few seconds slower than my time at the Cobble Hill 10k. But I had enough steam in me to really give’er in the final 2k. With 1k to go, I saw my husband on the other side of the road running towards me. He had already finished his own race, and he ran me in with lots of encouraging words. When we turned that final corner, I could see the finish, I really let it rip and hoofed it to the finish to leave everything on the course.
I could see the clock as I got closer to the finish and knew I was not only going to beat my B goal of sub-1:10, but I also beat my A goal of sub-1:08. With a chip time of 1:06:48. This turned out to be good enough for 8th in my age category of F55-59. I received a beautiful red ribbon to commemorate that.
One thing I’ve really loved about the series is the absence of participation medals, but medals and ribbons for up to 10th place in each age category. Who needs another participation medal? Not me. This, I’m sure, helps to keep the races at such an affordable price. I wish other races would adopt this measure!
Even though my husband and I have only lived on the Island for five and a half months, we’ve already met so many amazing people in the Vancouver Island running scene through our local run groups and especially through the Vancouver Island Race Series. During the race, when I started seeing the runners who’d already turned around at 6k, I couldn’t believe how many runners I knew and could cheer on by yelling their names.
With a chip time of 56:46 at the Cobble Hill 10k being nowhere near my PB of 50:52, I’m still really proud of myself. I am proud of my race at the Cedar 12k. I’m in my late 50s now, and 5 years older than when I ran a 50-minute 10k and not every race is going to be a PB, and that’s ok! The important thing is this: did I have fun? You bet I did! Will I do this race again?
Abso-f’ing-lutely