Race Report: Vancouver First Half 2019

Last Sunday, February 10th, 2019, which happened to be one of Vancouver's coldest days of the year so far, we ran the Vancouver First Half half marathon. And it was fantastic!

But before I get to race day, I am going to back up a little bit. I had a couple issues in my training build-up for this race. Firstly, the Achilles problems I had from September and October, while drastically improving, are still causing some minor discomfort. The pain is gone, but there is still some tightness. I am careful to stretch and ice as much as possible, and it is improving overall - probably 75% recovered - but it is still there. Secondly, and possibly as a result of my Achilles, I strained my right calf about two weeks before race day.

In general, I was far more consistent with my training for this race than I have ever been before. I stayed with my training plan, almost never missed an activity in the past 12 weeks building up and I stuck to my long run plan.

When I strained my right calf, it was right after the Steveston Icebreaker (my review HERE). As a result, I had to take a solid seven days off running. To substitute without losing any fitness, I road my bicycle instead. To keep the same level of intensity, I added around 25-50% more time to my workouts (so what would have been a 40 minute run was a 60 minute bike ride). My peak long run as well had to be on the bike. But I had a full 7 days before the race to get back to running.

Further, because of my disappointment with my performance at the Fall Classic (my review HERE), I was determined to break 1 hour and 45 minutes at the First Half.

Now to race day. The First Half route is one of my absolute favourites. It's flat. It's fast. And it's beautiful. Starting in front of Yaletown Roundhouse Community Centre, the race starts heading east for a quick lap around BC Place. Back across the start line, the race then moves under the Burrard Bridge and down onto the seawall. From there, following the seawall into Stanley Park, the route crosses south of Lost Lagoon and does a counter-clockwise loop around Stanley Park, on the seawall the whole time. Before the Second Beach Swimming Pool, the route leaves the seawall briefly for a clockwise lap of Lost Lagoon. Then, rejoining the seawall, the route follows the same path along the water, a quick hill climb under the Burrard Bridge, and back along Pacific Blvd towards the Yaletown Roundhouse and the finish line.

I did my usual pre-race routine, breakfast at home (cereal, banana, milk, and lots of water), and headed downtown Vancouver on the Canada Line. To avoid any gastro problems, I've been making sure that I eat at least 90 minutes ahead of my run.

When I got to the Yaletown Roundhouse, it was a cool -5C. And, given the seawall's exposure to the elements, it was forecast to hit wind chills of -10C on parts of the route. So, at the last minute, I added a full base layer under my running pants and shirt to ensure warmth.

As we lined up in the starting corral, it seems almost everyone was solely focused on staying warm. As such, most were swinging their arms, moving their legs, jumping in the spot, etc. And I think this created a lot more space - i.e. folks were far less bunched up compared to past races I have done. This meant that once the race started, it was easier to spread out and find my own pace. Almost immediately, I settled into my target pace for the race - 5:00 / km.

For some reason, this race just felt right for me. Everything clicked. The first 5 km went very smooth, and I managed an average 4:56 / km. Heading out onto the seawall for the next 5 km, I felt even better. I was completely comfortable with my pace, but I was hesitant to push any harder because I wanted to have enough left to maintain that for the full distance. However, I did improve to a 4:45 / km from 5 through 10 km.

Coming around the north and west of Stanley Park is where the cold hit. Now up until this point, I was completely comfortable but was almost concerned that my extra base layer would cause me to overheat. But holy moly, was I glad to have it through this stretch. During this stretch from 11 through 15 km, I dropped to an average 4:52 / km - still strong and within my target range.

During the loop of Lost Lagoon, I was starting to fatigue slightly. But I still felt strong. I was tempted to slow down and rest, but forced myself to maintain pace, stay with the pack I was running with, and push hard through the finish. From 16 through 20 km, I did drop slightly again to an average 4:55 / km - again, still within my goal. But at this point, I started to realize that I was trending well ahead of my 1 hour and 45 minute goal time. Those extra 5-10 seconds shaved off of my 5:00 / km target pace each kilometre were adding up. I tried to run the calculations in my head and figured I could get close to 1 hour and 43 minutes.

For the final few kilometres, my sole focus was to maintain my pace. I was getting tired, but even more so, I was determined. As I came around the final turn, I put it all out. I crossed the finish line, glancing at the clock I saw I was just under 1 hour and 43 minutes. My final gun time was 1:42:59. Even better, my chip time was 1:42:35 - a large new PB for me! I shaved nearly 3.5 minutes off my previous PB!!
Overall, I am absolutely elated! I felt strong throughout and I am incredibly happy with my result. I exceeded my own expectations. Proving to myself that as long as I keep running and executing on my training plan, I will keep improving.

My wife and two kids met me at the finish line. Which is always a big motivator for me in the latter part of a long race like this one - to have them cheer me on near the finish.

