Vancouver Half Marathon 2024

After deciding to try the 8k at the BMO Vancouver Marathon this year, I registered for the half marathon at the Vancouver Half Marathon 2024.

I have tried it last year and it was my fastest half marathon. I was heavier this time and was unable to run more before the race so my only goal is to finish the 21.1 km without injuries. When I finished it, I was surprised to see my results at 2:10:52, which is now my fastest half marathon.

The record for the run according to the Strava app was 21.44 km in 02:10:54. It also said I got new best records, including 15k, 10 mile, 20k, and half-marathon.

The run was great and my over-all experience was still good. It was sad though that Asics didn't have a booth that give out posters with your finish time. I'm hoping I can run another half marathon next year.

Austin Adventure

I was invited again to the PE Summit Connect for North America in Austin, Texas. The summit was held in the Google Austin office on May 22-23, 2024. It was a smaller than the global one but it was a great experience to meet fellow Product Experts and learn more about relevant topics.

Celine and I extended a few days after the summit. Our first goal was to watch the bat colony fly after sunset but we were only able to see around 2-4 bats. We visited the Texas Capitol and Bullock Museum. The weather was hotter and more humid so we only did a few walks, along the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail and Rainey Street. And of course, we tried different barbecue spots and the hamburger from Whataburger.

I'd love to go back soon, especially when the weather is better.

8k at BMO Vancouver Marathon 2024

After my two  half-marathons at BMO Vancouver Marathon, I decided to try their 8k. I have never run one before as I only did 5k, 10k, and 16k, aside from the half marathon.

My goal for this run is to do it in less than an hour or a little faster than my 10k. I finished my run in 50:30 (chip time).

It was a different experience for me. However, I'm hoping I can do the half marathon again next year.

Vancouver Sun Run 2024

Vancouver Sun Run is Canada’s largest 10K race. The last time I ran in one was on their 35th anniversary. Now, since it's their 40th, I have decided to try it again.

I finished my run in 01:03:56 which was faster than my run at Vancouver Sun Run 2019 but slower than my 10k last September.

The run was okay but I feel my experience was better five years ago. I'm not sure if I'll do it again for the 45th or 50th of the Vancouver Sun Run

MP2 Calculator

I have been working on a new application in the past few weeks and I am happy to announce that new app, MP2 Calculator, is now available on the Play Store and online.

MP2 Calculator is an app for computing how much your MP2 (Modified Pag-IBIG 2) savings may grow based on actual dividend rates. The MP2 Savings is a special voluntary savings facility with a 5-year maturity, designed for active Pag-IBIG Fund members who wish to save more and earn even higher dividends, in addition to their Pag-IBIG Regular Savings.

I have built the MP2 Calculator Android app using Kotlin and Jetpack Compose and the app is now my first to be developed using 100% Jetpack Compose. The web application, meanwhile, was built on top of Sweldong Pinoy.

You can read more about the app at https://blog.sweldongpinoy.com/2024/01/mp2-calculator.html. Check out MP2 Calculator at https://mp2calc.sweldongpinoy.com or download the Android app at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sweldongpinoy.mp2calc.