60-year-old female runner and inspiration from her late husband

Jogging became Pham Thi Hong Yen's passion in old age, after helping her overcome the sadness of losing her partner.

This weekend, among the 8,000 athletes competing in the VnExpress Marathon Hue, female runner Pham Thi Hong Yen will join her eldest son - born in 1987 - in the 21km distance. At the age of 60, she switched to competing in the 21km distance, after participating in the 10km distance for the past few years. In her first attempt, Ms. Yen achieved a time of 2 hours and 13 minutes at the Vietnam International Half Marathon in Hanoi on January 1.

Ms. Yen and her son compete in VnExpress Marathon Hue 2023. Photo: VM

Despite her advanced age, Ms. Yen has been jogging every day for the past four years, except on days when her health is poor or when it rains. Even on cold winter days, she still puts on her shoes and goes out running at 5am, despite the dissuasion of her friends and family. During the preparation for the VnExpress Marathon Hue, Ms. Yen fell ill. At that time, she confided to her son that if her health deteriorated and she could no longer run, she would not be able to bear it.

"It's not an exaggeration to say that I'm addicted to running. Wherever I go, I always have running shoes with me. I also have a habit of looking for beautiful routes to run. I feel restless if I wake up without running. Every day, I spend about two hours running and doing yoga. During the week, I run about 7 to 10 km, and on weekends, I increase it to 13 to 15 km. On average, I run about 2,000 km per year," she shared.

Ms. Yen was not a sports person. During her working years, she was an office worker in the aviation industry. Outside of work, she spent time with her family and rarely did any strenuous exercise. However, more than four years ago, Ms. Yen experienced a shock when her husband of more than 30 years passed away.

At nearly 60 years old, Ms. Yen became quiet and often could not hold back her tears. Worried that her mother was depressed, her son took her to Thailand for a vacation after the 100-day father's day. There, witnessing her son and other foreigners' passion for running, Ms. Yen also put on her running shoes to try it out. Those were the first steps that brought her to this sport. Shortly after, she ran in her first race, joining the boom in running in Vietnam. During the Covid-19 social distancing period, Ms. Yen invested in a treadmill to practice at home.

"My husband is emotional and has always been a role model for our two children and those around him. In the past, he used to play tennis, not jogging. If he were still alive, we would probably participate in running races together," Ms. Yen said with a smile. The 60-year-old runner said that to this day, while jogging, she still often thinks of her late husband.

Ms. Yen conquered the 21km distance for the first time with a result of 2 hours and 13 minutes. Photo: VIHM

Running helps Ms. Yen overcome the loneliness of old age. Thanks to this sport, she has made many friends, including people who are the same age as her children. Not only that, she also inspires young people, often encouraging them to run to stay healthy. She uses herself as an example, since running she has stopped having insomnia and minor illnesses. Every time she returns to her hometown in Thai Nguyen, the image of the petite Ms. Yen wearing running shoes arouses the curiosity of young people, prompting some to run with her.

According to Ms. Yen, to pursue running, the most important quality is perseverance. Practitioners of this sport first need to listen to their bodies, and rest when they are tired. But they must maintain a regular routine, avoiding the situation of exercising one day and not the next. "If you keep accumulating, your achievements will gradually improve. I am not a person with athletic qualities, but thanks to regular training, I have been able to stand on the podium in some competitions. Young people today have an advantage when the movement is flourishing, so they start running early. Like me, I only started running when I retired - at 55 years old. I wish I had practiced this sport earlier," she shared.

Although she has just switched to the 21km distance, Ms. Yen has already conquered five half-marathons since the beginning of the year. From Hanoi to Hue, she took the train alone, with only her running shoes. In the ancient capital, she will meet her son, who flew from Ho Chi Minh City to run with her. Last year, Ms. Yen participated in the 10km distance of VnExpress Marathon Hue. This time back, she hopes that the beautiful route of the ancient capital will record another beautiful memory for herself on her running journey.

Quynh Chi

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/nu-runner-60-tuoi-va-nguon-cam-hung-tu-nguoi-chong-qua-co-4736352.html