On a chilly and drizzly January morning, I participated in the 44th Annual Harriers Pioneer 8K Road Race, the first race of the Island Race Series and part of the BC Super Series.
This popular race often acts as the provincial 8K championships. It has a rich history of attracting Olympians and age-category athletes who have set world records. In addition, several Canadian Records have been set at Pioneer.
The race occurred in North Saanich, just north of the Victoria International Airport. The new certified 8K course, which features an out-and-back route through rural farmlands along quiet country roads, is similar to the old course in Central Saanich, where the race was held for 38 years before relocating in 2018. The course is a bit hillier than I had expected, especially around kilometre 3 and just after kilometre 4 as you can see reflected in my race analysis photo below.
I was excited to compete in my new age category, 40–44 (even though I’m still 39, and that stings a bit). The race went well for me overall. I made sure to get in a good warm-up with some pace sets, which helped me stay warm in the chilly air. I was able to shed my long sleeves and pants before the race and still felt comfortable. Throughout the race, I maintained a consistent pace. I even had some energy left for a kick in the final kilometre. I found a couple of guys in the back half of the race who were good pace targets and really pushed me to pick up the pace.
I didn’t have a very detailed nutrition plan as it was quite a short race, but I had one GU Roctane Gel just before the start and one just after the halfway point. There were a few tricky points during the race for me. I could only find a little more pace than my half-marathon average, and I hadn’t done much speed work leading up to the race. However, I was happy with my results, given these factors.
Overall, I placed 10th in my age group (40–44) and 66th out of 619 runners, with an official chip time of 30:52 and an average pace of 3:52. This was a great start to the Island Race Series and I’m proud of my performance.
In the future, I plan to have a target pace or time in mind for races. I also learned that it might be best to avoid a tough bike set the day before a race, as I felt pretty fatigued from that ride.
Next up in the Island Race Series is the Cobble Hill 10K, which I look forward to. I will be sure to incorporate some lessons learned in the next race.
About Dan: I’m an entrepreneur with experience in various industries, including fintech, real estate, and performance marketing. Most recently, Co-Founder and COO at Billi Labs (exit), and VP Operations at Pretio Interactive (exit).
I am passionate about endurance sport and exploring the intersection between technology, health, and performance.
