[star show] i have been running for 26 years

Don't you want to take a risk for your beliefs? Do you want to wait until you're old and full of regrets? — Inception

From childhood to adulthood, is there something you've always stuck with? According to data, out of 100 people who start exercising, less than 20% stick with it. Similarly, for most Codoon friends, the initial start is often forgotten in the hustle and bustle of life, and only a small number of people can persist to the end and enjoy it. Today, we introduce Codoon friend @WangPaopaoWL, who belongs to that 20%. Let's hear her story: My 26 years of running.

People often ask me why I love running so much. I say running has become an indispensable part of my life. When you truly love something, you can understand its deeper meaning.

So, what exactly is this meaning? In my view, running is simple. It has no nationality, age, time, weather, or venue restrictions. As long as you want to run, you can start a healthy exercise routine by putting on suitable clothes and running shoes. However, it's not simple because running requires persistence, strong willpower, gradual scientific training methods, and a reasonable diet.

To run for a long time, gracefully and happily, you need to persist. I think this is the meaning of running for me: persistence and joy.

- The Girl Who Loves Running -

To talk about my running story, we have to start in 1993. That was the first time I got involved in sports, initially related to soccer. The reason was that the school formed a girls' soccer team to enrich extracurricular life, and I eagerly joined.

I remember a classmate in elementary school asked me, 'The school has set up interest classes. Do you like soccer or track and field?' Like all sports school students, I started training at 6 AM every day, running 10 laps around the 400-meter track with the soccer and track teams, and practicing soccer after school. During holidays, we had morning and evening training. Although I got tanned, I increasingly enjoyed the feeling of running on the field and fell in love with soccer. Secretly, my childhood dream was to become a female soccer player!

In 1994, I represented the city for the first time in the Sichuan Province Bud Cup Soccer Tournament, where we won third place. That year in Chongqing, after the game, the teacher took us to visit the Chongqing Monument, Gele Mountain, and Zhazidong. Coincidentally, years later, my first marathon—Chongqing Marathon—also started here. Time is a magical machine; it had already arranged everything. Soccer became the starting point of my running career.

Unconsciously, I entered middle school and seemed to become a very athletic girl. I always won first or second place in sports meets, walked home after school, and if that wasn't enough, I would run a few more kilometers. In the small town of southern Sichuan at that time, a girl who loved running was particularly special.

- The Girl Who Spent Money to Suffer -

After entering vocational school, I still maintained my exercise habits, playing badminton, swimming, and running. Once, while running alone on the sports field, I saw sports school students training and envied them, so I consulted the teacher about training.

The teacher said I could train with them for 50 yuan a month. So, I used my saved living expenses to pay the training fee each month. Although many people didn't understand and thought I was spending money to suffer, for me, it was love, true love.

So, I started training with the sports school students every day at 5:30 PM until graduation. Here's a little joy: on the bus from school to the sports field, I often met a boy. After several encounters, we got to know each other, fell in love, and he eventually became my husband. He has always unconditionally supported my running.

During the training days at the sports school, every day was monotonous, but I always completed the tasks assigned by the coach conscientiously and never slacked off. I remember a senior once told me, 'You are so persistent now, but you won't be once you start working and have a family.'

His casual remark touched me. On my way home that day, I kept thinking about it. He wasn't wrong; perhaps it had already been proven true for others. But in my heart, the word 'persistence' would never be lost. I believed time would be the best proof.

That year, I also joined the Luzhou Long-Distance Running Team, which was the first running organization to emerge in this small town in southern Sichuan. Under the guidance of Coach Li Guangjun, we participated in various long-distance running competitions, silently persisting and growing.

- We Established a Marathon Group -

In 2011, we established the Luzhou Marathon Group. Over 10 years, from a few people to hundreds, the initial members of the long-distance running team witnessed the development of the Luzhou Marathon. The most exciting thing was that in 2016, our hometown Luzhou hosted its first Luzhou International Half Marathon. As locals, we were naturally moved and actively participated. Nowadays, more and more people are running, and more are running marathons. My friends and I finally understood that all persistence is worthwhile. It not only brings changes to our bodies and minds but can also influence others.

Yes, because of our persistence, more people have joined and fallen in love with running. Whether invited to training camps or leading warm-ups and stretches for running friends, I enjoy it all. As a marathon veteran, I am very happy to be needed by everyone and to share running knowledge and techniques with them. It is a great honor for me.

- I Have a Pact with the Marathon -

Since winning my first medal in a long-distance race in 2004, I have participated in various competitions. The most memorable one has to be the Chongqing Marathon.

In fact, I started participating in running competitions 13 years ago, but I officially began running marathons in 2011. They say time is a magical machine. The first time I went to Chongqing, our elementary school girls' soccer team won third place in Sichuan Province. My first official marathon was also completed in Chongqing. For me, Chongqing is a special place, so I never miss a Chongqing Marathon. Adding a sense of ritual to the marathon is a special memory.

For seven consecutive Chongqing Marathons, I have never missed one. My full marathon PB of 3:32 was also achieved at the Chongqing Marathon, where I earned the national second-level athlete certification. From the Chongqing Marathon, I set a small goal for myself to run eight marathons a year. Whether participating or aiming for a PB, experiencing and enjoying it is enough!

So far, I have participated in 64 marathons. Over the years, I have averaged 10 kilometers a day, maintaining an annual mileage of 3,000-4,000 kilometers.

Because of running, at 37, I seem to have more youth and possibilities.

As a mother of two, my body is still tight and toned.

Life not only has the joys of daily necessities but also the warmth of mutual care among running friends.

Of course, thanks to the popularity of running in recent years, people are increasingly aware of the importance of having a healthy body. More and more people have fallen in love with running and have gotten to know me. Through running, my social circle has expanded. I met active young women in their 90s on the police school track, veteran runners with white hair during night runs, and running friends from all over the world at marathon events. All these encounters made me realize that sticking to a small thing for a long time can bring many unexpected joys to life.

I think this is a rare happiness and reward for a nearly 40-year-old middle-aged person.

This reward is not only in my heart but also has a positive impact on my life.

Before becoming a fitness coach, I worked as a sales clerk in a mall. Because I always persisted in exercising and gradually became well-known in the Luzhou running circle, I became a fitness coach in 2014. My life and specialty became related, and after professional fitness training, my marathon performance improved.

The journey has been full of rewards.

This year, I was selected for the 13th National Games, representing the Sichuan team in a mass group competition at the Tianjin International Marathon, finishing in 3:45.

Although I didn't achieve a PB, I was still very happy. I enjoy every moment of running, and I enjoy the emotions, laughter, and persistence I see while running.

- Running Has a Kind of Magic -

People always ask me if running really has such great magic. Whenever they ask, I always say without hesitation, 'Look at me. I'm 37 years old, have been running for 25 years, and am a mother of two. My life is still young and passionate. I use my spare time to run 10 kilometers every day. My life has fewer trivial worries and more health and positivity. I think this is the magic of running.'

Dreams seem to be a word far from reality. But I want to say, they are not so grand that you don't know where to start. Each of us should learn how to embed dreams into the present. Maybe, without realizing it, you are already walking with your dreams. We may not become successful people in the conventional sense, but the dreams of ordinary people are to live hard, be healthy, and be happy. If we can do something meaningful, that would be the icing on the cake!

Running is like this for me.