After I finished, and consumed a few cups of Nuun (which tastes so darn good after a long run like this), we did a lap through the community centre to shake hands with friends and other runners that we knew. As always, the post-run food selection at the First Half is one of my favourites of all the Vancouver-area races. So we spent about 45 minutes chatting, checking the results, and consuming some much needed calories. Then we headed off home.

Now two things I haven't mentioned yet are the swag - the medal and the shirt. The medal was a large improvement from last year's - very RunVan-esque - similar style to the BMO Vancouver and Fall Classic. The shirt I really like as well, while I haven't had a chance to wear it yet. But I do wish that they would give a long-sleeve shirt, similar to the Victoria half marathon, given the time of year it is. As such, I will have to wait to wear a short-sleeve T until it warms up a bit more.

Overall, this has to be my favourite race. I love the smaller crowd, the dedicated runner atmosphere, the pre and post-race festivities, and the route. I will be back again next year.

Race Report: Steveston Icebreaker 8k

A couple of weeks ago, on Sunday, January 20th, Kajaks hosted their annual Steveston Icebreaker 8k. While the event has run for several years now, this was my first time participating. Further, this year the organizers added the New Balance Kids Run 1k - a very welcome addition in my small family. So I signed up for the 8k and both of my kids for the 1k.

Before I start, this event is put on by Kajak's, Richmond's local track & field club. All proceeds, therefore, go to Kajak's. So, rather than a for-profit event like many major running events, this one is a fundraiser. As such, there are no shirts, no medals, no swag. But that's what makes it so pure. Not only is it a fundraiser, it's a fundraiser for an organization that teaches running. 

And because this is in Steveston, the southwest corner of Richmond, it is very close to my home. The route follows along a part of the Richmond dyke system that I run often, especially on my long runs. So, really, it's a wonder that I haven't run the Icebreaker before. I was really pumped to get out there and run it this year.

Further, I had heard that many local elite runners show up for this one. Probably similar to the Eastside 10K, it is likely easier to throw a fun 8k or 10k into one's regular training routine than a longer run.

So let's get down to race day.

We (my wife, our two kids aged 8 and 4, and myself) showed up relatively early, around 7:45am, to make sure we got parking and had time to organize ourselves. We were a bit earlier than necessary, so walked over to Starbucks for a little pre-race R&R.

The Kids Run started at 8:30 and the Icebreaker 8k at 9:00. So, while I was initially a little bit nervous that these were too close together, the timing was actually perfect. Both events used the same Start/Finish, which made the transition from one event to the next extremely easy.

The Kids Run started along the Imperial Landing (the Richmond dyke that runs along the south arm of the Fraser River, starting just east of No 1 Road). It was a 1.15 km loop out around the lagoon and back.

The distance was perfect. Both of my two kids have run similar distances before, so they were eager to participate. My eight-year-old son, really starting to enjoy running and finding his legs, ran alone. We had been training semi-regularly in the weeks leading up, doing 500-1000 m runs around our block, so he was well prepared. He immediately pushed to the front, ending up passing the pacer on a bicycle (who wanted to remain leading the majority of the kids), and ending up winning with about a 100 m lead over second place. The Kids Run wasn't timed, unfortunately, but my son kept his time and is quite happy with it. 

I ran the Kids Run with my four-year-old daughter. Despite a minor tangle and crash at the beginning, she got up and ran the entire race without stopping. She, too, had been doing some training runs and was very excited to enter a race, have a race bib with a number on it, and earn her finisher's ribbon.

After a few minutes of family celebration and congratulations to the kids, I had to lineup for the Icebreaker 8k. Conveniently, I was already at the corral as both events used the same Start/Finish line. I know this sounds minor, but I've been to a few other events where that wasn't the case. This setup made the transition extremely simple.

My wife took the two kids over to the Community Centre, which was hosting the post-event festivities, to do some activities while I ran, and came back to watch me finish.

The 8k started promptly at 9:00. The route started out the same as the Kids Run, but continued much farther along the south dyke. Essentially, it follows the trail along the river all the way to No 3 Road, and then back. A very straight-forward out-and-back route. This year, they also had partially closed Dyke Road to vehicle traffic, so the race course had the gravel trail going out, and the eastbound vehicle lane coming back. I had heard that this was not always the case in past years. So that definitely allowed a safer running environment and more space for the runners.

Also, similar to my comments on the Eastside 10K, because this was an out-and-back route, it was a lot of fun to pass and cheer on other runners I knew. I enjoy seeing the top runners pass by, seeing how they are positioned near the middle of the race compared to how they finish at the end. And I enjoy watching, waving, and cheering for other runners I know. 

This year did not draw the elite crowd that I had heard would show up though. Despite a strong showing from the Mile 2 Marathon (M2M) crew, the usual elites were running elsewhere. While slightly disappointed, I hope to see more of them return next year.

As for actual race performance, I was aiming to break my previous 8 km PB of 00:35:37, which I set in Victoria back in October (click HERE for my recap on that event). I knew that to run under that time, I would need to average under 4:30 per km. After about 2 km, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to achieve that. I am not sure why, my legs just did not have it on race day. I ended up finishing in 00:36:35. I am still happy with that time and won't dwell on it, but it is my first race event where I did not improve on my PB.

