Did Not Fail.
The Starting Line
“걱정하지 마. 앞으로 하자.”
Don’t worry. Just go forward.
I thought this mantra was for race day.
Turns out, it was for right now.
At Jangsu 70K, I didn’t finish the race.
But I learned how to listen.
The Path
The run started before the starting line.
A last-minute gear scramble. An unnecessary buy.
Lesson: trust your prep, but stay flexible.
The early miles felt clean. Open trails, gravity doing its work, smooth strides. CP1 came and went. I felt strong.
But the middle stretch got messy.
The hills steepened. The rain hit.
I waited too long to layer up, and the chill got in.
Little delays have a cost.
By CP3, the fatigue set in. But the big decision came at 47 km.
I could push on through the cold, rain, and dark.
Or I could stop. Not because I had to. But because I listened.
I listened to the weather.
To the terrain.
To my own voice saying:
You’re strong enough to stop. And smart enough to know why.
So I did.
I didn’t finish.
But I didn’t fail.
The Finish Line
A DNF isn’t the end. It’s just a new data point.
Not every race is about finishing.
Some are about tuning in.
Some are about refusing to push blindly, just for ego.
The mountain will always be there.
But if you don’t learn to listen—you might not be.
There’s power in knowing when to go forward.
And more power in knowing when not to.
Peace be the journey,
— Ace
One Way Grit 