Vung Tau Runner Surpasses 300 Marathons This Year

Thanks to perseverance and discipline, 36-year-old runner Le Thi Hang is gradually approaching her goal of running a marathon every day in 2023 to raise funds.

On October 29, Le Thi Hang completed 302 marathon stages, and has 63 more stages to complete her goal of making this year a memorable milestone in her life. From someone who was not physically strong and had only started running for a year, the girl from Quang Binh is gradually turning her seemingly impossible goal into reality.

Runner Le Thi Hang has completed four-fifths of the journey to conquer 365 full marathons in 2023 to raise funds. Photo: NVCC

Inspired by Gary McKee - a British runner who completed the challenge of running a marathon every day for 365 days in 2022, thereby raising 1.2 million USD for charity, Hang started her journey on New Year's Eve 2023. The female runner wants to inspire the community, while raising funds to help lonely elderly people and orphans.

"My friends said I was crazy," Hang told VnExpress . "There were times when I felt discouraged. But that British runner motivated me a lot. I thought if he could do it, why couldn't I? So I kept going. I'm now more than four-fifths of the way there. Luckily, I don't have any remaining stages."

Like many other runners, running helps Hang find joy in life again. At the end of 2021, after failing in business and being in debt, she decided to go out and run because a friend said it could relieve stress. The first morning she tried, she could only run a few hundred meters before running out of breath. However, determined not to give up, she woke up early the next morning and this time ran 3 km. Gradually, her performance improved.

Living and working in Vung Tau, Hang joined the VBRC Club (Vung Tau Beach Running Club) and found new friends. These were also the first people to encourage Hang to conquer 365 marathons in 2023. During the New Year's Eve 2023 run, the story of runner Gary McKee was discussed by everyone in VBRC, and Hang thought she could do the same.

"In the early days, I had arthritis because I had no physical strength and no knowledge about running. I lost several kilos in a row. Through the advice of a friend, I realized that I had exhausted myself too much and did not know how to take care of my body. From then on, I made my own schedule for sleeping, resting, and eating every day to optimize the completion of this journey," she said.

Le Thi Hang when she finished second in the women's 100km race at VMM 2023. Photo: VMM

According to Hang, sleep is the most important thing for a regular marathon runner . She skips coffee and chatting with friends to go to bed at 7:30 p.m. or 8 p.m., or 9 p.m. at the latest. Around 12:30 a.m., she wakes up and starts training in the mountains, returning home at 6:30 or 7 a.m. She spends about 10 to 15 minutes soaking her feet in the sea to recover. The 36-year-old runner knows that running too much will affect her bones and joints, so she listens to her body. If she feels her body is not ready, she will stop running.

In addition to her time alone, Hang sometimes has other runners with her. She also participates in races. Each time, due to losing a day of travel, Hang owes the distance and has to make up for it, leading to days when she has to run two full marathons.

"The most memorable was in March this year. At that time, I participated in three consecutive races, all of which had to be far away. The Tien Phong Marathon in Lai Chau alone left me with a debt of 5 full marathons. Later, with more experience, I ran more than enough in advance. Like when I went to Sa Pa to participate in the Vietnam Mountain Marathon (VMM) last month, I ran two full marathons on Wednesday morning and afternoon before leaving the next day," the female runner revealed.

On the days she runs two full marathons, Hang starts at 3 or 4 pm and runs continuously until 6 am the next morning. In total, it takes about 15 hours to reach her goal. The female runner likes to run on mountain roads, most of the time running on trails, walking and climbing.

To ensure her physical strength, Hang also researched and created a nutritional plan for herself. Every morning, after running, she drinks a smoothie of banana, sweet potato or coconut rice. Hang also loves nuts and is selling some of her favorite types online. She also uses functional foods.

"I eat a lot of seeds. I can make more than ten kinds of cakes from seeds. Since I started running, my appetite has tripled. Now, I feel very healthy. Every day before running, I only need to drink a glass of water with added salt and bring a bottle of water to complete the journey without getting tired. I think no one cares more about their body than themselves and the process of understanding each person's body is different," Hang shared.

Le Thi Hang usually wears sandals when running instead of shoes. She brought her ninth pair this year. When she finished second in the women's 100km at VMM 2023, she delighted many runners by crossing the finish line wearing a pair of sandals. Similarly, at the Laan Trail in December 2022, when Le Thi Hang fulfilled her dream of completing the 75km distance, she also wore a pair of sandals despite the heavy rain and slippery weather.

Broken sandals helped Le Thi Hang conquer her goal of 365 days of marathon running. Photo: NVCC

"That was the best memory since I started running. My leg was pierced by a pine root and it hurt a lot. But surprisingly, a male runner encouraged me. When I was near the finish line, knowing that I was leading the distance, many runners cheered, making me very emotional. I didn't expect to be the first. The night before, I even set up a tent to sleep in the forest waiting for the starting time. I think that was the moment the seed in me sprouted and became a tree," Hang said.

When asked for advice for those who want to conquer a similar journey, Hang said that there are three factors that need to be ensured: having time, having discipline and not being bound by relationships.

The running journey did not make Le Thi Hang forget the reality she had to face. Relatives and friends repeatedly advised her to stop. On her shoulders, she still had the debt from her previous failed business. To be able to run, she refused many stable jobs with good salaries and accepted to sell online to be able to manage her time.

Up to now, Hang has lived in Vung Tau for 20 years, experienced many jobs, from tourism , selling apartments to working for Russian enterprises. "A month ago, my mother called and advised me to stop this marathon journey and go to work to earn money. But I convinced myself that I had already gone more than two-thirds of the way. In just a few months, I will go to work as usual. I think before living for myself, I should do something for the community," she confided.

Quynh Chi

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/runner-vung-tau-vuot-moc-300-cu-marathon-trong-nam-nay-4663961.html