Now, I admit that I missed out on one of the key aspects of this race: the post-race festivities. My son had a soccer tournament shortly afterwards so we had to head home and get ready for that. So I missed out on, what I have heard, is one of the best calorie replenishing displays at a Vancouver-area race. While I would have loved to stuff my face with a couple donuts and bananas, I'll have to save that experience for next year.

Overall, we all had a blast. I loved watching my son embrace his 1k event and love every second of it. I loved running the 1k event with my daughter and watching her enjoy the experience of running. I loved running my own 8k event, despite being a bit slower than I had hoped. I loved the route of both of these events and the smaller "community" feeling of this event. And I also loved to support our local Kajak's Track & Field Club. I will be back next year.

Race Report: Fall Classic Half Marathon

The Fall Classic has been the main focus of my  running training since running the BMO Vancouver half marathon back in May. Literally every run was focused on this day.

I had added a couple other races in, such as the Under Armour Eastside 10k (see my race report HERE) and the GoodLife Fitness Victoria half marathon, which I ended up downgrading to the 8k (see my race report HERE), but both of those were intended to slot into my training for the Fall Classic.

My training and build-up to the Fall Classic were somewhat disrupted by the Achilles issue I had throughout the fall. It started in September, just before the Eastside 10k, and has continued through to this day. It is improving, but it is most definitely lingering. I discussed some of the impacts of this on my training HERE in my post about downgrading Victoria from the half to the 8k.

The main impact is that for the past couple months, I have had to limit my long runs and haven't really done any speed work. I've maintained my minimum of three runs per week, but haven't been able to push and test my speed or distance. While I felt really good leading up to race day, I wasn't as prepared as I would have liked to be.

So now that all that context is out of the way, let's talk about race day.

I had a solid sleep the night before the race, made it to bed at a reasonable time. But I woke up with some really uncomfortable stomach issues. So on my way out to the race start, I had to swing into a pharmacy to pick up something to settle my stomach. So, I popped a couple pills and made my way to start my warm up. Parking was relatively easy to find, and I parked in the main lot indicated on the race day instruction card included with my race kit. The lot itself had one entrance and one exit, so it was quite the stop-and-go experience to get in there. But there were plenty of spaces available once we snaked our way up through the parkade.

Once parked, I walked over to the race start/finish area. It was fairly cold out, so I definitely appreciated the indoor space provided for some of the pre-race festivities. After a final washroom trip, I did checked my bag and did my warm-up, about 10 minutes of light running, followed by about 15 minutes of stretching. I have not spent much time at all around the UBC campus, so I actually quite enjoyed the area.

I felt really strong at the start of the race. Probably a little too aggressive and over-confident though. The first 8 km or so are all downhill. Not an intense decline, but definitely enough that it feels easier than it actually is. Once you hit the turnaround, the momentum shifts and you're going back along that slight incline. At about 9.5 km, there is a fairly intense hill up University Blvd. Luckily, it's pretty short, but it's a knacker. After that, there's a fairly nice out and back along the Main Mall. Only challenge is that it puts you deceivingly farther from the finish line than you think you are.

From there, you cross back across, alongside the finish line, past the start line, and do the whole thing over again. This was my first time running a race that repeats a route. In truth, this should have made the distance easier to calculate. However, my head kept messing with me so I was really surprised how much longer the second lap felt than the first lap.

The other aggravating factor for me was that my GPS, somewhere along the way, was putting me about 1 km ahead of where I actually was. I was passing signs that read the distance and my GPS would say that I was significantly farther ahead. I had heard about a potential course change at the last minute due to some construction, so I thought perhaps my GPS was right and the course markings were off.

Whatever the cause, at about 16 km, at the turnaround on SW Marine Dr on my second lap, I paced myself, according to my GPS, at close to the 1:40:00 finish time. I was ecstatic. I was aiming for 1:45:00, and I had been consistently under 5:00/km, so I was pretty sure my math was right.

As I got closer to University Blvd, I checked with another runner on the distance, and his read the same as the signs, meaning my GPS was about 1.3 km ahead. Man, was that defeating. I realized I'd be lucky to hit my 1:45:00 target now. Without obsessing over the math, because I was losing steam, I just kept running. That hill up University Blvd absolutely destroyed me the second time. I lost a  lot of momentum on that sucker.

I struggled to keep moving along the final out and back on Main Mall. It was flat, but like I mentioned above, it felt surprisingly longer the second time around. Luckily, I had a friend meet me at about the 20 km marker. He ran with me about 100 metres and cheered me on. I have to say, I might not have kept running without that encouragement. I was completely defeated and needed that encouragement desperately. So I kept running and finished at 1:46:51.

New half marathon PB (beat my previous PB by 0:01:19)! While I was aiming for 1:45:00, any PB is an achievement that needs to be celebrated!

