A week following my Hot Chocolate 15K in late January, I went on a one-hour jog and felt surprisingly confident in my endurance. Therefore, I instantly registered for the Publix Georgia Marathon, scheduled on March 22, 2015, in the state capital for the second consecutive year, giving me less than two months to prepare. Two days prior, I attended the event Expo and had the opportunity to meet and converse with three IRONMAN finishers. One of the three competed in four separate world championships, including the most renowned event in Kona, Hawaii, just in one year. Watching various documentaries on the sport, I had recently set my ultimate athletic goal to becoming an IRONMAN in Kona. Talking to those with experience motivated me that, with dedication, this dream could be achievable. I have already reached the marathoner status last year, but if anyone would have told me I would eventually be running a marathon three years ago, I would have called him/her crazy.

These hills are inexplicable.

I had already once conquered the Publix Georgia Marathon, so I knew what to expect in terms of its course, specifically the ceaseless brutal uphills the second half. With more frequent and effective training, I had faith I could improve my run and finish time from those of the year before. I set my sole objective to completing the race without walking, as I was unable to do so the first try, heavily due to my painful stomach cramps that remained for the final eleven miles. Hence, I unprecedentedly focused on my diet, eating abundant meat until race week, when I would increase my consumption of carbohydrates. I knew I had done all in my power to perform to the best of my ability, although the ongoing heavy rain on race day caught me off guard. The first fifteen to sixteen miles proceeded as smoothly as I had imagined, but because of my adversity on mile seventeen last year, I became nervous and afraid. My head continued to tell me to start walking uphill with eleven miles left in the race to conserve energy, as my body rapidly cramped up and legs could not move even remotely as fluidly and quickly as they did the first half of the race; nonetheless, my heart repeated, “Physical pain is temporary. Giving up would stay with me forever.” From this point forward, each time I faced uphill, I deliberately looked to the ground, as I presumed running hills as half psychological; if I looked down, I would not have visualized the slope, which would have helped distract my mind from the intimidating angle. After 4:45:44, I finally achieved my target of running the entire course. As soon as I crossed the finish line and received my finisher’s medal, I sat down and all of my leg muscles simultaneously tightened. I barely stood up with the help of a volunteer, who assisted me to the medical tent to tape ice onto my locked-up knees for fifteen minutes. Even though I planned to run the entire race, I was unsure my mentality and physicality could carry me to the finish line without my walking a single time. This may have been my greatest athletic achievement to date.

Having recently accomplished the ATL Challenge 39.3 that would have felt to be a mere fantasy three years ago, I supposed I had reached my pinnacle in running and faced trouble reigniting my drive to continue seeking physical challenges. I still ran once or twice a week to maintain my unprecedented fitness, built from three years of consistent training. Towards the end of last year, I was drawn to the charming title of Hot Chocolate 15K and spontaneously registered, slightly worried about the event’s taking place at the peak of winter on January 25, 2015, in Atlanta, Georgia.

I asked multiple friends to join me to no avail. I purchased boxer briefs the night before to prevent chafing my Tootsie Roll, which had occurred in several races. Riding my 50cc moped for nearly thirty minutes to Turner Field prior to sunrise cooled down and tensed up my muscles, and I sufficiently stretched and jogged to minimize the risk of shocking my body in the cold. Whether due to the unusually low temperature, exacerbated by powerful winds, or my lack of training, I spent the first two miles searching for my ideal pace. The course unexpectedly but unsurprisingly remained craggy from beginning to end, but I was never physically fatigued even after the final sprint. Nonetheless, because I could not relocate the fire that enabled me to do as much as I have in running, I was mentally drained from the start and could not sense my typical race-day adrenaline rush. Perhaps as a result, my finish time fell roughly ten minutes short of my goal of 1:20:00. Fellow runners have been asking me if I planned to run at the Publix Georgia Marathon again in mid-March, but I waited to complete the Hot Chocolate 15K first to evaluate my condition before answering them. I still do not know, mainly as I doubt less than two months could be enough to prepare me for my second marathon in infamously hilly Atlanta and I am uncertain if I will still be residing in Georgia then. I would not be surprised by either decision, but participating in this insane yet familiar test may refuel my motivation for running.

