22 year old beauty pacer my happiness is running with you to the finish

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In the Yinchuan Marathon on May 20, 22-year-old Liu Panpan (Codoon nickname:Liu Xiaoer's Painting) served as the pacer for the full marathon group, finishing the last group of the Yinchuan Marathon in 6 hours and 30 minutes, escorting the runners across the finish line, and becoming the last girl to reach the finish line.


Liu Panpan's Yinchuan Marathon result


This was not Liu Panpan's first time participating in the Yinchuan Marathon. In the first Yinchuan Marathon in 2017, she already served as an official pacer for the half marathon. The 2017 Yinchuan Marathon was only her third marathon. This year's Yinchuan Marathon was her 15th marathon. In the past year, she has served as an official pacer in 6 out of the more than ten races she participated in.


"As a pacer, you don't have to run fast, but you must run steadily," said Liu Panpan, sharing her experience as an official pacer multiple times. "You must time each kilometer accurately." While running, she constantly monitored the pace watch on her arm. Mastering the pace is a skill; the steps should neither be too fast nor too slow. She encouraged the runners around her while ensuring they reached the finish line before the cutoff time. In the Yinchuan Marathon, she completed the pacing with a pace of 9 minutes and 15 seconds per kilometer, proving herself to be a professional and responsible pacer. "The supplies on the track were excellent, and after finishing, the organizing committee even prepared a big cake for the athletes to share, which was very considerate," Liu Panpan said. "I will participate in next year's third Yinchuan Marathon!"


Liu Panpan and the pacers in the same group at the Yinchuan Marathon


First Steps


22-year-old Liu Panpan just graduated from a university in Ningxia. With professional pacing skills and multiple experiences as an official pacer, she must be a very professional runner, right? But in fact, Liu Panpan has only been running for three years. "I didn't have much exposure to running when I was young, only participating in the school sports meet in middle school, where I ran third in the 3000 meters. After that, I never ran again," Liu Panpan recalled. Although she started running late, she didn't miss out on other sports training. In high school, she practiced Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) with a professional coach for two years, which improved her physical fitness and laid the foundation for her later long-distance running. After entering university, she joined the school's martial arts team to continue strengthening her body.




In the 2015 Xiji County Marathon, Liu Panpan, an English major, served as a translator for foreign athletes, encountering the marathon for the first time. The beautiful scenery of the track, the energetic participants, the enthusiastic volunteers, and the never-give-up spirit of the marathon deeply moved Liu Panpan, becoming her "introducer" to the marathon path.


Focusing on healthy running, the most comfortable pace is 5:30-5:45 per kilometer. "Every day after evening self-study at school, I would go running by myself, downloading a sports app on my phone and sticking to it every day. Self-discipline is very important," Liu Panpan said. In September 2016, Liu Panpan participated in her first half marathon—the Ningxia Yellow River Golden Coast Marathon. Due to her good image and temperament, the organizing committee invited her to participate in the official promotional video the following year.


Liu Panpan and the pacers in the same group at the Yinchuan Marathon


"Zen" Runner


Although she has been running for a short time, Liu Panpan has gained considerable experience in races. She always adheres to the concept of "steady running." "Some runners are used to speeding up in the first half and slowing down in the second half, but this can easily cause knee injuries," Liu Panpan said. "Especially for girls, it's important to take care of your body. Running gear is also crucial. To avoid heel blisters and chafing, you must pay attention to your gear. Also, it's not advisable to aim for a personal best in high temperatures and high altitudes." Liu Panpan always believes that running is for health and happiness. If you hurt your body for the sake of performance, it's not worth it. "As an amateur runner, you don't need to chase performance in every race. Running happily is the most important thing!"


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From Monday to Friday, Liu Panpan runs 5.21 kilometers every day, and 10 kilometers each day on weekends. Besides running, Liu Panpan also learns some sports knowledge. "Now it's very convenient with mobile phones. I follow many running and sports public accounts, which often publish training methods and sports knowledge. After reading them, I immediately put them into practice." The combination of knowledge and action is one of the reasons Liu Panpan has become an excellent runner.


