On October 27, a charity race "Run4Victory" in support of the 13th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine "Charter" will be held on Trukhaniv Island in Kyiv, reports UNN.
Details
The event is organized by the international company MHP, the MHP Community Charitable Foundation, and the Kharaktern sports community.
This is the fifth Run4Victory charity race. The previous four took place in Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy and Ladyzhyn. Iryna Semko, a participant of four Run4Victory races and an employee of MHP, has run the maximum distances at all previous marathons.
"I started running about three years ago. The company held internal sports competitions. At that time, training did not become a habit. But in 2023, I took part in several races in Kyiv. I wanted to try my hand at it. After running 5 kilometers for the first time, I realized that I needed to train. I wanted it to be beneficial to my body, not just emotional satisfaction. In April, I started running regularly. These were not fast-paced workouts - 5-7 kilometers twice or thrice a week. Someone once told me that if you can run and talk at the same time, that's your pace," she said.
Iryna Semko ran 21 km for the first time this year in Ternopil as part of the Run4Victory Race League.
I wanted to show by my own example that it's not scary. And to prove to myself that it is possible. I set myself a goal of running four distances of 21 kilometers each. But in Ladyzhyn, the maximum distance was 10. That's why the fourth 21-kilometer course will be in Kyiv on October 27
For the past year, Iryna has been training regularly three times a week. On average, she runs 10 km per workout. Before marathons, she tries to reduce or increase her mileage to prepare her body for the stress. During training, she chooses different distances - flat roads and tracks with hills.
"For me, running is an opportunity to be alone with my thoughts, to think about something, to take time for myself. Running also develops discipline, because in order to train regularly, you need to adjust your plans and set aside time to do everything. In addition, I have become more enduring. Running keeps my body in good shape. I'm trying to switch to morning runs instead of evening ones. Jogging helps me start the day faster, and afterwards I come to work energized and ready to go," she says.
Semko also dispelled a number of myths about running.
Running is bad for joints and knees
"This can happen if you have the wrong running technique. For example, if you fall on your heel, you put more stress on your joints. When you stand on a full foot, it's less. Before I started running, I read a lot of information about how to do it properly," says Iryna.
When running, you should inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth
"In fact, it's all individual. Each person chooses what is convenient for them," the athlete said.
No need to work out in the gym if you run
"Exercising in the gym helps to prepare muscles for exertion and improve running results," said Iryna Semko.
Long runs are the key to success
"As for me, consistency and running for pleasure are the key to success and the development of running skills. After all, the more love you put into sports, the more enjoyable it is for you to do it," the athlete summarized.