Training update: 5 weeks to 5k
Posted: 20 May 2013 Filed under: Running | Tags: training Leave a comment »Today is the first day of a very brief training cycle. I am 5 weeks away from racing the 5 km event at the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon. Believe it or not, this will actually be my first ever 5 km race.
Based on recent performance on other race distances, I could break 25 minutes for the 5k distance. However, I’ll be training instead to go under 26:00. I think it’s a realistic challenge, especially considering the short span of time in which to train. I adapted a program that was published last year in an issue of Runner’s World. The miles-to-km pace conversion was a pain, but I think I calculated the appropriate paces for the various workouts.
Click to view a larger version
There isn’t much of a change from the last training cycle as there is one day for tempo, one day for intervals, and a long run done over goal race pace. Given my current runemployment status, and allowing for nice spring weather, I’m hoping to increase the number of my runs per week from three to four; a fifth day can be used for an easy run or cross-training. Do you think my approach will work, both for a first-time 5k, and the short period of time to train for it?
Race report: 2013 BMO Vancouver Half Marathon
Posted: 9 May 2013 Filed under: Running | Tags: bmo half marathon, race report, training 1 Comment »Before I tell you about what happened during the race, let me catch you up with what has happened in my training.
I more or less followed the Furman FIRST program all the way through. Without a GPS watch to track instant paces, I found myself running slightly faster than I should be during the weekend long runs.
With six weeks until race day, I ran the Spring Run-off 8k, and broke my PB at the distance. I felt really strong throughout, and finished fast in the last kilometre despite a sustained uphill. This performance definitely gave me a boost in the final stages of training.
The morning of race day was unusually warm for Vancouver, and this was for a 7:00am start for the half marathon. The temperature at that time was around 15°C (59°F). Given the conditions, I brought a water bottle and some extra gels with me, and resolved to take it easy in the early sections of the race. My goal was still to break two hours.
I don’t know if I took my advice too seriously, or if it was the slight uphill that marked the start of the race, but the 1st kilometre was run around 6:30 (10:27/mi). I did gain pick up the pace on the downhill toward the Cambie Bridge (taking care to control the descent), but the warm spring day was really felt on the bridge deck; without any buildings to provide shade, it was the first real test racers had to endure.
I reached the 5 km marker just under my target time, so I was surprised given the first kilometre. The downtown and Yaletown segment was tougher than I expected: long stretches of uphill, uneven pavement, and constant turns. But I got to the halfway point just over one hour, which put me in a good position provided I could nail the negative split.
The second half was along Beach Avenue, into Stanley Park and out to the finish line on Pender Street. The shade provided by the trees definitely helped with keeping things cool the rest of the way. There were some hills here too, notably on Pipeline Road; I considered that the make-or-break part of the course in terms of a strong finish.
The last 600 metres were run on Pender, and despite the early hour, the crowds were there, 4 or 5 deep, cheering us on for a strong finish. I thought it was great to see everyone there, and the atmosphere was electric as I crossed Bute Street and the finish line.
Finisher’s shirt and medal. Note the past-tense “RAN” on the shirt (it’s also on the other side of the medal). This shirt has to be earned!
My chip time was 1:59:02. Considering the morning heat, I was totally happy with my performance. I feel the training paid off, and that I’m in a position to challenge my personal best of 1:57, which I’ll likely do this fall.
The half marathon was capped at 10,000 runners, and despite the corral system, I felt that I had run with most of those 10,000 the whole way. There just weren’t many areas where runners spread out. This was clear in the water stations; I had to stop dead a few teams in order to weave around other runners pulling out with their water.
The race directors do get some props on placing the bag pickup mere metres from the finish line, instead of the long slog to the convention centre last year. (At least it was long for me, considering how I finished the marathon in 2012.)
So far, 2013 is turning out to be a good year for running, and with at least three more races the rest of the year, I hope that it gets better.
Training update
Posted: 11 February 2013 Filed under: Running | Tags: bmo half marathon, furman first, training Leave a comment »It’s been a while since I’ve posted here, but I’m taking the opportunity of the new Family Day holiday here in British Columbia and put something new on the blog.
