November 2025: a quarter-life crisis, right on schedule. Six months later, 69kg became 62kg, and a first marathon happened along the way.
Races
RaceDateDistanceTimeResult
Quarter-life crisisNov 2025
Vancouver MarathonMay 3, 202642.2 km4:09:33Finish
First marathon, six months in the making. I took the early downhills too fast and banked quad damage that came due at km 32. A homemade gel flask exploded around km 5, side stitches arrived by km 26, and a cramp in the right quad forced the first walk break of the day. Crowd support carried the last 10 km. I finished on cramping legs, above the 4:30 to 4:45 average for first-timers, and the mental barrier is gone: I know in my body that I can cover 42 km.
Before
- Friday night sleep: 3 hours. Saturday night sleep: 6 hours
- Carb load on Friday went well
- Performance Condition flagged -4 from baseline, nervous on his first race
- Longest long run was 26km, or maybe 2hrs 15mins, “oopsie”
During
- Took the early downhills too fast, banking quad damage on fresh legs that wouldn’t come due until km 32
- A DIY gel flask exploded around km 5, in front of a friend with a camera: sticky hands, sticky phone, belt friction at crotch and back waist
- Aerobic base too thin for the course: ran at avg 170 HR (mid-Z3) with LTHR at 182
- Side stitches by km 26, then the right quad cramped hard at km 32, forcing the first walk break of the day
- Finished on cramping legs without dropping out
- Crowd support and aid station volunteers carried the last 10 km
- 4:09:33 on a hard course, sleep-deprived, as a six-month beginner, above the 4:30-4:45 average for first-timers
After
- Both quads trashed, calves weak, still limping 5 days post-race, on the long end of normal DOMS recovery given the eccentric downhill damage
- Chafing at crotch and back waist from belt friction on sticky skin
- The result: 4:09:33. Avg HR 170 (mid-Z3). Perceived effort 9/10. Self-evaluation: “Weak.”
Reflection for improvement
Sleep 8hrs starting 4 nights out, not just race night; train the aerobic base and more hill descents; conservative first 10km regardless of how legs feel; switch race-day nutrition to Precision Fuel (PF 90g/hr, PF 30g + 100mg caffeine at the 2hr mark); don’t gulp water or mix gel/electrolyte/water in a 2-minute window; walk aid stations 5-10 sec to swallow properly; research course elevation and pacing, doodle it on the arm; taper 3 weeks.
What it bought
A real first marathon finish. The mental barrier is gone: he now knows in his body, not just on paper, that he can cover 42 km. That confidence is permanent and unteachable. Confirmation the engine works.
Physiology
- LTHR
- 182 bpm
- Max HR
- 202 bpm
- Resting HR
- 45 bpm
- VO2 max
- 56
- LT pace
- 4:37 /km
Training block
- Dates
- Nov 26, 2025 to May 2, 2026
- Activities
- 113
- Distance
- 1,230.81 km
- Time
- 130:42:26
- Average pace
- 6:22 /km
- Grade-adjusted
- 5:40 /km
- Average HR
- 155 bpm
- Ascent
- 656 m
CSB Backyard UltraNov 7, 20266.7 km loops
Montreal. A 6.7 km loop every hour, on the hour, until one runner is left.
Puerto Vallarta 53KMar 5, 202753 km
Ultra-Trail Whistler 100KJun 26, 2027100 km