Road to Boston – Week 21.
The journey continues from last week.
The highlight of this week was the UBC Great Trek Half Marathon, held on the beautiful campus of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
However, the protagonist of this week’s story wasn’t me.
It was my almost 12-year-old daughter, who was attempting to set a new 5 km personal best.
My goal for the week was simple: stay healthy enough to complete the half marathon, pace my daughter’s 5 km race afterward, and avoid compromising my training in the weeks ahead.
This meant running the half marathon at a relatively easy effort, resisting the temptation to race all out, and making sure I had enough energy left to help my daughter achieve her goal.
As it turned out, the day became one of the most enjoyable racing experiences I’ve had in quite some time.
My Training: A Conservative Week Before the Race
This week, I ran approximately 42 km, a significant reduction in volume compared with the previous few weeks.
I deliberately kept my mileage low in anticipation of the Great Trek event.
Since the Georgina Marathon, I hadn’t completed any runs longer than 16 km. I wasn’t entirely sure whether my legs had recovered enough to handle a full half marathon, let alone another 5 km immediately afterward.
The last thing I wanted was to push too hard, aggravate an old injury, and compromise the next several weeks of training.
So I approached the race conservatively, with the intention of treating it as a supported long run rather than a competitive event.
At least, that was the original plan.
Great Trek Half Marathon: Catch the Next Pacer!
Race morning didn’t exactly begin smoothly.
I arrived at the UBC campus at approximately 8:15 AM, just 15 minutes before the scheduled 8:30 AM start.
Traffic and parking had taken much longer than anticipated, and everything felt incredibly rushed.
I had no time for a proper warm-up and ended up missing my assigned corral’s start time.
Instead, I crossed the starting line at 8:36 AM, alongside the 2:30 half marathon pacing group.
Not exactly the ideal way to start a race, but thankfully, I wasn’t chasing a particular finishing time.
The weather, on the other hand, was almost perfect for me.
It was approximately 7°C and raining.
Having trained through plenty of Vancouver’s wet weather, I was completely comfortable with the conditions. In fact, I felt that the rain might even give me a small psychological advantage over runners who weren’t quite as accustomed to it.
I started very conservatively at approximately 5:45/km, aiming to keep my effort in Zone 1 or Zone 2.
For the first 45 minutes, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
There was no pressure to maintain an aggressive pace, no anxiety about hitting a time goal, and no need to push myself to the limit.
I was simply running at a comfortable, conversational effort and enjoying the atmosphere.
Then something interesting happened.
I started getting bored.
More importantly, my legs were feeling surprisingly good.
So I decided to have a little fun.
I accelerated to approximately 4:00/km, maintained that pace until I caught the next pacing group, and then slowed back down to an easy effort.
I stayed with that group for a couple of kilometres before repeating the process.
Another acceleration to 4:00/km.
Catch the next pacer.
Slow down.
Repeat.
Before long, I had turned the half marathon into my own little game:
“Catch the Next Pacer!”
I ended up completing six of these faster intervals throughout the race.
Each time, I would accelerate, pass a large number of runners, catch the next pacing group, and then settle back into an easy rhythm.
It was an incredibly enjoyable experience.
After spending the past several weeks running almost exclusively at easy paces, it felt fantastic to stretch my legs and experience some speed again.
For my final interval toward the finish line, I accelerated to approximately 3:30/km, eventually catching up to the 1:50 pacing group.
I crossed the finish line with the following results:
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Finish time | 1:50:46 |
| Average pace | 5:15/km |
| Average heart rate | 157 bpm |
| Average heart rate zone | Low Zone 3 |
| Faster intervals | 6 |
| Fastest finishing interval | ~3:30/km |
What surprised me most wasn’t the finishing time.
It was how good I felt afterward.
Despite the faster intervals and progressively increasing effort, I experienced very little cardiovascular or muscular fatigue.
I genuinely felt as though I could have continued running for quite a while longer.
For someone who had been struggling with lingering fatigue and muscular discomfort since the Georgina Marathon, this was a tremendous confidence boost.
It was also a reminder of how much fun racing can be when you remove the pressure of chasing a specific finishing time.
But the most important race of the day was still to come.
My Daughter’s 5 km Personal Best Attempt
Shortly after I finished the half marathon, my wife and daughter arrived for their 5 km event.
I met up with them, gave my daughter some final encouragement, and guided her through her pre-race warm-up routine.
She was understandably nervous.
This was an important race for her, and she had been looking forward to it for weeks.
Her previous 5 km personal best was 29:30, set on June 9, 2026.
That was already a significant improvement from her earlier time of 32:27 in June 2025.
Since then, she had been running consistently with our family three times per week.
Most of her training consisted of slow, conversational-paced running, with occasional hill sessions.
Interestingly, she hadn’t done much 5 km-specific training at all.
Instead, we had focused primarily on developing her aerobic base, improving her running form, and building consistency.
This race would be an excellent opportunity to see how much progress she had made.
The Race: Pacing by Effort
We crossed the starting line together at our pre-planned pace of approximately 6:00/km.
Taking advantage of the initial downhill section, we gradually accelerated to around 5:45/km.
Things were going well until approximately the 1 km mark, when she stepped straight into a massive puddle.
Her shoes and socks were completely soaked.
Not exactly ideal racing conditions!
But she kept going without complaint.