Overall, I had a great experience. The race itself was fantastic. While the route wasn't as scenic as say the Victoria Marathon, BMO Vancouver, or the First Half, it was definitely a lot of fun. It reminded me of the importance of training though and getting those long runs in. And, as a runner from Richmond, the importance of finding some hills to train on.

I will definitely be back to tackle this one again. As for breaking my 1:45:00, I'm going to look to the fast, flat First Half on February 10, 2019.

Race Report: GoodLife Fitness Victoria - 8k

This write-up is long overdue. Time has actually run away on me these last couple of months. So without further adieu...

As I mentioned in my previous post HERE, where I discussed having to downgrade my registration from the half marathon to the 8k, this was a difficult race for me. Because of a nagging issue with my Achilles, I did not feel comfortable going for the full half marathon. So I felt a lot of disappointment having to settle for the 8k. I know that sounds ridiculous. But that context is important because that was my mindset heading into the weekend.

This was my first destination race. So I was really looking forward to it. Because it was Thanksgiving weekend as well, we had some family come with us to make the trip over to Victoria. And we turned it into a family weekend.

We went over on Saturday morning and caught the 7:00am ferry to the big island (Vancouver Island for those of you unfamiliar with the area). We booked our two nights at the Royal Scot Hotel & Suites which, incidentally, I would highly recommend for a stay in Victoria. First, it was less than a block away from the parliament buildings and the Start/Finish lines for the races. Second, the rates were completely reasonable, especially considering we had a one bedroom suite which gave us plenty of room for my wife and I and our two kids. We had a kitchen, dining room, living room, and separate bedroom to put the kids to bed in.

Once we got to the island and checked into our hotel, we walked over to the race expo to pickup our kits. While I was signed-up for the 8k, my son was also registered for the Kids run (1.25 km). We actually had a great time walking through the expo, sampling the treats and bars (energy and protein) and drinks, and picking up our shirts.

We had the entire rest of the day to explore and walk around the city. One of the best parts of going to Victoria on race weekend (and staying right in the heart of city), is that the road closures were already taking effect. So the entire downtown area was nearly void of cars for the majority of the time we were there. Race organizers were already setting up for much of Saturday. So there was a completely unique vibe to the city. I loved every second of it!!

We had a nice, relaxing family dinner and actually made it to bed early (I always try to be in bed by 10:00 before any race).

On race morning, I got up ahead of everyone else. Because I was running the 8k instead of the half marathon though, my start time was quite a bit later. That gave me a little more time to get ready and go explore. I did my warm-up around the Victoria harbour, which was absolutely gorgeous. The rain was teasing a little bit though so I was also trying to stay dry.

The race itself was fantastic. I enjoyed every second of it. I felt really good on race day. And my Achilles was feeling nearly 100%. So, I set out for an 8k PB. Now, I had never actually raced an 8k before so I didn't really have an official PB marked down. But I knew it was probably close to 37:00.

The 8k route is awesome and has many of the same highlights as the half marathon route. So while I was trying to keep an aggressive (for me) pace, I was also absorbing the scenery around me. Around the mid-point of the 8k route, we join the half marathon and marathon runners (who started about an hour ahead of the 8k). So for those last few KMs, there is a mix of runners from all distances.

Coming through to the finish, it is quite the spectacle. I was truly impressed with the number of people out cheering on the runners along the entire route, and not just near the finish. But there is definitely a substantial crowd at the finish, which is truly the most picturesque of any race I've run: Victoria harbour on the left, parliament buildings on the right. Truly spectacular.

I finished with a time of 35:37, setting my 8k PB. I was incredibly happy with that result, even though my family suggested that they thought I'd be running a lot faster as I passed them about 100 metres from the finish line. I had trouble explaining that I didn't save anything for a sprint at the finish.

I took a few minutes to grab my medal and snacks at the finish corral before heading over to join my son for the Kids Run.


As we were getting ready, my 4 year old daughter decided she would like to run the Kids Run as well. She had never run a race before, so we were a bit unprepared with her in her rain coat and gum boots. But we got her signed up as well.

The Kids Run was also a fantastic event for both kids. My son ran on his own and finished in the top 10 of all kids (which goes up to 12 years old - he's 7). I ran with my daughter, who ran the entire 1.25 km in gum boots without stopping once. We all had a blast. And I was incredibly proud that both my kids are starting to enjoying running for their own benefit and not just to support me.

After the races, we all went back to change and warm up (we had gotten quite wet throughout the morning). And we had the rest of the day to ourselves. We walked around, exploring the city a little bit more. We had a nice Thanksgiving dinner. Spent some quality time with our visiting family members. Enjoy our last night in Victoria.

Monday we packed up and headed out towards the ferry. We spent a quick two hours at the Butchart Gardens (which were spectacular) before heading to catch our ferry back to the mainland.

Overall, it was a fantastic experience. I would definitely plan to go back and run in Victoria again. Hopefully though, next time I'll be able to run the half marathon.

