di jun: from layup to running nimbly crossing boundaries and conquering every path
Di Jun always speaks in a calm tone.
This is true whether he talks about his athletic talent, achievements, or experiences.
Di Jun has every reason to exaggerate these things: he is responsible for attracting investment in a development zone in Nanjing, and running is just a part of his life. He hasn't even invested much time or effort into it—yet in less than three years, he achieved a marathon personal best of 2 hours, 25 minutes, and 47 seconds, becoming a legend in the running community. This is not something an ordinary person can easily accomplish.
Di Jun achieved all this in less than three years. With low mileage, short training times, and without obsessing over it, he spends no more than an hour and a half running each day, and his monthly mileage is just over 300 kilometers. He says he focuses more on time than distance because he has other things to do and doesn't want to spend too much time on running. His training methods are mostly self-explored and shared with fellow runners, reaching a near-professional level in a non-professional environment.
For Di Jun, reaching an elite amateur level in three years of marathon running is a process of daily exercise and natural accumulation. In the first year, he relied on his excellent physical fitness to 'run blindly.' In the second year, he started to have goals and experimented with many trail runs. By the third year, he was familiar with all aspects and began to plan his races. His astonishing achievement of breaking his personal best five times in one year is due to his persistent dedication.
Although his results are close to those of professional athletes, Di Jun maintains a simple and casual attitude towards marathons. For him, marathons are just a part of his lifestyle and interests, not something he obsesses over. It's like a friend who is both close and distant: he enjoys it when he engages with it but keeps a calm and detached distance.
In just over two years, marathons have become an integral part of Di Jun's life. What makes him feel gratified is joining the Yibao Dream Team, a relaxed and relatively free group that doesn't pursue fame and fortune but showcases a healthy lifestyle. It is a group of like-minded individuals with positive attitudes who are active in marathon events.
Running is not just about achieving results; it's also about finding the source of happiness.
Yibao brought us together not just because of our decent results but also because we share the same philosophy. Di Jun is very grateful for the respect and relaxed atmosphere Yibao provides. He admits, 'I used to think running was a very personal thing, but now I suddenly feel more pressure. I feel I can't let everyone down and need to run better and share good things with more people.'
Di Jun runs marathons to challenge himself but doesn't force the results; running happily and freely is the most important thing. Di Jun hopes that more people will progress from focusing solely on results to paying attention to a healthy lifestyle and attitude. Through his explanation and understanding of marathons, he has become a guide for more and more new runners: 'You don't need to think about how fast you can run; as long as you see the possibility of changing your life from here, that's enough.'