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).

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.

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.