Teachers Share their Experiences While Living Abroad!

Many people who have been to South Korea have come to realized how self-conscious many Korean people are regarding their looks. Korea leads the world in plastic surgery and also in men’s grooming product sales. It is interesting when I have my middle school boys tell me that they need to go on a diet and when my younger girls tell me that they want to have plastic surgery. Although there is lots of pressure to look beautiful or handsome in Korea, there are some fun ways to do it. Hiking is a tradition here as well as playing sports next to one of the many parks located near the Han River. Many of these parks have weight and exercise machines that citizens can use for free. But there are some of us who like to be on the move. Here is a list of some of the most fun and intense runs that Korea has to offer.

We were all designed to run says author Christopher McDougall of the bestselling book “Born to Run.” I believe that I really do and have applied that to my everyday life, but when I moved to Korea I was definitely worried that it would be a hard place to find places to run and people to run with. However, what you might not know about Korea is that Koreans are very passionate people about pretty much every activity that you can think of. Running is just one of the few activities that Koreans love.

Coming from the desert, the only seasons I remember were hot and cold. That's why I am so glad to be here in Korea because we get all four! And I'm going to take advantage of this amazing weather by spending it outside. One of the best outdoor places in Korea to get your exercise and get your culture on is at Seoul Olympic Park. 

When I first got to Korea in May 2012, I was told that there were many things to see and do.  Having done many new things in Korea and thoroughly enjoying myself, I was really looking forward to was the Cherry Blossom Festival in Gyeongju, South Korea.  I was told that the Cherry Blossoms would be the thing to see come spring time.  I was so looking forward to this.  Initially, I thought of going with the popular organizers “Adventure Korea” but when I realized that Pohang International Church (PIC) would also be going for the day, I decided that I could wait a week and go with PIC.  I also decided to sign up for a marathon that would take place that weekend as well; a 5K (approximately 3.2 miles).  I was excited!

A friend went with Adventure Korea the weekend before I was set to got with PIC and it looked gorgeous.   Although it rained on that Saturday, the pictures she took on Sunday were incredible.  I was hoping for the same experience; bike riding along the lake with the beautiful scenery of dozens of cherry blossoms in the back drop.  That however, did not happen.

A few months ago I decided to join a running group so that I could make some new friends and keep myself in better shape. As an English teacher in Korea with Chungdahm, my schedule is always open in the morning and I have tried to use that time to get involved in different activities. The running group meets at 9 a.m. every morning and we choose from numerous coastal and forest routes that vary in length. We have some local Koreans in the group but most of the runners are from the U.S. or Canada. The group has been everything that I thought it would be and it has been another awesome experience in Korea. It even caused me to do something that I had never done before: run a 10k.

So it turns out that there are a few big races on the island of Jeju but the biggest happens to fall at the end of May each year. This event is known as the Jeju Marathon Festival and includes three different races: a 10 k, half-marathon, and a full-marathon. People come from all over Korea and Japan to run in the event and it is also the favorite race amongst all of the expat runners on the island. With 3/4 of my running group participating in the event, I knew that I was going to have to as well.