What makes Liu Panpan most proud is that she has never been injured since she started running. "Stretching before and after running is more important than running itself. Find the right training volume for yourself, and don't rush to overtrain. You must run healthily," Liu Panpan always emphasizes. Her ability to professionally complete the pacer task is probably due to this "Zen running" philosophy.




"Run with You" Belief


As the apple of her parents' eye, Liu Panpan's family was very opposed to her running when she first started. "My parents were worried about me, thinking that traveling around to participate in races would be very harmful to my body," Liu Panpan said. "Why not buy some good food instead? Can your body handle all this running around?" This was her father's original words. Faced with her family's misunderstanding, she didn't get angry but persisted in running, trying to influence those around her with her actions and encouraging her family to start running.




In Liu Panpan's philosophy, "running with you" is the biggest purpose of running besides health. Being able to encourage those around her to run and exercise makes her very happy. She has indeed achieved this—"My sister now runs with me and often asks where I'm going to run a marathon. When I pace, she runs with me," Liu Panpan said proudly. "My mother now walks every day, has lost a lot of weight, and is getting healthier." In university, Liu Panpan trained with a classmate, witnessing her classmate's weight drop from 160 pounds to 110 pounds in three months. "It's not just running. There are many ways to exercise, like skipping rope and kicking shuttlecock." Influencing those around her to improve makes Liu Panpan feel a great sense of accomplishment.


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Liu Panpan and the pacers in the same group at the Yinchuan Marathon arrived at the finish line on time.


It is this "run with you" belief that makes Liu Panpan enjoy the role of a pacer. "As an official pacer, you not only need to have a stable pace so that runners can finish the race by following you, but more importantly, you need to support and encourage the runners to keep going during the marathon. This is the most important and heartwarming part of being a pacer," Liu Panpan said excitedly. Usually, in the last 300 meters of the race, she would hold hands with her companions and cross the finish line together, then bow deeply to everyone, thanking each person for their effort and marking the end of the race, which is a small ceremony.



Doing the Happiest Thing


"Put on your running shoes and run to your heart's content." For Liu Panpan, running allows her to let go of all worries and only think of the happiest things. "I really like the feeling of sweating; it's so comfortable." This is probably the inner monologue of someone who truly loves running. During her internship, Liu Panpan would immediately change into her running shoes after work and run all the way home from the company. "At first, I took the bus home, feeling very tired sitting on the bus. When I got home, I was too exhausted to eat and fell asleep immediately," Liu Panpan recalled. "Later, I tried running home and found that running was actually a form of relaxation. It not only relieved stress but also made me feel more energetic the more I ran!"




In her daily life, Liu Panpan is not only a running enthusiast but also enjoys practicing yoga, playing the guitar, and recording her running stories in writing. She often writes running articles for magazines. In her social media circle, she records the daily cycling notes of an elderly man every day.


 


This elderly man, named Wang Bingwen, is a cyclist. Grandpa? He looks very young, doesn't he? In fact, Wang Bingwen is already 69 years old and will reach his 70th year next year, marking his tenth anniversary of cycling. "Grandpa Wang has always wanted to publish a cycling autobiography on his tenth anniversary," Liu Panpan said. Upon learning about this from her running friends, she immediately volunteered to organize Grandpa Wang's diary and be his editor. "I will focus on this in the second half of the year. I know publishing a book is not easy, but it is very meaningful, and I will definitely help Grandpa achieve his wish," Liu Panpan said excitedly. Many running friends saw Grandpa Wang's cycling journey in her social media circle and invited him to visit their homes along the way.


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Liu Panpan, Grandpa Wang, and running friend Meng Wei having a meal together


"I just received the notification of being selected as an official pacer for the Lanzhou Marathon a few days ago," Liu Panpan said excitedly. "I will run many races in the second half of the year and strive to set a personal best at the Xichang Marathon in November, which I have longed for." Talking about the future, she envisioned, "I believe that when I reach 30, I will still be as energetic and passionate about life as I am now." Running and traveling, commemorating each marathon with words. The harder you work, the luckier you get. The more you run, the healthier you become.

 

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*Article from the public account: Zhi Hua An Fang - Sesame Paste

*The copyright of this article belongs to the author. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.
*This article represents the author's views only and does not represent Codoon's views.



Created: 2018-05-30 07:45:42