Race Report: Under Armour Eastside 10k

On a rainy Saturday, September 15th, I ran the Under Armour Eastside 10k (#UAeastside10k). And before I get into any details, I want to say I had a blast running this race. The whole vibe of this race was amazing.

This was my first time running the Eastside 10k. A number of running friends have run it in past years and spoke very highly of it. So this summer, when I was planning out my races for the fall (see my blog post on that topic HERE), I signed up for it.

The whole vibe of the Eastside 10k is awesome. It is a smaller crowd (especially compared to the First Half, BMO Vancouver, and Scotiabank Vancouver events), so it felt more focused as a fun event for runners, rather than just a massive event. There was also a lot less pressure because it was only a 10k (rather than a half marathon - for me, that meant I could just work it into my regular running routine). And I think that mentally was true for the vast majority of the runners. Or maybe I just put more pressure on myself in half marathons because I haven't run as many of them. Either way, this 10k was a blast to run.

In both the pre- and post-race festivities, I ran into many other running friends, both people I knew personally and people I knew from social media and was meeting in person for the first time. I got to meet Ryan Chilibeck (Race Director for Canada Running Series West). Truly, this event draws a great crowd, and mostly dedicated runners too - less of the fringe crowd (very, very, very unlike the Vancouver Sun Run).

One of the other features is the elite field that this race draws. As a running geek, I like to keep up to date on Canada's elite long distance runners. And the elite field was deep at the Eastside 10k. Both the men and the women. My theory on this is that a 10k is easier to slip into a regular training routine. So more of them can attend a fun event like this one. Whereas a half or full marathon takes a lot more planning, so they have to be more selective about which races they choose. Whatever the reason, the elite fields were deep at the Eastside 10k.

In this regard, because of the out and back aspect of the course, especially along the 3-5 km section, many of the elite runners are heading back the other way. It was a great opportunity to see them, cheer them on, and have an idea on how they are doing.

The route itself is really cool. It winds through the most historic area of Vancouver. Starting in Gastown and winding through the Downtown Eastside (#DTES). The buildings in this area are amazing. The scenery fantastic. And the location is not a coincidence - this race is dedicated to raising money for a small group of charities benefiting the less fortunate DTES residents (click HERE for more info). 

For me personally, leading up to the Eastside 10k, I had been struggling with a strained Achilles tendon. It started about a week before the race. I had been really trying to work on my speed in the preceding weeks, so I had a few runs there really pushing my pace. I was also increasing my mileage to prepare for the half marathon at the GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon. So, I likely just put a bit too much pressure on my tendon there. As a result, I really had to hold back during the race.

I managed a finish time of 46:37, which I am incredibly pleased with and is an official 10k PB! I have run faster 10k on my own, but never in a race (mostly because I haven't run very many 10k races). But I still know that I had another level in the tank.

I took a week off running after the Eastside 10k to let my body heal. 

Overall, a fantastic event. I can't wait to run it again next year! Now looking forward to Victoria (October 7th) and the Fall Classic (November 4th).

Downgrading Race Registration

This week I am faced with a tough decision. In the grand scheme of life, it is pretty minor. But for me, it feels significant.

On Sunday (October 7th), I am registered to run the half marathon at the GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon. I signed up for this one back in June with the plan of training up over the summer, running the half at Victoria, maintaining that half marathon distance, and running another half at the Fall Classic on November 4th.

And, to make best use of the trip over to Victoria, we made a family weekend out of it. My wife and I are bringing our two kids, accompanied by my mother-in-law and aunt, to spend the weekend in Victoria - it is Thanksgiving after all. Perfect little getaway weekend with a half marathon thrown in.

However, over the past month or so, I have been struggling with a strained Achilles tendon. It started in early September, I think. Not sure why the exact cause was - most likely excessive mileage. I was preparing for the Under Armour Eastside 10k (September 15th) and started to really push my pace. Must have just pushed it a little too hard.

I ran the Eastside 10k, but had to hold back a lot because of my Achilles. I was hoping to blow my 10k PB to shreds, but alas.

I took a week off after that to let my body rest and heal. I saw my family doctor and got his advice. I was worried at that point that it could have been a stress fracture. So I was relieved to hear it was only my Achilles. Only.

The good news? I could keep running. The bad news? I had to ease off on my pace and take it easy.

So for the last couple of weeks, I've been keeping my runs to a light, relaxed pace. I have held my weekday runs to 6-7 km and my Sunday long run to 10-12 km. I spend a lot of time stretching my Achilles out during the day. I ice it every evening. I can run on it with minimal discomfort.

And, so, here we are. This week. 4 days until race day. And I have been wrestling with this decision for weeks. My Achilles feels better. Much better. But it is no where near 100%. It is still quite tight.

I know I could finish the half marathon. But it would definitely not be a PB time. I would be running just to complete it. And, I run a huge risk of re-aggravating it and not being able to run the Fall Classic in another month.

The alternative is I can downgrade to the 8k at Victoria and then begin the build up to, hopefully, be 100% for the Fall Classic.

