Editor’s note: Anh Nguyen moved here from D.C. a year or two before Covid, and has been a regular at Duniway, ever since. She’s also sported the Lizard singlet at races far and near and been a volunteer at club events. In the photo, she’s working the Lizard aid station at the Flat Half/Marathon.
1. How long have you been running and why did you start running? I’ve been running for about 16 years. I started because at the time my doctor was concerned, I was too sedentary and encouraged me to find a sport I’d like. I chose running after one of my college friends, who was a track star at our college, invited me and other friends to attend one of her track meets. The energy and excitement at the meet was infectious and I was inspired to get into running.
2. How long have you been part of TRL, and what drew you to the club in the first place? I’ve been part of TRL since 2019. When I first moved to Portland, I was looking for a running club that had a similar vibe as my last running club back in DC that had a good mix of structured track workouts to help runners trying to BQ or beat a PR, as well as a mix of social/casual runs for the more casual runners.
3. What do you do when you’re not running (job, family, school…whatever it is you’d use to
introduce yourself outside of running)? I work at Nike as a Product Manager and enjoy traveling, snowboarding and dancing at concerts.
4. What’s your favorite distance/type of run (5K, half-marathon, marathon, ultras, relays, track, trail, etc.)? My favorite distance is the half-marathon, long enough to feel like a challenge, but not so long that training for it feels like a part-time job.
5. What’s your most memorable running experience (or experiences)? Running in the 2021 Columbia Gorge Half Marathon. It was my first race since the start of the pandemic and despite the rainy conditions, I beat my PR by about 2-minutes and seeing my boyfriend’s smiling face cheering me on at the finish line made it all the more special.