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Patrick Chiu Physiotherapy, Vancouver, BC (2026)

04/06/2026

Boston Marathon reflections — 1 year later

Not a highlight reel. Just lessons I wish I could tell myself last year 👇

Pre-race:
1. Don’t get sick. Mask on the plane, wash hands like it’s 2020 again. I got sick race week… not ideal 😷
2. Treat sleep like it’s part of training. You don’t need perfection, but better habits = better legs on race day
3. Rehearse race morning. Boston logistics = chaotic. I was up at 3am for a 10am start… ate three breakfasts and had zero room for gels by race time 😅

Fueling (don’t be too cheap to buy gels for training like I was):
1. Practice carbs at race pace. My best sessions = gels every 20–30 min. Train your gut, not just your legs
2. Use caffeine intentionally. Peaks ~45–60 min → save it for when the race actually gets hard
3. Dial sodium. If you cramp (like me), test higher electrolyte intake ahead of time

During the race (Fitness sets the ceiling. Ex*****on decides the outcome):
1. Start easier than you think. Trust your taper—the race really starts after halfway
2. Stay fully in the present moment. Breathing, form, thoughts—small shifts = big impact late
3. Smile. Lowers perceived effort (and you’ll like your race photos more) 😀

Hope these tips saves you even 1% on race day! Good luck to everyone running spring races!

03/30/2026

2024 BMO Vancouver Marathon — 2:49:15

Ran the course again today and figured I’d share a quick race recap + lessons (so you don’t make the same mistakes I did from my first marathon 😅)

Breaking it down into 6 sections:

⸻

1) Warm-up matters more than you think
Race day: 15 mins + strides → felt smooth and ready
Today: skipped strides → tight Achilles (or maybe I’m just getting old)

👉 Lesson: strides will improve your running economy and prepare you for race pace from the start

⸻

2) First 9km (QE → SW Marine)
Feels amazing. That’s the problem.

I went ~13 sec/km too fast here and paid for it later. Downhills = sneaky quad damage.

👉 Execute your plan, not the pace of the people around you

⸻

3) Camosun Hill (9–12km)
~75m climb and one of the toughest parts of the course.

👉 Accept the slower pace.
Cue: slight forward lean (from ankles), shorter strides, use the glutes

⸻

4) UBC section (13–21km)
Beautiful, rolling, and a good place to lock into rhythm.

There’s a big downhill here—but don’t get greedy.

👉 Stay relaxed, smooth, and controlled. The race really starts later

⸻

5) Jericho + Burrard Bridge (22–30km)
Short climbs, but they hit different on tired legs.

This is where I hit the wall and the wheels fell off:
• Underfueled (only managed 4 gels)
• Big pre-race breakfast = stomach didn’t want to eat
• Result: quad + calf cramping

👉 Practice your fueling strategy on long runs just like your pacing

⸻

6) Seawall to finish (31–42km)
Flat… but mentally the hardest part.

Embrace the pain cave.

What helped me:
• Simple mantras, “I can do hard things, this too shall pass”
• Counting 1–20 on repeat to distracted me from pain

👉 When your body fades, your mind takes over

⸻

Takeaways:
• Discipline early > suffering late
• Fueling is everything
• Hills reward patience
• Mental strategies matter just as much as physical ones

⸻

Grateful for the experience, lessons, and friends who supported me along the way 🙏🏼

If you’re racing this course (or chasing a goal), I hope this helps you run a smarter one than I did 👊🏼

Happy to answer any questions!

02/25/2026

Black Canyon 100K 🌵 — 10 hours, 11 minutes of sun, stunning views, and a ton of rocks

Had an unforgettable experience at for my first 100k race. Met my goal of: pacing patiently, staying on top of fuelling and hydration, and having enough left to race the final 10k to pass people. 79th overall, 58th male in a field over over 1000 runners.

❌ Things that didn’t go well:
• I went out too fast causing my achilles to tighten up the first 5km. When will I ever learn?
• Stomach issues from unfiltered water made me not want to drink water until 30km in
• Eating too close to race start caused me to spend an extra 15 minutes at aid station outhouses
• Multiple trips on rocks, one ankle sprain, one fall

✅ Things that went well:
• Focused on running my race and not on other runners helped me save energy for the last 50km
• Sauna training helped me handle the heat better than expected
• Making friends during the race and suffering together help time pass by
• 500ml of gatorade every 10k and 1 gel every 30 minutes to the end

I love trail running. This sport is pure, humbling, and therapeutic. Looking forward to the next adventure! 🏜️

📸

05/04/2025

Imagine you don’t have indoor plumbing. Showering, brushing your teeth, and washing dishes all have to wait 52 minutes because water is 1.5 kilometres away.

And when you finally reach the water source, it’s muddy and contaminated. Though drinking it could lead to digestive issues, blindness, or even death. You don’t have a choice. It’s the only water available. 
This is the reality for 77,237 people in Merawi, Ethiopia. And this year, Run For Water is partnering with them to make a change.

