Hearing your stories: Minh D

'When I think about running, it seems like such a simple sport — yet I couldn't even run a 5K without stopping'

and

Jun 11, 2025

Afternoon, friends! ☀️ After several days of rain, the sun is finally shining here in Atlanta — which also means the summer heat is back! And it’s time to share another of our reader stories with you, this time from another longtime THM reader,

Minh

Now living in Austin, Texas, Minh has traveled across the U.S. and grew up in Viet Nam, later spending time in Minnesota before landing where she lives now. One of the things I loved about reading her story is that, unlike me — I started running by just buying a pair of shoes and heading out the door — Minh got hooked on running after taking a college course in it, learning all the in’s and outs I wish I knew.

(She also writes a newsletter I love,

Life with MD

— don’t hesitate to check it out!)

If, after reading Minh’s story, you think you might like to share yours too, please know that I’d love to hear it — all you need to is reply back by email or in the comments below, and we’ll go from there. — Terrell

So, let’s hear a little bit about you! Who are you, your age (if you’d like to share), where you’re from, what you do, etc.

My name is Minh, I'm 25 and I am from Viet Nam but now living in Central Texas. I work remotely for an education company.

What does your running routine look like? How many times a week, and how far do you run?

My running routine is twice a week, one short/medium run mid-week and one long run on the weekend. I keep this routine when I am training for half marathons.

I tried running three times a week before, and got burned out trying to incorporate weight training and having enough rest. This training cycle I add a third run some weeks because I crave the movement, but the strict routine is twice a week.

My shorter runs are 3 to 5 miles and longer runs are 6 to 11 miles.

Were you an athletic kid growing up? What are your early memories of what fitness and health were about?

I was active growing up and my parents always joked that I have springs under my feet. I like to jump around, chase friends, play at the playground, etc.

In Viet Nam, sports are not taken as seriously in schools as in America, but I still participated in basketball, badminton, relay running, soccer, etc. Any chance I got to be active, I would take it.

How did you first get into running? Was there something that inspired you — like a performance at the Olympics, for example, or a runner you discovered by watching them on social media or TV? Or was there someone in your own life who inspired you to think, ‘maybe I can do this?’

This is a story I love telling because running came into my life so randomly. I got into running my last semester in college when I signed up for a running class. (Partly cause I want the grade boost, partly cause I want to challenge myself as I am terrible at this sport!)

No one in my family or close friends at the time ran, so I have no role models or friends to run with/look up to. This class taught me a lot about running basics: forms, run/walk methods, safety during runs, and how to progress to minimize injuries. I ran my first 5K as the final assignment.

How did the class work?

When I think about running, it seems like such a simple sport yet I couldn't even run a 5K without stopping. The class was interesting because it was 100% online with pre-recorded lectures, materials to read, and assignments to run on your own time every week.

We did have a Strava group where you could see your classmates performance and frequency. I believe each time you ran, you had to make a post in the group. I liked this format because it was very flexible, I could run outside when it was nice and later on mostly on the treadmill when it got cold in Minnesota.

How has your interest in running evolved since then? Do you run farther, or faster now?

I caught the running bug after the class. I moved to Austin, Texas from Minnesota and started running on my own and completed my first 5K race shortly after. I have since raced multiple 10Ks and a half marathon.

What do you balance your running with? Do you have a family to take care of? Kids, parents or other relatives or loved ones? If so, how do you balance all of it and still make time to run/care for yourself?

I don't have family to take care of and I am young in my career so I am lucky that I can run whenever I want outside of work hours.

During busy periods, I like to squeeze in a 5K here and there because it helps turn my mood around. Making time for an hour during a busy day for me is doable. If it's too dark or cold/rainy outside, I will run on the treadmill. Otherwise, I would run outside.

Is there anything you’re especially proud of that you can point to your running and say, ‘this helped me achieve ______’?

There are so many good things about running that I am grateful for that it would be hard to pinpoint just one thing but I will try my best!

Aside from health benefits, I gained confidence through running by accomplishing new milestones and proving to myself that I can do hard things. Completing my first half marathon was one of my proudest moments.

What have you learned about yourself from your running journey? Is there anything that’s changed about you since you started?

Running teaches me that even if I don't like to do something, do it anyway and I tend to feel better. Some long runs are super intimidating and I procrastinate getting out the door frequently. But I always feel better after I am done, I don't think I have ever regretted a run.

Where would you like to go with your running? Is there anything special you’d like to achieve — like, say, running all six World Marathon Majors, or running an ultra?

I hope to finish training for my second half marathon in the spring and get a PR (fingers crossed), but my priority is finishing without walking and not getting injured. I also really want to run some scenic halves and to recruit my boyfriend/friend/loved one to complete it with me.

What keeps you going? Especially if you’ve been running for a while — do you ever get bored with it? How do you find new things to motivate you, to keep you going?

I don't always have sky high motivation for running — I don't think any of us does. I get motivation from how running makes me feel mentally (runner's high is great) and physically (my body feels lighter, more agile and strong).

When training gets stale, I sign up for a race to get me focused. I am lucky to live in an active and young city, [so] I get inspiration from the world around me. And, I always see people running around Austin. There are many running events and groups that anyone can join, which is great. I go to those events every once in a while.

Look back at yourself when you were a kid, maybe say 10 years old. Remember how you felt, what you thought, especially what you thought you were capable of back then. If you could talk to that kid now, what would you say?

My 11-year-old self would probably not be surprised to see myself running now because she was super active back then. I would say to keep moving your body and believing in yourself, enjoy what your body can do!