Paju Love 10 km Race

The latest Korean adventure is a 10 km road race at Imjingak. Participants include Laurel Goodman, Brooke Taylor, Jacob Teresi, and myself. I rang in with a time of 42:05 for this 6.2 miler. It was one of the most fun activities to happen here in Korea to date.

We arrived at Imjingak around 9:30 in the morning. You may remember the name from my post on the DMZ. This is where the DMZ tour starts and is right next to the boundary between north and south Korea. We showed up just in time for group stretching. Most of the entrants lined up at arms width distance apart and followed a routine led  by a man on the loudspeaker. Group stretching included but was not limited too; stretching, shouting, jumping, and massaging.

Then at the sound of the gun, POP, and the race began. Now I had been running about 3 days a week for around 12-15 miles per week for the last 2 months. It hasn’t been any serious training but enough to stay in shape. Before the sound of the gun, I had prerace gitters thinking that I was not in that good of shape. I wanted to run fast but I didn’t want to bonk the race by coming out to fast and not being able to finish. And at the start of the race, that is exactly what happened.

My first split was 7:10. A split is a mile break for those who are not run lingo savvy. I wanted to run the race at an even 7:30 per mile pace to finish around 45 minutes. After the first mile I felt pretty good but thought that I should slow down as not to burn out. Then I hit my next split at 6:50. Whoah I thought, slow down, you’re going to die at the end. But I had fell into a rhythm and was feeling really good. So I rolled with it. Miles 3,4, and 5 all passed by with a 6:50 split as well. I was running faster then I had wanted, but it’s not a bad thing. And best of all I was running strong.

Then the final mile came, and I was feeling great. I sped it up a touch and finished my last split about 6:30 for a total time of 42 minutes and 5 seconds. I surprised everyone around including myself. This time was fast enough for a top ten finish in the race. Holy Moly a top ten finish. Freakin awesome right!!!

The course was super fun too! It was a few out and back with turns over very gentle slow rolling hills. Not exactly hills but a long rise that is barely above flat. A little breeze, some cloudy skies to keep it cool, and a great course made this one of the coolest places to run ever.

We celebrated the race with free tofu and Makoli, a sweet rice wine that is very popular here. Our friends Sean and Kayla came out to support and cheer us on as well as taking the role of lead photographer.

It was super awesome to be out enjoying life with friends who I’ve come to sincerely enjoy being around. On a day that couldn’t be beat, with the woman that I love next to my side, I felt on top of the world. A happiness achieved by hardwork, determination, and solid relationships with those around you. I wouldn’t change a thing. And it was called the Paju Love Race. Very well fitting for the way I felt all day.

So, put on your shoes, get out the door, find some friends, and be stoked to be alive while running. It’s good for your mind, body, and soul.