You can see on the sidebar on the right my race schedule so far. My current training cycle is for this year’s BMO Vancouver Half Marathon. I’ve also signed up for a series of races ranging in distance from 5k to 10k. Apart from the annual 8k Spring Run-off, 5k and 10k races are quite lacking in my schedule. In fact, this year’s Scotiabank 5k is the first race I’ll run in that distance.
For my current training, I’m using the Furman FIRST plan, with slight adaptations. One of them involves the weekend long run. Over the 16 weeks of training, I’m gradually increasing the distance at which I’d be running at a pace that is slightly over goal race pace, instead of running the full distance at that pace. It’s been a few years since I attempted long runs with some race pace in it, and with the intensity involved in this program, I do need a few kilometres of easy running.
The Furman plan recommends including cross-training on one, maybe two, days that I’m not running. As it’s one of the goals I set for myself this year, it’s something I haven’t done yet in this cycle, but hopefully I can squeeze some in before the race in May.
2012 wrap-up
Posted: 31 December 2012 Filed under: Rickie Personal | Tags: year in review Leave a comment »When I look back at 2012, I feel I’ve moved forward in some respects (running, relationships) but stalled in others (job), and for that I feel that it was a good year overall, despite the specific goals I set for myself.
Going back to this time last year, I put down five goals. Goal #1 about finding a job is incomplete; I am in the middle of a contract, but nothing is guaranteed at the moment. Goal #2 (completing the Vancouver Marathon in 4:20) proved to be slightly optimistic. I applied the lessons for training for that into the NYC Marathon, but that came to naught as well when it was cancelled, However, what I did and witnessed on Staten Island on the day the marathon was supposed to have been held will stay with me for a very long time.
At least all the training I did for two marathons brought my running mileage (goal #3) up this year. I finished with 1,723 km (1,071 mi). As for goal #4, I suppose I did expand my network through social media and through my professional contacts. Opportunities did arise out of them, but nothing concrete.
And goal #5 did yield a result. After a few months of dating, I’m in the middle of a great relationship. I’m happy in that respect, and I’m hoping that other aspects of my life fall in place during 2013.
These are my goals for 2013:
- Find a job (third year’s the charm, right?)
- Achieve a new personal best in the half marathon (I want to attempt at least two in 2013)
- Incorporate more cross-training (schedule in something at least once a week with my other run workouts)
- Run at least 1,000 miles (1,609 km) during the year (a tough but doable challenge)
With that, I wish you all a happy and healthy 2013!
TransLink service optimization proposed for 2013: focus on the 22
Posted: 20 November 2012 Filed under: Transit | Tags: bus routes, open house, public consultation, service changes, translink Leave a comment »Earlier this year, I blogged about the poor scheduling coordination between routes 2 and 22 through Kitsilano. I suggested that the frequencies for the two routes be made equal to allow for improved coordination. It appears that TransLink might be taking steps to improve that, with an additional step that is long overdue.
2/22 Service Refinement
This PDF document has background on TransLink’s service optimization and details on the various services that may be affected. Page 7 covers routes 2 and 22; a screenshot is posted above. Looking at the entire corridor, not just Kitsilano but also in the east side, where demand is just as heavy, TransLink is considering upping the frequency, and introducing short-turns in the east side to Knight and Kingsway, very close to where I live. Headways between Macdonald and 16th and Knight and Kingsway (shown in pink above) can be as low 10 minutes in midday, seven days a week.
The additional step that I mentioned is folding route 2 back into the 22. This part of the service change proposal was the one that really caught my interest and excitement. Once upon a time, there was a single route 22, some of whose trips operated between only downtown Vancouver and Macdonald and 16th. In 1997, those short-turned Macdonald-16th trips had its other terminus moved to the emerging Yaletown district. To distinguish it from the main-line 22, it was given the route number 2. (Source: Buzzer from June 13, 1997 [PDF]) The Yaletown experiment was short-lived (truncated to its current terminus at Burrard Station in the early 2000s), but the route number remained as 2. I’ve always wondered when the Cornwall and Macdonald corridor will be served once again by a single route number. If TransLink goes ahead with what they are proposing, expect to see a “22 Macdonald to 16th Avenue” (and “22 Knight to Kingsway”) starting next fall.
