The challenge
For most of my adult life, I considered myself "not a runner." Moving continuously for more than two hours felt physically impossible and mentally monotonous.
Ho Chi Minh City's humidity added another layer of difficulty. Training meant waking up at 4:30 AM, before the city warmed up and before the day could negotiate with my discipline.
The process
I approached training like a software project: iterative, data-driven, and disciplined. A 16-week plan helped me increase mileage without collecting injuries along the way.
- Phase 1: Build the foundation with short 5 km aerobic runs.
- Phase 2: Add interval sessions to improve cardiovascular efficiency.
- Phase 3: Long weekend runs, peaking at 18 km two weeks before race day.
Lessons learned
Engineering and running share a useful rhythm: break a massive goal into manageable units. In code, it is functions and modules. In running, it is the next kilometer.
Consistency beat intensity every time. It was not one heroic race-day effort that got me to the finish line. It was the 48 training runs I did even when I did not feel like doing them.