The thought of running anything more than 1km seemed frightening to me. I first moved to Da Nang in January 2025 and was set on being active. The gym is quite boring and I got sick of playing pickleball 5 times a week (it was doing a number on my knees). I joined other run club chats but it was quite intimidating since they were adamant about long runs of 10-15km at a conversational pace, and I'd never done anything like that before. So I never joined.
Then I heard about Tag, and I joined one of their interval sessions, I think it was around May 2025. I was used to intense workouts with short breaks so it was a perfect transition into running, and on all the longer runs I just took my time at a slow pace and turned it into an active way to meet new people. There was never any pressure to run faster, rather motivation to hit whatever goal you set for yourself.
I used run club as just cardio for my workout routine, never thinking about hitting PBs or running competitively. But just through joining sessions I started seeing progress. I hit my first sub-25 5k around October, just 5 months after I started running with Tag. I was ecstatic and bragged to Coach Paul, who assured me that I was doing an excellent job and how impressive it was. That made me feel amazing and want to keep growing.
After that I did some traveling back to the US where I wasn't able to run much, but grabbed a watch to track my statistics and some new running shoes. When I got back to Asia I continued training with intention this time. I asked the Tag coaches for advice and they were eager to help. Shortly after, I ran a 22:17 5k and was so proud. I thought a sub-20 would be impossible for me, but seeing my progress I was eager to keep progressing. The best part is the progress was natural. It felt more like a social pastime, meeting new people, sharing experiences, and simultaneously reaching running goals.
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I'm pretty introverted, and Tag has been my main source of community here in Da Nang. Everybody is so welcoming and interesting, and there are also loads of very impressive athletes. So whether you just want to be part of a community and meet new people, or have fitness goals in mind, there is encouragement to do both. Also shoutout to Elliot and the team for always hosting awesome events and working with local businesses to make activities inclusive for everyone. That's a huge thing for me.
I haven't been training much, but a few months ago I ran a 20:34 5k. From thinking a sub-20 would be impossible for me, I was super proud. Eventually I will up my training a bit and hit a sub-20. But for now I just enjoy joining weekly sessions and events, and meeting people here in Da Nang from all different backgrounds. Although I haven't been training intensely to reach new heights, I still receive the same level of love and warmth from everyone in the community (lol). Tag has truly made my long-term stay in Da Nang memorable and enjoyable, and introduced me to some achievements in running I would've never thought possible.
