Mr. Nguyen Quoc Vu conquered the 21km distance in a race held in Quang Tri province - Photo: Provided by the interviewee.
Running events everywhere always attract a large number of young people. Many Gen Z individuals say that running is not just a physical activity, but also a way for them to enjoy life, connect with the community, and push their own limits.
Ms. Linh Dan (29 years old, Da Nang )
Run to change yourself
For over two years, Nguyen Cong Minh (27 years old, from Quang Binh ) has regularly spent at least 30 minutes jogging every morning. His sedentary office job, coupled with his significant alcohol consumption, resulted in a general health checkup revealing excessively high levels of fat in his blood, warning of the risk of arterial blockage and stroke.
Except on rainy or windy days, or when he's sick, Mr. Minh needs to run a few laps to feel comfortable and alert enough to work. After consistently running and maintaining a suitable diet, his insomnia has significantly improved.
The results of the most recent health checkup showed that blood fat levels have also decreased to a safe level, and the body is slimmer and more toned.
Meanwhile, Linh Dan (29 years old, from Da Nang) shared that running has helped her find new energy and become more confident in life. She used to feel insecure about her somewhat chubby figure and was even nicknamed "Doremon" by her friends.
But after more than two years of running, Linh Dan's figure has become slimmer due to losing nearly 10kg. As a result, she also feels more confident and loves herself more.
"For me, running is not just a sport, but a lifestyle that helps me improve my health and balance my emotions. More importantly, it helps me find joy in my daily life," shared Linh Dan.
Connect and explore on the run.
Nguyen Quoc Vu (28 years old, from Da Nang) admits that he is gradually becoming addicted to running, so whenever he hears about a running race, he arranges his work schedule and registers to participate. Since the beginning of the year, he has participated in four races. The most recent one was held in Hoi An (Quang Nam) in early May.
"When I was immersed in the vibrant atmosphere surrounded by a sea of athletes, I felt truly uplifted, energized, and ran with great enthusiasm. At that moment, I seemed to forget all the worries and troubles in my life," Mr. Vu said with a smile.
According to Vu, participating in running races is both a way to conquer one's own limits and an opportunity to experience life, travel to new places, and interact with many people who share the same passion.
During his participation in the race in Quang Tri, he took the opportunity to visit some famous landmarks such as Quang Tri Ancient Citadel and Bich La Ancient Village. Thus, thanks to running, he gained more knowledge about the culture and history of the places he visited.
Furthermore, Vu also participates in community groups, socializing and sharing experiences within amateur marathon groups. Every week, he and many members of running groups in Da Nang get together to train on Son Tra Peninsula or Hoa Bac.
Anh Vu admits that he was originally quite shy, so he had a modest number of friends, but thanks to running, he gradually became more open and made many new friends. The best part is that through his running group, Anh Vu found his girlfriend who shares the same passion.
Is running expensive?
Running is often considered a sport that doesn't require a lot of investment, but when people see it as a part of their lives and want to achieve success in races, the cost of investing in this sport gradually increases. Nguyen Cong Minh proudly shared that when he first started running, he only needed a pair of canvas shoes and used his phone to measure distance and check his running time.
Then, as I ran more, I found my phone a bit bulky and inconvenient, and I even dropped and broke it during workouts several times. Not to mention, smartphones couldn't meet other requirements during training, such as monitoring heart rate, tracking VO2 Max (maximum oxygen consumption rate), counting steps, etc.
So, Minh decided to invest in a running smartwatch costing nearly 10 million VND to meet those requirements. Then he added carefully selected running shoes, sun protection gloves, and sportswear.
Minh estimates that the total "expenditure" on this passion is around 15 million VND, explaining, "Investing like this is a way to affirm my passion and also helps me practice more scientifically and effectively."
In addition, the cost of accommodation and travel each time a race is held also adds up as an expense that participants must factor in. Nguyen Quoc Vu said that each time he participates in a race, he calculates the costs based on many factors such as the location and length of stay.
Next, there's the money for nutritional supplements like energy bars, energy gels, and mineral salts, which are essential for training and races.
"Besides the necessary investments mentioned above, and travel expenses, when participating in competitions in different provinces, depending on the circumstances, I usually try to save as much as possible, so on average I spend about 1.5 - 2 million VND for three days of food and accommodation," said Mr. Vu.
The benefits of running
According to research by Nike + Running Global, running can reduce the risk of osteoarthritis of the knee by 18% because it helps increase the thickness of knee cartilage. Women who run at least 6 hours a week reduce their risk of breast cancer by 25% compared to those who are less active.
On average, people who jog, even for just 5-10 minutes a day, can live three years longer than those who don't. Additionally, jogging helps improve mood and reduce anxiety and stress.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/khi-chay-bo-la-mot-phan-phong-cach-song-20240616015541273.htm
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