I have never downgraded before. But this is also my first destination race (is race-cation at word?). So part of me feels that I am cheating and not getting value from the weekend if I downgrade from the half marathon. I could run an 8k anywhere. And, I really had my hopes up to run the half.

So all things considered, and putting my pride aside, I will be running the 8k instead. Playing it safe. It is still an amazing route around the heart of downtown Victoria. And I am looking forward to it immensely. This also means I can finish in time to watch my 7 year-old son race in the 1.25 km kids run.

So this race is for all the runners that have to face that tough decision to downgrade or even pull out of a race altogether.

Upcoming Races: Planning the Rest of 2018

After completing the half marathon at the BMO Vancouver (read my race report HERE), I've started to think about what comes next. I am still coming down from the high after completing something as big as a half marathon, especially at an event as spectacular as the BMO Vancouver.

Ultimately, I want to complete at least one more half marathon in 2018 - that will be three in total for the year. I have my eye set on the Fall Classic on November 4th.

In the interim, I need to decide what to do. I love the race atmosphere and want to keep it up. Having a hard commitment like a race also gives me something to work towards. I have always done better with deadlines, and so when it comes to training or maintaining any type of cadence in my running, having a race in the months ahead logged firmly into my calendar keeps me accountable.

My general plan for the summer is to absolutely destroy my legs, every day. I say this a bit tongue in cheek but also a little bit serious. If I'm not running another half until November, then I don't need to hammer out a rigid training plan until mid-August or even September. If I plan a few 5 km and 10 km races between now and then, I should be able to knock them out as part of my regular training. So my high-level plan for the next 3.5 months is to simply run or ride every single day. No excuses.

I will definitely be completing as many Saturday morning parkruns as my schedule allows (click HERE for my review of the Richmond Olympic parkrun).

And if you have followed this blog, you'll know that my 7-year-old son likes to run with me on occasion. After greeting me at the finish line of my two half marathons this year, he wants to sign up and do a couple races with me. He runs the parkrun with me as often as he can. But he wants the big race experience - a finish line with a big crowd and a medal.

So I started researching 5 km races during the summer that would be ideal for the two of us to do together. He can run a 5 km comfortably and between track and field at school and his soccer team through the spring, his legs are in good shape.

So we are going to race the following races together:

• 5km at the Scotiabank Vancouver on June 24th
• 5km at the Big Superhero Run along the West Dyke in Richmond on August 18th

Both should be a ton of fun. The former being a really big event and the latter being a smaller community event. But both include finisher medals and a crowd cheering us on.

Then, I am going to run the Eastside 10k myself on September 15th. I think this just looks like another awesome event, and I am excited to give it a go. From there, I will settle into a more dedicated build up to the Fall Classic half marathon on November 4th.

Race Report: Half Marathon at the BMO Vancouver

On Sunday, May 6th, 2018, I completed my second half marathon - the BMO Vancouver Half Marathon. And I finished in 1:48:10, which works out to 5:07/km. Overall, it was an amazing experience. I set a new PB (personal best) and had a blast in the process. It was an amazing, sunny day and the event was well organized. By far, the biggest running event I have ever attended (a record setting 17,000 participants).

My previous PB at the half marathon was 1:51:57, which I set at the Vancouver First Half on February 11th, 2018 (my race report HERE) - an average pace of 5:18/km. So I improved on my PB by nearly 4 minutes. Definitely a solid improvement in a relatively short amount of time.

I had originally set a target of 1:45:00 in my head, which is a 5:00/km pace, so my time was a bit slower than I had hoped for, but still very satisfied with the result.

TRAINING PLAN
I posted an update on my training five weeks ahead of the BMO (click HERE to read that post). And I was able to maintain that training plan right up to race day. Overall, I think my training plan was solid but it could use a couple small changes. The one thing I may change for future races is simply putting more energy into my speed work runs. I think I should be able to push the pace on my shorter runs (i.e. 7 km and shorter) closer to 4:00/km (currently averaging around to 4:30-4:45/km). That will help me establish a quicker pace. The other thing I might change is a couple more 20 km runs a few weeks ahead of race day. I have been building up to one 20+ km run two weeks ahead. But maybe I need to bump all my training up a couple weeks to fit a couple 20 km runs in at three and four weeks ahead as well.

RACE DAY
On race day (May 6th), everything went right according to plan. With the exception that I completed miscalculated the race start time. For some reason, I thought the half marathon started at 7:30. I caught the 6:00 Canada Line train from Bridgeport Station, arrived at King Edward station around 6:30, and walked to the race start. Had time to check my bag into the bag check, then a quick run through the washroom. Then at 6:50 was informed that the race started in 10 minutes - totally thought I had another 40 minutes to warm up and stretch yet.

We made our way to the start line corrals, had a solid 10 minutes to stretch and warm up (because I was in starting corral 2 and, therefore, had an extra 5 minutes before my group started), and then the race was off.

