Jay Park is a long-time member of Function Health Club. He regularly attends group classes and works closely with our knowledgable team of trainers in Vancouver. Last month, Jay achieved a Personal Best time running in the Scotiabank Half Marathon and attributes Function for helping him achieve that feat. We catch up with Jay and learn a bit more about his journey into running and training in general.
Interview with Jay
First of all congratulations for setting a new Personal Best time for your most recent race. When did you get into running and how many races have you completed so far?
I started running again about 5 years ago. So far I’ve completed a few 5K runs, a 10K and nine half marathons.
Which one is your favourite race in Vancouver and why?
I enjoy every race I’ve done in Vancouver. The Scotia Half is my favourite as it’s a fast course and has amazing views of downtown as you run from UBC. There seems to be lots of straight sections with lots of space on the road. It’s also where I’ve gotten my 2 best times in half marathons in the city!
What is the best part of running?
I started running for the fitness, to get back in shape. With a busy family life, it’s very easy to put on a pair of shoes and run out the door, do
5K and get your fitness in. I can run anytime, early in the morning & late at night to get workouts in.
What did your training look like when you first started running and how has it changed over the years?
When I first started I ran as fast and as hard as I could. My goal was to complete a 5K run as fast as I could. I never did any strength training, or stretching, and that showed in my results! I wasn’t seeing improvement in my scores. Skipping out on stretching slowed down my recovering time and made me constantly sore. Since then I’ve joined Forerunners running clinics on Main St. Carey, the clinic coach, has a more structured running program. It’s 1 tempo run, 1 Speed work out and 1 long easy run every week. The long runs ramp up to race distance goals for different races throughout the year. This structure has really helped me focus on being in top running form for race time.
How has incorporating cross-training at Function Health Club helped you improve your running time?
Overall I feel more able to run faster and farther. It’s helped with my strength and reduced my potential for injury. I’ve noticed since I’ve added it in consistently, every race since I’ve felt stronger and more powerful on race day.
Has it helped you in other areas of your life?
My mid day break to work out at the gym has been very helpful for work. It helps me to come back to work energized to be more productive and focused in the afternoons. I definitely get more accomplished.
What do you like most about training at Function Health Club?
The gym is a good size – not too big but has a lot of great equipment for the size, everything you need. I also enjoy the small class sizes. I have limited time to work out so I find doing a 45 minute class is a great way to get in an amazing whole body workout in a short amount of time. The classes are hard! The gym has great facilities and nice people. Just an overall good experience.
We thank Jay for his kind words! If you see him at the gym, make sure to say hi. If you would like to try training at Function Health Club in Vancouver, contact us today.