If you live in the Vancouver region, visit the service optimization website to check on changes that may affect you. You can fill out the brief survey online or at any of the open houses that are being offered throughout the region. While the list of open houses identifies affected routes for the specific city, there is the opportunity to speak to TransLink planners about any of the changes that aren’t for your specific city. That was what I did earlier today at the first open house at the Roundhouse in Yaletown.
Cancellation of 2012 NYC Marathon and running instead in support of Staten Island
Posted: 5 November 2012 Filed under: Current Events, Running | Tags: hurricane sandy, nyc marathon, staten island, storm relief, volunteering 3 Comments »I started composing a post soon after learning of the cancelation of the 2012 New York City Marathon, but I was so affected I couldn’t put anything into words.
Having arrived in New York a few days earlier amid the growing controversy over letting the marathon continue as scheduled, I personally felt torn about running the race while recovery efforts continued. It also emerged that Staten Island, where the race normally begins, was hardest hit within NYC.
I went to the convention centre on Friday to the race expo, but the reservations grew, especially as I made a slight detour through Chelsea, where emergency food rations were being distributed in a park. I picked up my bib despite those reservations. At the time, I figured I can run the race, and help out in any way I can afterward.
I returned Friday evening to the hostel where I was staying to use the wifi (no exorbitant data roaming for me) and see the twitter explosion about the race cancellation. “Shocked, but not shocked” formed part of my reaction tweet.
Saturday morning, the hostel organized a cleanup of a local park. We were shuttled by a parks employee to the riverfront park in northwest Harlem. There are signs of storm damage here, such as fallen trees, but our group was just tasked to rake the fallen leaves gathered at the edge of the basketball courts. Not what I expected, but every little bit helps, I supposed.
When we got back to the hostel, I discovered a newly-created Facebook group, New York Runners in Support of Staten Island. The group’s plan was for runners, whether or not they were supposed to run the NYC Marathon, to head to Staten Island to drop off needed supplies for the relief effort. So as not to overwhelm what’s already happening there, various groups would spread out across Staten Island, according to one’s intended running distance.
Sunday morning, I set out for the Staten Island Ferry. Accompanying me was John, who was also staying at the hostel and was also set to run the marathon. I had told him about this initiative, and he was keen to go. On the way, we could see many people clad in orange, as that was the uniform for those participating in this endeavour.
Some of the organizers of New York Runners in Support of Staten Island
It was great to see thousands of runners, carrying backpacks full of stuff, but others had boxes, and one even had a suitcase. The vibe was positive, and there were great cheers when the organizers starting using a bullhorn to make announcements (see above photo). John and I settled on the group running 10-12 miles total.
Once on Staten Island, the various groups splintered further, and we set off toward our destinations. I’ve never run with a backpack, let alone one that is filled with clothes and food, but this is not a race. Everyone went along at their own paces. For the first 5 miles, I saw what I’ve already seen on Manhattan: downed tree branches, and broken signs.
Soon after I saw curbsides full of garbage and a pump sucking water out of a house. We reached our destination, which was a distribution centre for relief supplies. One of the volunteers who was there requested that we take some items and pass it on to other centres along the way. We gladly dropped some of our stuff, took more, and continued on.
The scene changed very quickly. The severity of the destruction became more acute as we ran toward the ocean shore. John and I, along with two other runners, encountered a pair of brothers who were there to help out their parents, who live on Staten Island. According to them, their parents punched a hole on the roof of their house to avoid the rising waters.