At the outset, the course was very crowded. Maybe I started too far back in my group, but for the first 1.5-2 km, I struggled to find space on the road and was constantly weaving around folks to find enough space to hit my target pace. I think for next time, I'll push forward a bit in the corrals to try to get closer to the eager runners. But after about 2 km, once we were down the Cambie hill and heading over the Cambie Bridge, the course opened up and I started to really settle in.

Through Chinatown and Yaletown, I kept a steady pace, keeping my average slightly under 5:00/km. But around the 10 km mark, I started to drop down to around 5:10/km. Partly from simple distance but also from the hills.

Heading into Stanley Park, around kilometre 13, I dropped my pace again. Now, through Stanley Park, it was a continuous alternating uphill and downhill. I was a bit surprised by how dramatic that felt. I had run most of this route before, but always on shorter runs (i.e. never after 15+ km into a run). From the 13 km marker to the 19 km marker, I bounced from 5:08/km down to 5:26/km. Some of these hills, particularly through 14.5 km area, just destroyed my legs. If I had stopped, I wouldn't have got going again. So I had to push through. The other factor is I run a lot on the seawall, which is all flat near the sea level. This course follows the road, which is much hillier. Definitely need to incorporate some more hills into my training.

For the last 1.5 kilometres of the race, it was a smooth incline up to the finish line. As much as I wanted to sprint and finish with some gusto, it was all I could do to maintain my pace.

At the finish line, runners are greeted with medals  and snacks. I got my finisher medal with pride. But then I was a bit anxious to go meet my wife and kids so I feel I rushed through the hydration and snack booths through the finish corral and missed some opportunity there. Once I got out of the finish corral and down Thurlow, I met my family and spent some time visiting the street festival along Hastings.

Overall, I had a blast. Similar to my last experience, I thoroughly enjoyed the race atmosphere and the sense of accomplishment from completing such an event.

Now to plan out the rest of the summer and fall of 2018. I will definitely be aiming for a couple other races and at least one more half marathon in 2018.

Richmond Olympic parkrun

I have recently discovered and fallen in love with a fantastic, free running event that happens to be right near where I live! It's called parkrun. It's free. It's every week. And from what I can tell, many people have never heard of it. So let me tell you a bit about it and how I came to be know of it.

Richmond Olympic parkrun start/finish banner

A few months ago, I came across some tweets from Jeremy Hopwood, a fellow Richmondite and runner, advocating for parkrun. I wasn't sure what it was entirely, but it sounded like a regular running event in Richmond, so I started looking into it more.

And I discovered something awesome! parkrun is a free, timed, weekly 5 km run that is put on entirely by volunteers. My local run, the Richmond Olympic parkrun, takes place each and every Saturday at 9:00 am. It starts on the dyke along River Road (Middle Arm Trail), slightly west of the Cambie intersection.

Over this past Christmas break, I tried it out and ran my first parkrun. I have run it about 5 times now. And, for most of them, my 7-year old son has joined me.

The route is typically a straight out-and-back run (with a turnaround at 2.5 km), which is quite straight forward. However, due to some construction at the No 2 Road pump station, it is currently a 500 m east out-and-back, then a 1.5 km west out-and-back, and a final 500 m east out-and-back to the finish. It is a bit more confusing, but it is well marked and there are marshals positioned at each of the turnarounds. Also, unless you plan to run 5 km under 19:00, you can probably just follow those in front of you.

View from the start/finish line

The route runs along the middle arm of the mighty Fraser River, that flows between the City of Richmond and the Vancouver International Airport (YVR). The trail is a mixed-use trail, so you have to be considerate of other trail users. The route is mostly paved although there are some gravel sections. And on a clear day, you can clearly see the north shore mountains. Spectacular scenery! Overall, this is a fantastic place for this event. And living in Richmond, it is one of my favourite places to run anyway.

The Richmond Olympic parkrun seems to average around 50 runners, even in the rainy winter events that I have attended - evidence of a strong running community in Richmond, which I had no idea existed. I also assume that this number increases quite a bit in the summer months.

parkrun is suitable for all ages and abilities. You can even walk the 5 km in under an hour if you choose. As I mentioned above, my 7-year old son has run a few parkruns with me. He can knock out a sub 30:00 run no problem and is working on beating his personal best (PB) of just under 26:00. It has become a great bonding experience for the two of us.

parkrun barcode, printed and laminted

To record race results, parkrun uses a relatively simple system. Once you register online (which you only have to do once before you run your first event), you receive a barcode that you need to print and bring with you. I have cut mine out into the wallet-sized card and had mine laminated to preserve it in wet-weather runs. When you cross the finish line, you are given a token. You simply take the token, then find the volunteer scanning the tokens. The volunteer will scan your token (which assigns your finish position) and then scans your barcode to link your profile to your finish position. Then, usally a couple hours later, once another volunteer has had a chance to upload the finish times, you can view your official result online.