The Michelob ULTRA Atlanta 13.1 Marathon in Cumming, Georgia, on October 4, 2014, the only task standing between the ATL Challenge 39.3 and me, could not have come soon enough. Upon arrival, I joined a group of athletes in front of a building under a narrow roof that blocked the frigid wind. I initiated conversations with numerous fellow runners, coincidentally including two girls who also graduated from Emory College of Arts and Sciences and currently study at the Emory University School of Medicine. When I discovered they ran cross country and track and field in NCAA Division III, I was no longer surprised by these humble and quiet friends’ finishing second and third in their age group and twenty minutes earlier than I did.

Top PC: Michelob ULTRA Atlanta 13.1 Marathon

Having conquered a much more physically demanding and twice as long of a course at the Publix Georgia Marathon in March of this year, I underestimated this half marathon. While running, I typically breathe through my nostrils rather than mouth as long as I can, as this strategy I learned about in the army helps conserve energy. However, the initial wintry temperature and frequent powerful wind interfered with my standard breathing and stung my nostrils, so I had no choice but to keep my mouth open for the majority of the run, which momentarily diminished my confidence. Just like during the Publix Georgia Marathon, I was repeatedly confronted by stomach cramps, but they failed to slow me down.

Unlike in previous races, I targeted a finish time, sub-2:00:00. I checked the time at every mile stop, and with slightly over a mile left to go, I believed I had sufficient time to barely accomplish this goal before encountering the unforeseen uphill onslaught. I sprinted the last several hundred feet, and my finish time in the system read 2:04:55. Though disappointed, I knew I had poured out every ounce of my stamina and strength into this tedious objective and had no regrets. More importantly, I finally concluded the ATL Challenge 39.3 that I had been eyeing since the summer of 2013 and even placed first in my age group of 25-29 of both male and female runners. I will continue to seek adversity to train humility and perseverance.

PC: Yeoju King Sejong the Great Half Marathon

I used to detest long-distance running more than words can describe. Exhaustion and boredom aside, I could not stand the notion of wasting so much time moving aimlessly. About a month before the end of my military duty, a newspaper company in Gangwon-do, the province in Korea where I was stationed, hosted a 5K running event. As much as I disliked the sport, I was obsessed with any sort of tangible awards, specifically medals. The second I discovered the event included medals for finishers, I was convinced to join. I surprisingly enjoyed the atmosphere of running with hundreds of strangers cheering on one another. Once I was honorably discharged, I had over four months until returning to the United States. Having grown up in North America since age ten, I hardly had any friends in Korea and thus did not have much to do for leisure aside from catching up on academics. I believed participating in another race in Seoul to be a wise way to meet people and decided to run another 5K. After two additional 5K races, one of which I placed second in in my age group of 20-24, in Georgia, I took this newfound hobby to the next level. My best friend and I, scheduled to travel to Korea together for a couple of weeks in May 2013, registered for a half marathon in Yeoju. Having planned many places to visit, neither of us had time to train aside from a round of suicide and one-hour jog a few days earlier to ensure our bodies could keep up. We had one goal, to finish, and our time did not matter. We kept a slow pace until the final sprint and were able to satisfactorily complete the race.

Publix Georgia Marathon 2014

My entire body cramped up like never before.

Though unthinkable for a minute after the half marathon, I somewhat impulsively signed up for the Publix Georgia Marathon, a brutally hilly course of nearly 2,000 feet of elevation gain, set to take place on March 23, 2014. Completing the ATL Challenge 39.3 became my new objective, requiring me to finish the marathon and the Michelob ULTRA Atlanta 13.1 Marathon later that year. To keep from becoming lazy and attempt all categories of running events, I entered two 10K’s and a 10-miler in Seoul, London, and Atlanta, respectively leading up to the marathon. Thanks to insomnia, I did not fall asleep for a split second the night before the 26.2-miler, causing a minor headache. Regardless, the first fifteen miles could not have gone more smoothly, but then I caught unanticipated stomach cramps that refused to fade until the end. The second half of the course contained mainly steep uphills, and I started to question why I chose to endure this grueling process. I walked a few times toward the end, which initially made me feel like a failure. Crossing the finish line, albeit proud, I could not help but be disappointed with such a drastic slowing of my pace due to the cramps, as I completed the first half just over two hours but the entire race in 4:52:44. Fellow runners and volunteers encouraged and complimented me by informing me of the difficulty of a first-timer’s finishing under five hours, especially on such a tough course. After letting this bittersweet experience sink in, I naturally registered for the Michelob ULTRA Atlanta 13.1 Marathon and set my eyes on this new test. Being physically and mentally challenged helps me grow as a person and appreciate what I have; hence, whether through running or other hobbies, I will continue to seek challenges.