"Steel Rose" Nguyen Tieu Phuong is the first Vietnamese person to win the 6-petal snow medal, symbolizing the completion of 6 races in the World Marathon Majors system. Few people know that her fitness teacher once "warned" her about her daydreaming when participating in the New York Marathon.
When she saw many athletes full of enthusiasm amidst the cheers of the crowd at the 2013 New York Marathon, she hoped that one day she would stand at the starting line in the most prestigious tournament on the planet. Tieu Phuong's teacher heard the story and immediately advised her to "know her own strength", because the runners participating in this race were all "monsters".
Nguyen Tieu Phuong is the first Vietnamese to win the 6-petal snow medal.
Of course, the "steel rose" did not succumb to the teacher's dissuasion, but used it as motivation to start planning to realize her dream. Before becoming a "famous" female runner in the Vietnamese running community, Tieu Phuong also started with a distance of only 1 km. She built a methodical route and then gradually conquered the smallest goals.
BUILD & MAINTAIN A HEALTHY, SCIENTIFIC LIFESTYLE
Despite having a good health foundation, the female fitness trainer calmly started with short distances, then gradually increased. She considered regular, balanced and persistent training as three important criteria in forming habits for any sport.
For running, you need to practice walking, gradually your muscles and joints will get better, you can start running, then combine walking and running. "At first it will be very difficult so many people will give up easily, but trust me, if you persevere for 3 weeks, your body will be less painful and tired. Exercise will then become an indispensable habit in life. When you start to get used to the rhythm of activity, you can increase the difficulty with longer distances or shorter times to challenge yourself. Gradually increasing like that, you will be able to run 10 km, 24 km and then 42 km," the female runner shared.
Seeing many runners dragging and exhausted in 42km races because they had not trained properly and regularly, she thought they were taking too much risk with their lives. Even though they had not previously conquered lower milestones, they suddenly accelerated to 42km with the sole purpose of getting a medal and taking pictures to post online. "When participating in sports, consider it a joy. People who participate in sports should not be 'greedy' to the point of exhaustion just to achieve results, but need to understand their own tolerance level to build a suitable training plan and then persistently pursue it," the female runner expressed her opinion.
To get results, we need to practice hard every day.
Before coming to the most prestigious races on the planet, every day, "steel rose" Nguyen Tieu Phuong also regularly practices short distances of 8 - 10 km. For those who are new to sports, Tieu Phuong gives advice: "Start with the sport you love, no matter what the reason, even because the sport's outfit is beautiful, or because friends "invite" you, make your training make you happy and excited".
In addition, the female fitness trainer is extremely interested in nutrition, considering it an important factor to have a balanced figure and stable health. She attended nutrition courses and was awarded the international certificate "Certificated Fitness Nutritionist by ISSA". The female runner pays attention to investing in her health, even hiring a nutritionist to create a menu.
"Anyone can build a healthy diet. With different financial capabilities, we can completely create a suitable diet for ourselves. It is not necessary to eat expensive foods to be good for the body," Tieu Phuong expressed her opinion.
A toned body is not only the result of serious training, but also thanks to a scientific diet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
She gives advice on building a nutritional regimen for those who start eating healthy, should limit starch from white rice, replace with brown rice, sweet potatoes or oats. For the protein group, add more protein from eggs, chicken breast or tuna; limit beef and pork. In particular, the vitamin and mineral group - with lots of green vegetables and fruits should be focused on because it provides a lot of nutrition for the body. Dishes should be prepared simply, limit frying and adding a lot of spices.
Daily routines also need to be taken into account to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Create a habit of going to bed early and avoid staying up late. In particular, those who regularly participate in sports should limit the use of stimulants such as tobacco and alcohol. She cited evidence that many people died on the race route due to strokes and heatstroke. The cause is believed to be alcohol, some of whom drank until late the night before the race.
SPREADING HEALTHY LIFESTYLE TO THE COMMUNITY
Before becoming a sports inspiration to many people, Tieu Phuong was an "idol" in the eyes of her son. Since the age of 5, little Kien (Ms. Phuong's son) has been trained by his mother to have a habit of exercising. Starting with walking regularly about 2 km every day, combining swimming and jogging, Kien later started to stick with basketball, participating in school or city tournaments. The little Kien of the past has now become a strong, healthy 25-year-old young man, always mentioning his mother with sparkling eyes full of pride.
Tieu Phuong and her son.
Observing the growth of her son, along with many other children of the same age who grew up with a love of sports, Tieu Phuong believes that children who are good at sports will study well. Science has proven that when the body is active, blood will circulate evenly to all parts, making the mind clear and alert. Sports activities help improve emotions, produce natural dopamine in the brain, making the practitioner happy and excited in daily life. In addition, being good at sports helps the spirit to be strong, optimistic and have a healthy lifestyle.
The 50-year-old woman, who is always full of energy, believes that 'physical education' should start from the family. Parents who love exercise and sports can train their children in the habit from a young age so that when they grow up, they will see this as an indispensable part of life. Everyone knows about the benefits of exercise, but instead of telling their children about these benefits, be a good example for them to learn from. "You can't smoke a cigarette and then advise your children not to smoke, nor can you sip a glass of wine and then advise your children not to drink. Parents are the best role models for their children. Make young people respect and admire you, not fear and follow your orders," she shared.
Building a healthy lifestyle, for her, is the goal that brings benefits to herself first.
Building a healthy lifestyle, for her, is the first goal that brings benefits to herself. Tieu Phuong understands that she needs to exercise and improve her health so that when she gets old, she can take care of herself without depending on anyone. Participating in many races, exercising every day, living a moderate life, and eating healthily makes this woman always confident, energetic and inspiring to many people.
Currently, she is collaborating with close friends to implement a project to help 100,000 Vietnamese women conquer the first 5km, namely Chi Nguyen - a famous female runner who is preparing to complete the conquest of 6 World Marathon Majors in April 2023 at the London Marathon; Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha (Céline) - the first Vietnamese woman to conquer Mount Everest; Thanh Vu - the first Vietnamese to win the world championship in the ultra-long distance triathlon - Deca Ultra Triathlon. She hopes that the project will contribute to creating positive changes, bringing more dynamism and confidence to Vietnamese women.
