After three years of seeing me run like one possessed, NPY started running for fitness and we did a 5K “fun run” together in October. Not satisfied with not knowing exactly how long it took us, I suggested we do another race… or a longer race. I originally wanted to do the 10K Sun Run with 40,000+ other runners and walkers; a lot of our friends would usually participate in some way, and it’s really fun for that aspect, but I’m not in town that weekend and I found the …

a.k.a. “The race I nearly forgot was a race and thus nearly forgot to blog about it….”

As is plainly obvious (or is it?), I haven’t been running much since my May marathon nor do I have a race to train for. Wait, I did have one. No, I didn’t really.
Over the summer, NPY and I went for many walks. As a runner, I would disparage this slow-going past-time, casting it as something old people do. But it was a really nice summer and we had to do something since in …

Wayyyyy back in December 15, 2008, faced with an earlier-than-usual early bird deadline, I decided to “get Vancouver Marathon out of the way”. With three marathons down in three consecutive years, I didn’t have to think that I would do one in ’09 and doing one in Vancouver made a host of decisions trivial or no-brainer.
I was challenging myself in several arenas that I had previously hidden myself from. I would have to train in the dead of winter (but fortunately after that December-snowing thing laid off). And “with my …

Aside from months of training, the results of your marathon start from days before the marathon. So, to start, let me tell you a bit about the days/week leading up to Marathon #3.
It had been difficult week. I was stressed out about planning a trip for not just me and NPY but extending the plans to two of his friends. The friends are easy-going guys so I was putting undue stress on myself. In general, I felt stretched too thin by training, work… and other stuff… that was culminating for …

Once a year, I dress up in my black-and-blue MPG running skort, select a current-looking and pretty top, slap on sunscreen, and run just under 3K to Oakridge Mall where I pick up my race package at The Bay.
You see, Oakridge Mall is a shi-shi mall by Vancouver standards housing Coach, Michael Kors, and Birks amongst the common ranks of The Gap and Garage Clothing. I had to look less runner-dowdy while strolling through the mall killing two birds with one stone with some shopping!
The swag bag is part of …

If everything seems to tumble out, please take it as reflective of how emotional the half quarter day turned out to be.
* Training aside, the half-marathon preparations begins on the Friday before: package pick-up and a good night’s sleep. I slept 9 hours Friday-Saturday and felt accomplished. Oh, but it made sleeping only 4-5 hours Saturday-Sunday more bearable!
* My Sunday breakfast of champions – I really am a creature of habit: Just Right cereal + All-Bran, Activia yogurt, some Fruit & Co. Green Tea & Blackcurrent
* This year, I was …

I PB’ed (achieved a personal best). 26:35 or a 5:19-kilometer. ‘Nuff said?
Of course not.
Before every race, I assess myself the night before asking myself, “How do I feel in light of having a race tomorrow?” Disturbingly, I didn’t feel very anxious on Saturday evening. Perhaps it was knowing that the start of the race was close to my house so getting there was no ordeal such that I did not have to wake up exceptionally early. I had no one to meet or be accountable to in the morning.
From my …

Somehow I get sucked back into the organized chaos that is the Sun Run each and every year that I’ve lived in Vancouver. Each year, I get what I want out of it so I keep going back.
The very special part of this year’s run came about because the sister, MY, arrived in town the day before the race and was amenable to running 10K out of the blue with her big sister.
As per usual, sleep the night before was broken and dream-ridden. …

At first, I kind of ignored the St. Patrick’s 5K Run (sorry, TJ) but I registered after talking to Chui and learned that I could get a deep “Staff” discount . Oh, and it being a Saturday race meant I didn’t have to sacrifice a long (16K) Sunday run! Important factors, you know.
The race headquarters were at Brockton Clubhouse in Stanley Park that has a non-descript ground floor and an English-style pub upstairs. People were milling about in costumes and music …

I had a typical night-before-the-race sleep with what I’m pretty sure was a dream. I “awoke” at 3:26 a.m. to a loud pop that made me freeze in my bed. You know what I thought it was. I waited for flashing red and blue siren lights to stream through my window but it never came. I figured that the safest point of my apartment was in my bed although I considered crawling along the floor to the window to peep out. Then I drifted …