For just $7.81, one person in Merawi can gain access to clean, safe water for years to come. The 2025 Run For Water events are dedicated to raising funds to make this possible by installing a new solar-powered well and rehabilitating two existing ones—ensuring water is not only cleaner, but also more reliable and affordable.
 My time in Africa last year inspired me to give back to this cause after seeing the situation firsthand. My goal for 2025 is to raise another $1000. Please visit or bookmark the link in my bio to support the need!

11/27/2023

Vancouver Historic Half Marathon - 9th overall

Great experiencing running around Stanley Park on a cold foggy morning with buddies

This was my 2nd official half-marathon race and I learned a lot of valuable lessons. It was arguably a PB at 1:21:24 (this race ended 1km early, so if I continued at my 3:50/km pace at the end I would have ended ~1:25:14).

Race lessons learned: 1) Rookie mistake of going too fast early on Every race I make this same mistake probably due to all the adrenaline (except the one time I decided to pace behind Gary Robbins, a good idea). A lesson is learned until repeated 😂 My plan was to run the first 5km at a steady 4:10/km pace, but instead I rushed out at 3:54/km. I think I burned too much energy trying to get ahead of the crowds which backfired. Run smarter not faster!  2) 80% of running training should be at low-to-moderate intensity, while 20% should be high-intensity
Running moderately hard, daily, for the Capra November challenge was not the best idea. Our bodies require rest to perform optimally and I learned the lesson the hard way. I had a game plan to run most of the race at 4:00/km but couldn’t execute it without fresh legs. Less training is better sometimes!  3) In-race nutrition Despite carb loading before the race, I didn’t feel like my muscles could push as hard as I wanted to. When I ran with gels for my ultramarathons, despite running for 7+ hours, I could still feel the ability to push the pace when needed possibly due to frequent refueling. I’ll experiment on my training runs with gels and see how different I feel!  Hope some of these tips are useful for your next race 🏃‍♀️ 🏃‍♂️

11/27/2023

One of the most thoughtful gifts I ever received from a patient - a beautiful painting of me running the mountains ⛰️🏃‍♂️

Being in nature for 30 minutes daily can have profound impact on our health. It allows you to unplug, meditate, slow down, relax, and decrease stress. The 30 day challenge taught me that 30 minutes daily is not too much to ask for.

Comment below on how you feel after 30 minutes of being in nature 🌳 🍁

11/19/2023

Bucking Hell 2023 - 50km ultramarathon race with 2500m elevation

This is the race that completely broke me down. I’m smiling in the photos but I wasn’t for most of the race 😅 I trained so hard but didn’t get the time I wanted. But I used that as a building block to prepare me for the Fat Dog 40 miler which went really well.

Thanks for creating such amazing experiences for us all. I just signed up for the Squamish 50/50 and am stoked! If you’re on the fence about signing up for a race, just do it!! It will break you down and build you back up 😄

11/19/2023

Sunday motivation for the week!

In every challenge lies an opportunity. Doing hard things builds resilience. It may not seem like it in the moment but things become clear in hindsight if we persevere. My patients loved this quote for the week. Thanks Heather for the recommendation! Any other motivational quotes please send them my way! 🙏🏼

11/12/2023

My goal in each of my sessions is to help patients feel more empowered in their recovery process. I’ll admit, sometimes I get caught in focusing on short term relief treatments but I got into the habit of asking my patients at the end of the session - how do you feel about our treatment/rehab plan? If they stare at me with a blank face, then I may not have done a good job 😆

What are your thoughts about this quote?

11/05/2023

Is our clinical reasoning clearly explained to patients?

While I agree that is helpful to have more treatment options under our belt, I think what is more important is our patient’s understanding of how it can help them. If they don’t understand how it can help them, I believe compliance or adherence to the rehab plan may not be best. I’m learning to take time to thoroughly explain my assessment findings then collaborate with them to understand the best treatment option. Oftentimes I’ll explain that while passive treatments provide temporary relief, it can create a window of opportunity to feel better, which is the best time to implement active treatment strategies.

How do you think clinical reasoning should be explained to patients?

11/05/2023

Pain is multi factorial and influenced by more than just one “thing”.

Is our cup overflowing? Are we having poor sleep, diet, exercise, social interactions, and stress/anxiety? These are all aspects of life that can make us more sensitive to pain. But many things are outside our control. If we can’t control the water in our cup, or the stressors of life, why don’t we focus on building a bigger cup? Let’s improve our capacity to handle stress/pain by challenging our body, setting/achieving small goals, and building self-efficacy.

Comment below on how you think building a bigger “cup” can improve our tolerance to pain

Patrick Chiu Physiotherapy

04/06/2026

03/30/2026

02/25/2026

05/04/2025

11/27/2023

11/27/2023

11/19/2023

11/19/2023

11/12/2023

11/05/2023

11/05/2023

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