Then, to make matters worse, she developed a cramp on the left side of her abdomen that persisted for the remainder of the race. She ended up running in pain for more than 20 minutes.
But she refused to let it stop her.
Throughout the race, I asked her at every kilometre to rate her perceived exertion on a scale of 1 to 10.
Her responses over the first four kilometres were:
| Kilometre | Perceived Effort |
|---|---|
| 1 km | 7/10 |
| 2 km | 8/10 |
| 3 km | 8/10 |
| 4 km | 9/10 |
I used her feedback to make small adjustments to our pacing.
We maintained a relatively consistent pace throughout the race, with a slight negative split.
This was more challenging than it might sound because the first half of the course was predominantly downhill, while the second half involved mostly uphill running.
Despite the increasingly difficult terrain, she held her pace remarkably well.
With approximately 500 metres remaining, I told her it was time to empty the tank.
And she certainly did.
She accelerated dramatically toward the finish line, reaching an average pace of approximately 3:30/km during her final push.
Watching her sprint toward the finish was incredibly exciting.
It also made me realize something.
We probably ran the earlier portions of the race a little too conservatively!
But that’s part of learning how to race.
It’s much better for a young runner to finish feeling strong and excited than to start too aggressively and struggle through the final kilometres.
A New Personal Best!
She crossed the finish line in:
28:08!
That’s a shiny new 82-second personal best, with an average pace of 5:38/km.
She had improved by more than four minutes compared with her first 5 km race just over a year ago.
And she achieved this primarily through consistent, easy running.
I couldn’t have been prouder.
She was unquestionably the star of the day.
But perhaps the most rewarding part wasn’t the finishing time itself.
It was seeing how excited she was afterward.
The experience renewed her motivation to continue training and see how much faster she could become.
As a parent, watching your child discover the satisfaction of working consistently toward a goal and then achieving it is an incredibly special feeling.
That was worth far more to me than any personal race result I could have achieved that day.
My Wife’s Training: Another Week of Progress
Meanwhile, my wife continued her preparation for the Tokyo Marathon.
Her training schedule this week consisted of:
| Session | Duration |
|---|---|
| Easy Run 1 | 35 minutes |
| Easy Run 2 | 35 minutes |
| Easy Run 3 (Great Trek) | 35 minutes |
| Long Run | 65 minutes |
| Strength Training | 2 sessions |
She participated in the Great Trek 5 km as one of her scheduled 35-minute easy runs and completed her 65-minute long run the following day.
We’ve gradually reduced the walking recovery intervals during her runs, allowing her to spend more time running continuously.
Her pace has also been improving at approximately the same heart rate, which is an encouraging sign of improving aerobic fitness.
We’ve increased the resistance in her strength training sessions as well.
Overall, she’s becoming stronger, fitter, and more comfortable with running.
Five weeks into the training block, I’m very pleased with her progress.
Most importantly, she continues to train consistently without any signs of injury.
My Recovery: Finally Turning a Corner?
Completing more than 26 km in a single morning was a major confidence boost for me.
Not only did I finish the half marathon feeling strong, but I also had enough energy left to pace my daughter through her 5 km race.
Even more encouragingly, I experienced minimal soreness the following day.
After weeks of uncertainty about how well my legs were recovering from the Georgina Marathon, this was reassuring.
My health metrics also appear to be gradually improving.
My Garmin-predicted VO₂ max seems to have finally stabilized after several weeks of decline.
My HRV continues to improve, although my resting heart rate remains somewhat higher than normal.
I certainly wouldn’t say that I’m completely back to baseline yet, but things are moving in the right direction.
Perhaps most importantly, the Great Trek event finally scratched that racing itch I’ve been feeling over the past several weeks.
Running those faster intervals, passing other runners, and feeling my legs respond again reminded me of how much I enjoy racing.
It has made me even more excited about the possibility of racing all out again next year.
But for now, it’s back to base building.
Looking Ahead: The Long Winter Training Block
With the Great Trek behind us, I don’t have any races planned in the immediate future.
That means I can return my full attention to building a stronger aerobic foundation for the months ahead.
The days are getting shorter, the temperatures are dropping, and Vancouver’s rainy season is settling in.
For me, this is familiar territory.
I’ve trained through the cold, dark, and wet winter months before, and I’m prepared to do it again.
Nothing about the weather is going to deter me from pursuing my running goals.
What I’m slightly more curious—and perhaps a little nervous—about is how my wife and children will handle the changing conditions.
So far, they’ve been enthusiastic about running, even in the rain.
But running in the occasional autumn shower is quite different from heading out on a cold, dark winter morning when staying in a warm bed feels much more appealing.
I suppose we’ll find out soon enough!
The Journey Continues
Five weeks into the Road to Tokyo and twenty-one weeks into the Road to Boston, this was a particularly memorable week.
I completed my longest running day since Georgina, rediscovered the joy of running fast, and gained confidence that my recovery is progressing.
My wife continues to build her endurance and strength toward her first marathon.
And my daughter achieved a fantastic new 5 km personal best.
This week’s biggest victory wasn’t my half marathon. It was watching my daughter cross that finish line.
Sometimes the most meaningful moments in running aren’t the ones where you’re chasing your own personal best.
They’re the ones where you get to help someone else achieve theirs.
The Road to Tokyo and the Road to Boston continue next week.
See you then!
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