I also mentioned that each and every parkrun is run entirely by volunteers. But it's more than that. Each event/location is established by a volunteer who has basically taken it upon themselves to coordinate volunteers and even get agreement from the city to use the route. Each week, volunteers come forward to take care of a number of roles: time keeper, token distributor, race result scanner, cone setter upper, photographer, route marshals, etc. So it is important to thank the volunteers and acknowledge that their generosity is what enables the rest of us to run and enjoy the event in the first place. While I have not volunteered myself yet, I will be starting in March (along with my 7-year old son). Our goal for the year is to volunteer once for every 5 times we run. Important to give back and I think a great example to set for my kids.

parkrun itself started in the UK and has spread globally. In Canada, there are 12 different parkrun locations, including the one in Richmond. The Richmond Olympic parkrun is the only one in Metro Vancouver - the next closest are Whistler, Penticton, and Kelowna. Next time I'm in any of those places over the weekend, I hope to join their parkruns.

So if you have never been to a parkrun, check them out. Hopefully there is one near you. If you're in Metro Vancouver area, check out the Richmond Olympic parkrun it starts a about a block from the Aberdeen Canada Line station.

And if you volunteer and support parkrun in any way, I sincerely thank you for your contribution! You make an amazing, free, community running event possible!

Note: credit for race photos goes to parkrun and the volunteers that took those pictures. After each race, pictures are shared with participants via a the Richmond Olympic parkrun group on Facebook.

Race Report: Vancouver First Half Half Marathon

I finished my first half marathon! This past weekend, on Sunday, February 11th, 2018, I finished the Vancouver First Half Half Marathon! And holy smokes did it feel good!

Start line at the 2018 Vancouver First Half Half Marathon

I had anticipated finishing around 1 hour and 52 minutes. And I finished the race precisely at 1:51:58 (chip time), with an average pace 5:18/km. Overall, I am extremely happy with that result! First and foremost, I finished the race. Second, I beat both my goals: keep pace right where I wanted (under 5:30/km) and finish under 2 hours. Click HERE to view the full results.

To top it all off, it was an amazing day. Cold, but clear sky and dry (no rain). We have been having an incredibly wet winter so far, so the sunshine was a welcome change and it made for an absolutely perfect race day.

Finish at the 2018 Vancouver First Half Half Marathon

And now, my race appetite has been whet! I loved the whole experience.: the anticipation before the start pistol, running in a large group, pacing myself against the runners around me, the little battles for position, and the continuous encouragement from course marshals (all volunteers) and spectators.

Long runs alone can get quite boring (thus I usually listen to podcasts during my longer runs). But the race atmosphere was arousing. My mind was focused the entire time and I relished the experience from start to finish.

Coming closer to the finish, I was almost overwhelmed with a sense of accomplishment. When I passed my family about 30 metres from the finish, I felt an enormous sense of pride and I realized that, in addition to accomplishing one of my own goals  I was also setting a tremendous example to my kids that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to (incidentally, one of my son's favourite songs at the moment is Lose Yourself by Eminem, the radio edit version of course, because it is an intensely passionate song about accomplishing your goals).

Me approaching the finish line at the
2018 Vancouver First Half Half Marathon

When I started thinking about entering a half marathon last fall, a friend of mine recommended the Vancouver First Half because it's flat (I am a Richmondite after all) - suggesting that because it was a fast, flat route, it'd perfect for a first timer. And she was right! The only challenge, of course, is training through the rainiest and coldest part of the year (December, January, February). I wrote a post in September starting to think about running a half (click HERE) and another one in November when I committed to the Vancouver First Half (click HERE).

And now, it is time to set my sites to the future and what comes next. I am hoping to do another one or two half marathons this year in addition to a few other shorter races. Possibilities include: the BMO Vancouver Half Marathon in May, the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon in June, or the SeaWheeze Half Marathon in August.

At this point, I also want to thank all of the race organizers, Pacific Road Runners, Forerunners Vancouver, and all of the volunteers that made this event possible. Thanks for putting this amazing event together. The experience was incredible! And I definitely hope to do this one again in the coming years.

Time to Train for a Half Marathon?

So here's my confession: I've never entered a race. Neither running nor bicycle. Never. I haven't raced in a competitive event since elementary school track meets. I have registered for a couple, but something has always come up and I have never been able to actually do the race.

Now, part of that is that I have always run for me and for no other reason. With tools like Strava at my disposal, I have a continuous measurement on my performance. So I have felt little need for a sanctioned race to know what my personal bests (PBs) are.

But lately I feel really compelled to enter one. Partly because, as I get older, I worry that I will miss my chance to compete. I think I am still at a point where I could race and finish near the middle of the pack. And I am in solid physical condition and so, able to do so.

So, I am going to commit to entering a race. My initial thought here is to enter a 10 km race this fall and aim for a half marathon next spring (2018). Plenty of time for me to prepare as I feel like I am already in the necessary condition for a 10 km race.

I will post any actual race registrations here. Initially looking at the 10 km at the Fall Classic Run in November. Thankfully there are tools available like the Canadian Race Guide for me to scour and plan.