Race report: 2017 Eastside 10k

This past weekend (September 17) was the 5th running of the Eastside 10k. It’s become an established event in the Vancouver running scene. The last couple of years in particular were more known for taking place in a cold, wet rain. This year, the weather has been much improved. In addition, the course has changed, away from the viaduct and on to the light-industrial area along Powell Street. For me, this was a good rehearsal for the big test to come on November 5.

I ran this race more than halfway through a 16-week training cycle leading up to the New York City Marathon. The training runs have been good, but various personal and professional demands have been shifting the days I’d normally do my runs. I’ve also had to contend with a niggling knee problem that doesn’t affect my running, but more so between runs. A trip to a physiotherapist in the week before the race showed some great improvements.

As I mentioned earlier, the Eastside 10k route has changed so that it starts and finishes on Cordova Street in front of the Woodward’s development. I think it’s a good move to showcase the fact that the old and new courses pass through Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, a neighbourhood mostly misunderstood and maligned. But having volunteered in the area gave me a greater appreciation for the vibrant and resilient community that makes up the Downtown Eastside.

The route was extended east to Nanaimo Street, but a straight line out and back isn’t exactly 10 km, so a few creative turns were needed to bring the distance up to the required number. It’s mostly flat, except for the up-and-down of the Powell Street Overpass, and the hill leading up to and around Pandora Park, next to Nanaimo Street. This latter hill was even made into a challenge: the 1.2 km segment was marked by timing mats, and included in the results.

The race organizers made full use of the Woodward’s Atrium and surrounding plaza for the same-day bib pickup (always a good option for those unable to attend pre-race expos) and gear check. The Bicycle Valet was there as well, on Abbott Street.

After warming up, I settled in the start area and waited for the 8:30 am start. Some unexpected issue elsewhere on the course resulted in a slight delay to the start. Once the race got underway, though, I felt I can take on this challenge.

Given what’s been happening with my knee, and it wasn’t an “A” race, I was aiming for at least sub-60 minutes, perhaps -57 minutes. After two kilometres, I knew I can get that 57. I crossed the 5 km mat at exactly 27:30, which put me on pace for 55 minutes, so I was feeling very good.

The weather definitely helped; it was decent for September. It was around 12ºC, and wearing shorts were still OK. This was a great improvement over the last couple of years this race was held, when downpours made for a miserable race experience.

At the finish

I think the weather greatly contributed to how well I did. For the first 9 km, my km splits ranged from 5:20 to 5:36/km. In the last kilometre, I wanted to go under 55:00, so I sped up. Despite the turns and congestion, I managed to go under 5:00/km to finish at 54:02. That was almost three minutes better than my goal!

I love this race’s dog-tag medals!

This race result will definitely give me a boost in the final weeks of training for the NYC Marathon. It’s crunch time!

Chip time: 54:02
793/2796 overall
551/1225 males
83/191 males 35-39

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