Any differences in the race in Europe compared with other countries? Any remarkable memory in the half marathon world championships in Poland?

In Europe, the buildings are not high. So, it is usually windy
and the wind can come from various directions. During this race, I tried to run between a core group to minimize the impact by the wind. Besides, it is relatively less humid in Europe than in Asian. Thus the sweat could be better evaporated and not easily make our body temperature high while exercising.

After giving birth to my baby girl, I was not sure if I could still keep my previous performance. On the other hand, I have had unceasing leg injuries previously and worried if they could recover well. After this race, I built my confidence since I know I can still have breakthroughs on my performance.

How do you keep your performance during the COVID-19 period? Anything to share with the youth?

Looking around the world, there were fewer running races during COVID-19, however, runners even have more time to concentrate on their training and thus enhance their performance. For me, I choose to run in country parks where you can barely see people at all. Moreover, during the 3rd peak
of Covid-19, Hong Kong Sports Institute was locked down.

Although no one could tell how long the locking period lasted, I still chose to stay and train on the track inside so as to ensure the safety of myself and not to affect my preparation for the HM world championships.

2020 Issue 4

How do you keep your passion when you feel tired during competition?

I usually find some runners as targets to “follow” during the race; on the other hand, I focus on my pace if it aligns with my plan. When I feel a bit tired, I refresh myself with my training scene and the effort I put during training.

Harbour LigHts

How do you manage your time with various roles, as a runner, a coach and a

mother of a 2-year-old daughter?

It is not an easy task to manage different roles. I have to spend my time effectively by prioritizing important activities ahead and giving up some unnecessary hobbies. I like running, and I also want to have kids in my family. As a nurse, I know it is better for recovery if I become a mother earlier. Therefore, I prefer to give birth to my baby before 30 years old. After giving birth, it is even more difficult to follow my schedule as I have to spend a lot of time on taking care of my baby. Nevertheless, I am lucky to have my husband’s family to support me all the time. I have learned to be flexible and grab time for training even if it is short. It might not be as good as a regular routine training like before as I have less time to warm up and take rest. However, that’s what I can work out as the best solution now.

What can young people learn from running?

Friendship. Apart from building a healthy body, teens can get a group of friends to run together and explore different places and races. With more and bigger social circles, the youth can motivate each other during difficult times.

As a coach, what makes a good leader?

A good leader has to think independently and prepares different training plans for different training groups. Sometimes, the students may disappear during training class when they have some difficulties or in low motivation without telling the coach. To know more about my students, I need to talk with them proactively. A good leader has to be equipped with good communication skills so that the students would be more willing to share their feelings. On the other hand, when I see my students having tremendous passion towards their goals, I feel energized to reach an even higher target too.