The Starting Line
I arrived at the Gyeongju Marathon on October 17 wanting to run under three hours.
Months of training. A progression from approximately 3:53 to a personal best of 3:18:32. Plenty of reasons to believe I was improving.
I finished in 3:49:41.
Phase Two was complete. The goal was missed.
That disappointed me. I do not need to rewrite the race to make it fit the plan.
The Path
My pace deteriorated. Eventually, I was walking.
But I was also smiling.
Spectators cheered. Volunteers offered drinks. Friends and complete strangers encouraged me forward.
My final reel, filmed through my Oakley glasses with the original audio, captures the part of the race a finish time cannot explain.
The final five kilometers were arguably more enjoyable than they would have been while chasing the clock.
Sometimes the detours are more fun than the path I planned.
That does not erase the disappointment. It means I could miss the goal and still appreciate the people and moments along the way.
The Finish Line
TransJeju 60K: complete.
Gyeongju Marathon: complete, goal missed.
UTNP 9 Peaks on October 30: one challenge remaining.
The progress is still real. So is the setback.
Now the work is to recover, learn, and prepare—without asking the next race to make up for the last one.
One body.
One race remaining.
The October Crucible continues.
ONEWAYGRIT — The long cut is the shortcut.
