every step i run is the path i want to take
I went into the woods because I wanted to live deliberately,
I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.
To learn what it had to teach and not, when I came to die,
discover that I had not lived.
—— Thoreau
This passage is from Thoreau's 'Walden,' a book I particularly love.
Perhaps running, for me, is a door that life has opened, leading me to a lifestyle of exercise, a rich spiritual world, a disciplined practice, and a quest for the meaning of life.
I am in my late twenties, almost thirty.
My previous exercise experience was running two laps and gasping for air, and retaking the 1500 meters in college.
After graduation, I joined a well-known company, and two years later, I successfully entered a municipal government office, becoming a nine-to-five civil servant. Due to poor lifestyle habits, simply put, a lack of exercise, I have never been particularly thin and have always been on the heavier side.
Photos before I started running
Whenever I posted photos, I rarely dared to include personal photos. Otherwise, the comments would be uniformly: 'You've gained weight again!' Seeing those comments made me angry and resentful, but I soon became numb to them because it's easy for a thin person to become fat, but hard for a fat person to become thin. Moreover, I'm the type who gains weight just by drinking water.
Perhaps it was destined that my life trajectory would change. In 2014, my brother, who worked in Shanghai, started running. Although he was far away, I could follow his life and work through his social media updates. One action that particularly shocked me was that he ran every day and almost never missed a day of checking in on social media. He started with 3 kilometers a day, then 4 kilometers, and later 10 kilometers of morning runs.
He ran more and more, joined a running group, and participated in regular activities. He improved in both speed and distance, consistently ranking at the top of his running group. He was already excellent, sunny, and full of energy, so I nicknamed him 'Running Expert.'
After joining the running group, I saw their activity photos: stretching, competitions, running, exchanges, parties, etc. Young professionals, middle-aged executives, technicians, civil servants—all looked so positive and full of energy. The message they conveyed was that they were a group of impressive people who cared about their health and were incredibly persistent, exercising every day, full of energy, and gaining various insights. I admired them and wanted to be like them.
During the National Day holiday in 2014, my brother came home. He said, 'Brother, look at you, you're so fat and don't exercise. Come, I'll take you running.' 'Running sounds great,' I happily agreed.
Although I thought it was a good idea, I found it really hard to stick to it for more than three days. I quickly gave up. On the first day, I was gasping for air after two laps and only managed to run 2 kilometers because my brother pushed me. The pain was worse than staying up late to write reports.
The next day, he woke me up again. I thought, 'Can I give up? It's a holiday, why can't I sleep until eight or nine? How can you runners wake up so early? I still want to sleep.' But he dragged me up to run another 2 kilometers.
This cycle repeated, and I managed to stick with it for six days during the holiday. I could run 2 kilometers, breaking my college record when I had to retake the 1500 meters.
Reality is always too cruel. It's really hard to stick to something, and I was the type who couldn't maintain enthusiasm for more than three minutes. When my 'Running Expert' brother left, there was no supervision or companionship. I was busy with work every day, and even on weekends, I had to work overtime. Running became something I put aside.
Sometimes, persistence starts with a small challenge, and confidence in success is crucial for maintaining it.
On December 31, 2014, the city held a New Year's Eve long-distance running event. Every government employee had to participate, and our unit was at the forefront. I couldn't imagine what 5 kilometers meant, but I knew I might not be able to finish because, at the end of 2013, I had given up halfway through a similar run. But I wanted to try. A fellow civil servant and I agreed to finish the run together. At first, it was fine; we kept up with the main group. After a third of the way, I saw many people dropping out and some even heading back.
'Should we quit? If we quit, let's do it now; the next intersection is close to the office.' 'No, let's not quit. We've always been proactive in everything, never falling behind at work. Can we not even stick to running?' My inner voices were battling. As a person weighing over 160 pounds, finishing the run was a challenging and painful task.
But seeing others giving up while I kept going gave me a sense of accomplishment. There were still people ahead of me. If others could persist, why couldn't I? So I kept running. In the end, we finished the run. The person who finished first suggested taking a group photo, and I realized that the friendly middle-aged man at the front was the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee. I felt a great sense of satisfaction and confidence in running.
With confidence, I started my running journey.
'Running and reading are the cheapest ways to improve oneself. I want to change myself. I want to be healthier and look better. I want to be full of energy all the time.' From the first day of running, this thought was etched in my mind.
On January 28, 2015, I started my first run with Codoon, running a little over 4 laps, 2 kilometers. Gradually, I increased the distance: 3 kilometers, 4 kilometers, 5 kilometers, 7 kilometers, 8 kilometers, 10 kilometers... 15 kilometers, 18 kilometers, a half marathon... increasing bit by bit.
For 365 days, I woke up at around five every morning, regardless of winter or summer. The track at the international school opposite my neighborhood became my close companion.
I enjoyed sweating, taking a shower under the brightening sky, and starting my day.
In half a year, I lost over 30 pounds. My spirit and confidence transformed. It's hard to imagine, but listening to your own breathing, feeling your heartbeat with each step, makes you more sensitive to everything around you. Watching birds, fish, the wind blowing through the leaves, the clouds in the sky, the laughter of children—all these moments were captured on my phone, making running more meaningful.
