Patrick Chiu Physiotherapy

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Patrick Chiu Physiotherapy

Patrick provides physiotherapy services including IMS (dry needling), Shockwave, manual therapy

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! 🏜️

📸

Address

Vancouver, BC

Telephone

6048760029

Website

https://inreachphysio.janeapp.com/

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