From walking to marathon-running: My progress

Passing through the finish line, my calves at the same time felt like they want to split from my legs. But it didn’t matter anymore; the boy was waiting for me with the medal on his hands…

January 2019

“Running? Hell nooo~”

That was my answer to almost every single time this topic came up. And there were many “good” reasons for this solid refusal:

• I used to have asthma, an in-born disease which prevented me from breathing normally. In the past, whenever came the rainy season, I would change my accommodation from home to hospital, having sleepless nights, breathing heavily, relying on medicines, and oxygen machine. When I grew up and was eventually cured of asthma, the post-trauma was not devastating, except the fact that I was a “weak child”: Not able to play much sport, low stamina, small physique. Besides, I coped with everything else well enough to not mention.
• When I was in grade 3, I had a crush on this one girl and joined her in our elementary school’s taekwondo club. The less affection I had for her equaled the more advanced I was in combat haha. Eventually, a tournament took place, and I was in the chosen team. Imagine when you were 9 years old, there were not many realistic targets to aim at, as this tournament. So I was practicing like crazy: staying late after everybody has left for sandbag-kicking; demanding special matches with my both masters…Everything went well until one day when I suddenly felt that extreme agony coming from my right calf. After examination, the doctor came up with a diagnosis that I have to quit training for two months + taking pills. This incident took place one week before the tournament. And when things seemed to can not get any worse, my asthma came back for its annual visit 🙂 I said goodbye to the tournament with a crippled leg and an oxygen machine.

So, those above was a little bit of background, of how I had such poor physique. When I grew older, it eventually got better, but the laziness and post-sickness trauma did more than they should to hamper me from trying hard in sport. Thus, one of the biggest things that I regretted after high school, was that I have never had any achievement in sport. I meant, I’m not that bad when it comes to badminton or swimming, but the poor stamina has always been there to tire me down.

After I went to Finland, one of the main objectives was to improve this situation. I want to be not only good at study but also have a healthy, strong body. I attempted to reach this goal by working out. It went well at first, but time flew, and I realized a simple fact that depending on powerlifting only is not enough to make a stronger you; there should be a balance between strength and endurance. This was the moment when I first thought about running – the most basic cardiovascular exercise.

I tried a couple of times running – 1km in the gym, something like that. It felt kinda’ good, but not very effective. But what else should I do? There wasn’t much motivation in me at that time.

Until…

“Hey Beach, you wanna join this puolimaraton (half-marathon)?”- asked my friend Kristiina.

By that time, I was still very persuasive, so why not?

I was imagining marathon like a bit longer run – I’m now strong enough to conquer it with ease. So I made my promise to join Kristiina on that event, held in May – 4 months from January. We started practicing the run two months later – in March – because the snow was still very thick outside.

March-April 2019: From nightmare to daydream

As planned, we took off in March.

And that first day was a real nightmare.

7km was the total distance, and half of it was made by me walking. My calves hurt like crazy, and my lungs just wanted to withdraw. Kristiina, on the opposite, enhanced this run like nothing.

That moment woke me up from the illusion I was holding: This half-marathon is not easy at all. And I was so unprepared up to the deepest roots. Even a mother of two children, who has to bear both study and family life, can overcome this distance with no difficulty, while a 21-year-old young man was almost giving up on the same track.

Well, my ego experienced a small “ouch!”. This even motivated me harder to win the trace. From that moment on, I was already competing with no one else but myself.

In order to beat me up, the first thing I needed to deal with was my calves. They, so far, were too weak, and not used to this new training. Thus, I organized the next few weeks for lower-body training, specialized for calves, plus running outside 2-3 times/week. Time passed, and the endurance of both calves ameliorated. From my experience, when running, the most important part – the heart and its functioning system – is very durable; but its tools – the calves – were weak and thus not being able to keep up with the training. Gradually, they improved.

And, during that two months, I realized many things that I haven’t minded myself before:

• I am stronger than I thought: Being a small Asian even in his country, I used to think my poor physique was hereditary, and I could not actually become someone better. But it was not true: my calves, then my endurance, became better and better after every training. Every day counts. All I needed to do, is put my shoes on, and run.
• I found a new kind of meditation: Running by myself in the beautiful Finnish scenery, turn on my favorite songs, I became calm. There is nothing to worry about; there are no boundaries, limitations, supports, nor difficulties; there is only me and the track under my feet. All I can see is ahead; all I can hear is music and my heartbeat; all I can feel is the new source of power that is yet to be discovered.
• Running to the land of curiosity: Every time, I tried to make my tracks a bit different; I’d turn somewhere new, take some spontaneous corners, or sometimes just stopped and asked a local for water. None of my training days were identical.
• A fun activity with friends: Take your friends on the amazing tracks with you, and you’ll know how fun it can be.