Now, I run 5-6 kilometers every morning, rain or shine. I run over 10 kilometers weekly and average a half marathon monthly. Sometimes, I push myself to run even longer distances, like over 30 kilometers. Day after day, I take more than 10,000 steps daily, with my longest streak being 200 consecutive days.
After falling in love with running, I started exploring new routes alone, discovering beautiful places that no one had run before or even knew about.
I began participating in various running events: New Year's Eve runs, New Year's Day runs, color runs, mini runs, and fitness runs, making my life more colorful.
In color runs, it's not about who runs faster but who has more fun!
Yes, I'm the clown uncle!
Our running team participated in the city's health run and won our first battle!
Why do I love running? Because either your body or your soul must be on the move, and running combines both. So, I started using my feet to unlock the cities I had visited.
Zhengdong New District, Zhengzhou, Ruyi Lake, Big Corn
I ran around the 'Big Corn' in Zhengzhou, circling Ruyi Lake twice. At night, the Big Corn is brightly lit with changing lights, making it particularly beautiful. In the morning, I ran along Jinshui River, passing elderly men walking their birds and women dancing in the square, which was also a sight to see.
In Hangzhou, I ran around West Lake, Su Causeway, Bai Causeway, Broken Bridge, and Xiling Seal Society, searching for the legend of the White Snake and the traces of Lin Huiyin. I ran during the day and at night, covering the distance of a full marathon. The next day, Hangzhou had a heavy snowfall, turning it into a beautiful scene.
In Nanjing, I ran through the ancient city of Jianye, the capital of six dynasties and ten dynasties, a strategic military location. Running along the 18-mile Qinhuai River, I felt the historical past, the smoke of war, the fall of cities, and the unchanged Qinhuai River, witnessing countless stories. That night, it rained, and the rain fell on Wuyi Lane, Confucius Temple, Jiangnan Examination Hall, and Qinhuai River, creating a poetic scene.
In Suzhou, I ran through Lion Mountain, Hengshan, Fengqiao, and Mudu. It rained lightly along the way, and I kissed the Suzhou bridges with my footsteps. With curious eyes, I searched for the exquisite charm, colors, and atmosphere in the quiet places, feeling the ancient and modern changes and dreams of the thousand-year-old water city.
In Shanghai, I ran on the track at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, stretching under a century-old camphor tree. The morning sun was warm and comfortable, and I felt the progressive spirit of the campus. I visited Cai Yuanpei's former residence, feeling the freedom, liberation, and inclusiveness of the great educator and former president of Peking University.
In Beijing, I ran on the small track at China Youth University of Political Studies, feeling the youthful energy of the campus. I ran in the Olympic Park, enjoying the tracks and green spaces left from the Beijing Olympics, and had fun picnicking and flying kites.
In Luoyang, I ran along the foot of Dongshan Mountain, by the Yi River, on the path to Longmen Grottoes. At night, the stars shone, and the mist surrounded me. On Dongdajie, the main street of the old city of Luoyang, the houses were old, and the alleys were dilapidated. In the small courtyards, old Phoenix bicycles were parked, and children played, undisturbed by the bustling city. That peace and childhood joy were enviable.
In Kaifeng, I ran through Drum Tower, Bookstore Street, and the century-old campus of Henan University, which still had its charm. The Imperial River next to the Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden led to Baogong Lake and extended further. At Qishengjiao and Banmuyuan, the water was beautiful, the scenery was lush, and the lights were bright, recreating the prosperity of the Song Dynasty.
In Rizhao, I ran along the Yellow Sea coastline, rushing to the small fishing village to catch the tide, watching the ebb and flow, stretching on the rocks, and letting the waves hit me.
As a friend once said, 'A strong vitality comes from a clear desire to become a better version of yourself. To be healthier and look better, you need to manage your diet and exercise. It requires self-discipline, which, although a small thing, will clearly define your contours and confidence.'
Now, I have been running for 469 days, with a total duration of 308 hours, recording 2619.9 kilometers on Codoon. On Xiaomi Sports, I have accumulated 5097 kilometers, averaging over 13,996 steps per day. I have run over 10 kilometers more than 60 times and completed over 10 half marathons.
I have won many medals and repeatedly set new personal records.
For me, the most important thing about running is that many things I thought were impossible have been accomplished. Things I thought I couldn't stick to, I have stuck to. For example, reading: I have read 62 books in a year and completed 56 reading notes, totaling over 100,000 words.
In the future, I will exercise with my parents, making them healthier, happier, and more fulfilled.
In the future, I will embark on new journeys, aiming for full marathons, trail races, and more marathons.
In the future, I will unlock more cities, see more beautiful scenery, and experience a richer life.
In the future, I will keep running, but the most important thing is self-discipline, persistence, focus, and surpassing oneself. I will continue to challenge myself, face life positively, and run every step with heart because every step I run is the path I want to take.
Text and images by: @Sunshine Hehan Editor: @Codoon People Article has been edited