There are many more stories like that from everyone who lives on Staten Island. We helped clear out the garbage and disassembled the shed of the house of Mary Anne, a 70 year old who lived not far from shore. (A photographer from the island newspaper stopped by and took this shot of her and John hugging.) As the flood waters were rising, she tried to call the attention of a passing rescue boat, but it was full. She then scrambled out a window and clung to her house’s gutter until someone finally rescued her. While she was clinging to the gutter, she witnessed a nearby fire to a house, the remnants of which are in the photo below:
Remnants of a house destroyed by fire caused by Hurricane Sandy
Having never witnessed such destruction in person, I was humbled to see it for myself, and to be a part of the recovery. I totally agreed with the runner-volunteer who was quoted at the end of this New York Times article: “We had our marathon today. But it was just more of an emotional one.” I did run about 12 miles out-and-back that day, all told, but that is irrelevant compared to what happened between those 12 miles.
There were some moments of levity, mostly before we ran into the devastated area. While waiting for the ferry, I met members of Team Takbo, an NYC-based run group, some of whose members had been ready to run the marathon. There was some Gangnam Style dancing as the ferry docked on Staten Island. This is John, a French runner-volunteer, me, and two members of Team Takbo; we were at one of the distribution stations at the parking lot for the beach at the end of Midland Avenue:
Me and other runner-volunteers on Staten Island
But just because we runners have gone through, the emergency is not over. There is more to be done on the ground to help storm victims get back on their feet. New York City’s Service page is one resource where you can volunteer or donate.
Race report: 2012 Surrey Half Marathon
Posted: 2 October 2012 Filed under: Running | Tags: half marathon, nyc marathon, race report, surrey half marathon, training Leave a comment »
P366:335 – Surrey Half Marathon
I’ve totally neglected the blog over the last couple of months. But I’m not going to neglect the tradition of posting a report after a running race. This past Sunday was the inaugural running of the Surrey Marathon. Like the Green Sock Half this past March, I’m treating the half marathon event in Surrey as a stepping-stone in my training for the NYC Marathon. My intention was not to break my PR, even two hours, but to get a feel of marathon race pace for the big day in New York five weeks hence.
It was a great fall race: the weather was cool and cloudy, and the number of participants was small enough that everyone spaced themselves out after the first kilometre. The course looped counterclockwise around north Surrey, touching a number of the city’s largest parks before returning to the start point in the city centre. The course was generally flat with some gentle hills, but there are a number of turns, including a turnaround point on a (closed) Fraser Highway in Green Timbers Park. I personally liked when the race went off-street and into a couple of greenways that felt really serene when I ran on them.
The plan was to go very easy for the first few kilometres, pick it up to marathon goal pace for the majority of the half, then finish at a slightly faster pace. I executed it perfectly: averaging about 6:40/km (10:45/mi) in the first 5 km, and 6:25/km (10:20/mi) in km 5-15. I wasn’t thinking of a particular finish time, but 2:15 was reasonable. When I got to km 15 and noticed I would have to pick up the pace just to make 2:15, I picked up the pace. At some point the lead marathoner passed me (completing a 2nd lap of the course), and I vainly tried to catch up, finishing that particular km in a time of 5:25. In this last section, I assessed my progress each kilometre and felt I was on track to beat 2:15. Knowing this I slowed down slightly, but picked it up again in the last 500 metres, finishing in a chip time of 2:13:42. The last 5.1 km were all run under 6:00/km (9:40/mi).
Finish line (photo by instagrammer freshlemon)
Surprisingly, I didn’t cramp near the end as I had done in previous races. It was also a good thing I wasn’t gunning for a PR, because the first half of the race seemed to lack adequate fluids at the designated aid stations. What could have been a table for drinks was shockingly empty, and I was left to downing my gels (at my usual long-run frequencies) without the requisite water. And speaking of water, I was disappointed that among the post-race treats for runners was bottled water.
However, I was quite pleased with the “music markers” scattered throughout the course; in keeping with the international theme for the race, a number of different countries were represented. The “Indian mile” along 88th Avenue, and especially the high-tempo performance when I passed in front of Bear Creek Park, was one of my favourites. Overall, I liked running in Surrey, and it’s now added to a dizzying collection of area races held around this time of year (the others are Victoria and Okanagan). Next year’s fall race might be a tough one to choose!