4th May 2019 – The race

Okay, the above was the good side of this training. Here are some other realities:

• My endurance, though were improved, was not that good; my record was only 15km – the half marathon is 21km – and I have not much time left to practice.
• Kristiina was later on sick and could not join me on the race. None of the other friends were able to join.
• 37.5 euros entrance fee was quite expensive. Once I paid, there was no way back.

When I arrived at Urheilukatu’s stadium, it was already crowded with attendants.

So, me, a 15km-runner was there, among other professional runners, all waiting to start this run.

1

2

3!

We took off at half-past eleven.

The first two kilometers were awful. People ran so fast. This supposed to be a marathon, not a 100-meter-track!

That was what I thought. But well what could I do now? Asking people to run slowly?

So I kept up with their speed. That was the biggest mistake.

“Never run fast at the beginning – you’ll chop down your own legs” – was the crucial tip from Kristiina that I forgot.

This speeding killed my calves in no time. That feeling of cold-burn ran all over my legs.

I bit my lips and tried, but hopeless; runners after runners ran past me.

I was now from the first group to the middle of the whole line.

My speed, after the “devastating 2 kilometers”, was plummeting. I soon could not run no more and started to walk. In no time I was left behind the whole race. Only a few attendants were behind me.

Whenever I tried, the cold-burn bullshit came again to hamper my speed. My mind started to fill with negativity.

“I will not be able to finish this race. I should ask a medic for help”

“This is embarrassing. Training for two months and then give up after 2 kilometers?”

“What about my money? What about Kristiina and her family, who must be now at the harbor waiting for me?”

I didn’t know how long was I swimming in that black river of thought. But when I came back to reality, my speed was almost down to walking slowly. I was limping. The paramedics already saw it and were about to come. Maybe this was it.

But then something came back to my mind.

The first taekwondo tournament that I was not able to attend.

The first swimming tournament that I quit after 100 meters because of asthma.

I have lost. So many times in sport already.

No. Not this time.

NOT THIS F*CKING TIME, BEACH!

Power came back to me like in a superhero movie. And I took up again.

This time, things were different. My calves gradually became less painful. With my already improved endurance, the next 13 kilometers were the best time.

I became calm again.

The scenery on my track became beautiful as usual.

I was far behind the other runners, but it didn’t matter anymore.

For the half marathon runners, we have to run the destined track twice.

After the superpower miracle, things started to come back to its reality.

Kilometer 15 passed, and I started to tire out; I almost reached my limit.

Now, not just my calves, but the whole legs and lungs were restraining.

For not having specialized running pants, my thighs were blistering.

I began to walk more often. until kilometer 18, my whole body was against running. They all ached crazily whenever I took off.

There was almost no runner behind me now. I was all by myself.

“Come on y’all, only three kilometers left. Don’t give up just yet!” – I almost yelled.

When I reached harbor the second time, Kristiina’s family are ahead waiting for me. I gained my last strength and ran passed them again. But after that, all my muscles collapsed; from kilometer 20, I walked.

20.7 kilometers, I was still walking. Then a lady in white ran from behind, to next to me. She was the only one I succeed in passing in the first kilometers.

“Juokse juokse!”- Run run! – She waved at me and yelled in Finnish.

And yes, despite bearing a multiple pain, I took up for the last time. When we got inside the stadium, we were the last to finish the race. Between us and the finish line was only 100 meters more. And I will never forget that distance.

I was running without breathing. My heart felt so heavy as if it already felt somewhere, messed up with other organs. My calves were not only hurt but jumping and shaking.

Passing through the finish line, my calves at the same time felt like they want to split from my legs. But it didn’t matter anymore; the boy was waiting for me with the medal on his hands.

And I have finished my first-ever half marathon.

Some last thoughts

Two days have passed, and at the moment, when writing this article, my legs are still sore from the incident, and my heart is still singing its delightful songs.

People usually refer themselves as their “biggest enemy”. Well, for me, as myself is the most chicken opponent that I’ve ever known, so no matter how tough the game is, the first guy I should always beat is myself.

Today, I made it by creating the first milestone in sport. Idk what the future holds, but I’ll do my best to make it awesome.

Thank you, my coach and inspirator, Kristiina, and your beloved family, for have always been on my side and motivated me on this amazing journey. Next time, we’ll conquer the tracks together

Thank you, my baby, for guiding me on the stretching technique and always advise me on what to do.

Khanh Tr.