September 2012 TransLink service changes
Posted: 1 September 2012 Filed under: Transit | Tags: bus routes, schedules, translink Leave a comment »[Full details of changes in September Buzzer PDF]
A couple of things of note with the fall service changes, which, when you remove the usual upticks in services to post-secondary institutions, are rather light.
There is some inconsistency with how TransLink is notifying customers of these changes, particularly with decreases in headways. Example: the C26 in midday is “adjusted to one trip per hour (from two trips/hour) between 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.” But other routes whose headways have changed are still expressed in minutes, such as with the increased frequency for the 395: “service will improve to every 20 minutes between 3-7 p.m.”
For those who still pick up paper timetables (like me), I noticed that the maps have been updated to the new format, which also emphasizes the Frequent Transit Network (current system map available as a PDF; the maps for the timetables are based on this map). However, the editing and formatting for the rest of the timetables seem to have slipped, especially for the September edition. Look at the N19, which appears on multiple timetables. And yet in all of them has the stopping procedures for the 135, which is irrelevant for all but the Burnaby timetable. The standalone PDF for the N19 schedule has it as well. Is this a one-off event? I’ll wait until December before passing judgment.
Down but not out
Posted: 7 August 2012 Filed under: Rickie Personal | Tags: job interview, postaweek2012, unemployment Leave a comment »4 interviews; 3 companies; 2 weeks; 1 offer; zero job. That’s the summary of what’s happened to me in the last couple of weeks, and that is why I’ve been away from the Twitter (and missed one blog post) during that time.
The offer came from company #1, one day after my interview. I was glad to get it, but I felt the other two companies were better for my career path. That is why I still went to the interview with company #2, two days after the interview with company #1. Not wanting to jeopardize the offer, I held out as long as I could, until the agency who sent me to company #1 told me that I had to make my choice. This was last Monday, the day I also had an interview with company #3. I got early feedback that I had a good interview. I had a good chance on companies #2 and #3, so I took a calculated risk and declined the offer made by company #1. Last Wednesday, I got called for a second interview with company #3, but got bad news from company #2.
This meant everything was riding on this second interview, which took place on Thursday. I came in and was relaxed, and despite its short length, felt confident about my chances. I wasn’t sure if a decision would be made on Friday, but none came by the time I had to attend a wedding ceremony in the mid-afternoon. I was going to accept waiting through the long weekend, but my phone buzzed during the ceremony. I checked my voicemail afterward, and it was not good news. Company #3 did like me, but in the end went with someone with more experience.
Did all that sound confusing? Here’s a graphical timeline:
It was obviously not the best news to start a long weekend, or to head into a wedding reception. I didn’t want that to dictate my mood for the weekend, so I cleared it from my mind, and left to worry about it until Tuesday.
It’s Tuesday now, and I’m back where I started two weeks ago. This cannot, must not, bring me down. The multiple interviews have made me more relaxed and confident in my abilities, and I simply need more opportunities, sooner rather than later, in order to score an offer (and keep it).
Training update: gotta find some place to stay!
Posted: 22 July 2012 Filed under: Running | Tags: high line, new york, nyc marathon, postaweek2012, training Leave a comment »
I picked up these two books I had placed on hold at my local library. I hope to spend some time in New York (likely after the marathon) exploring, both by transit and on foot. The book on the left should be a good introduction to the High Line, which is an abandoned elevated railway that has been converted to park space. It would be a good chance to see what, if anything, can be applied to Vancouver’s situation, particularly with the ongoing viaduct debate.
As the title of my post suggests, I still have to find a place to stay. I’ll be researching reasonably-priced accommodation in the next few days; this is where you come in. If you have been to New York (not necessarily for the marathon), where did you stay? My price point, by the way, is under $100/night. I don’t think that’s impossible, which is why I’m trying to book it now.
15 weeks until race day! Training has been going well so far. I’ve been going to hot yoga twice a week (got myself one of those online deals for a month of unlimited yoga for a dirt-cheap price), and my last long run has gone up to 18 km.
