The Pros and Cons of Running in the Winter and Why I Love It

Hello from Korea and Happy New Year!

This winter has been one that has come on quite slowly and mildly and for that I am thankful. Temperatures have been hovering just around freezing and snow has come just about every week since December hit. Through the cold I have managed to get out and continue running a couple times a week. I was timid at first, because I HATE the cold, but after trying winter running once, I got hooked! Here is a fun list of the pros and cons of winter running:

Cons:

1) Large icicle death.
Well let's face it, icicles are dangerous and have been known to kill people! On my running path there are quite a few bridges, all of which do not have icicles, but this one in particular seems to have quite a few icicles of death hanging off of it. Big or small they look like stalactites in a cave, and I often muse while running under them (in the spot that has the shortest ones), if they ventured to fall on me that I would die; and how an icicle would indeed be a good murder weapon for all the evidence would simply melt away (this thought perhaps from recently reading many Agatha Christie novels). Though the probability of one actually falling on me while I'm running under it is extremely small, I still hold a high respect for their capacity to kill someone should they let go at the right time.

2) The glacier of ice and ice patches in between.
I must admit that when I first considered going out in the winter cold and snow, the ice was one of my biggest deterrents. I researched (yes, I researched running in the winter before I went out!) running in the winter, and putting screws in the bottom of my sneakers didn't seem too appealing, or smart, I may add. I decided to take my chances as for some reason I am more stable when I am running than when simply out walking, and I determined that if it was too dangerous I could always just go back home and work out in the warmth of my apartment. Now I must tell you that in Korea they don't know what it is to salt their sidewalks, they only know how to eat lots and lots of salt. Sometimes they condescend to put down sand or pour boiling water on the ice(??) (yes, it's true!), but for the most part, what can't be cleared by a broom is left, and it's just you and the elements out there. Sometimes I like to imagine I'm a backwoods-(wo)man and that as I'm out there braving the elements it's just me against the winter, but most of the time I'm just trying to keep from falling on my butt. There is a large glacier (as I like to call it) on the beginning of my running path, and you may think that at the first sight of this I would have turned back, but I didn't! I kept right on (walking) until I had crossed it and then reached another ice patch, and another, but very soon the ice thinned out and I was able to get in a good run in spite of the ice!

3) It's dark.
The winter months means that by 6 p.m. it's nighttime, which means that I'm always out running in the dark. Though I am a fan of running in the dark, it can cause problems with me being able to determine where ice is and avoid obstructions in the way. Also, I can't go as far out because I'm afraid of pushing my luck when it's dark out. My running path is pretty well lit and there are no cars, so don't worry too much, but I will be grateful for more daylight on my side.

4) Smoker's cough
Well, the air is thinner and dryer in the winter, and as a result, after a run I usually end up with deep, resonating cough resembling smoker's cough. I'm sure it's quite normal, but sometimes painful, and a little bit embarrasing when you aren't actually a smoker.

Pros:

1) The Cold.
As most of you who know me, and some of you who don't know that I HATE the cold, so you would probably assume that this would end up on the cons list. I absolutely despise the cold of winter. I hate the blustery winds, the freezing, dry hands, the shivering, frozen breath, everything! When the weather starts to turn cold and the leaves fall change color and everyone else thinks about how lovely the fall is, all I can feel is an overwhelming sense of dread for what is to come...winter can't be over soon enough, and if I could go into hibernation during the winter months, I would. The snow is beautiful and all, but seriously why does it have to be so cold!? If there were a picture to describe accurately how much I hate the cold, this picture would only just scratch the surface:

Soooooo....moving on to the pro of this. I actually enjoy running in the cold. As much as I hate being cold, when I'm out running in the cold I don't actually feel cold. In fact, when I stop running I start to feel cold, so it actually is a great motivator for me to keep going even when I don't feel like it! I bundle up quite well, but it is cold out, so it actually helps regulate my body temperature instead of just feeling deathly hot. Most of all my body feels really refreshed after breathing in the cold air, and the motivation of making it home to my warm house motivates me to keep running nearly the entire way home. For once, I'm thankful for the cold weather. 

2) Pockets.

Seriously can we just stop for a minute and consider how amazingly great pockets are? You can put stuff in them, like your phone, gloves, extra layers peeled-off, money, etc. There are so many possibilities of things you can carry in your pockets! Yes, I know, my summer running gear can have pockets too (most of mine don't), but those pockets can't fit nearly as much as a puffy coat or vest, and summer clothes are meant to fit more loosely so everything just kinda flops around--it's very annoying. I love having the option to take my gloves or hat off and stick them in one of my convenient pockets, and also not having my phone attached to my arm, but just conveniently stuffed into my pocket for easy access. 

3) Ice. 

Yes, this one was mentioned in the cons section, but I had to add it here as a pro as well because, well, ice is a great motivator. If there is no ice patch where I am and one in the future I might as well sprint from one to the next if I have to walk over them right? Furthermore, I must take advantage of the spots where there are no ice patches and just. keep. running. Running on ice? Not so smart, but my shoes have surprisingly good traction and sometimes it's good to test out their ability. Not that I'm doing anything stupid...it's just that sometimes the ice is not smooth, but rather bumpy and I can actually jog a little on it. I'm very careful not to fall....yet.

4) Fewer or no people.

This one is a given. There are practically no people out on the running path when I go out running. It's pretty fantastic because in the warmer months I spend my time trying to keep running amidst ahjummas (older Korean women) who walk in side-by-side groups blocking the ENTIRE path or who simply walk in a zigzag pattern making it nearly impossible to pass without nearly colliding into their back. I must not forget to mention the ahjushis (older Korean men) biking slower than I, for one, thought humanly possible, and the small children on bikes who look as though they could fall over any second by the way they are wobbling back and forth on the path on their bikes, oh and for good measure the couples walking hand-in-hand for a nice stroll without a care in the world, oblivious to the fact that they are about to be overtaken by a raging runner. It's true I'm not a FAST runner by any means, but I do have "runners rage" which means that if I'm trying to run, I get annoyed by anything or anyone who would get in my way or obstruct my path. So in the winter when there is virtually no one out on the path but me and a couple of straggling walkers who brave the cold, I'm ecstatic. I can run wherever and however I want, weave around the path, stop abrubtly, or just have free reign of anywhere I want to go on the path. Also when there are people around, even though the ahjushis spit anywhere, everywhere, and VERY LOUDLY, I, being a lady, am still a little self-conscious of spitting in front of others, but when running the need does arise, and I have the freedom to spit without worry. The freedom is almost enough to make me wish that winter would last longer (almost). 

5) Accessories/layers

With winter running I also have the option to add lots of accessories to my running wardrobe. Among the most notable are the new metal ice grippers I bought for my shoes, a muffler, and some more thermal shirts. Who doesn't love shopping? Especially for running gear. 

6) The thin air.

Surprisingly enough the thin and dry air is a benefit to my running as it makes me breathe more deeply when I'm running, which I have often struggled to practice while trying to keep my legs moving, keep from hyperventilating, focus on my speed and foot placement, and also distract my thoughts from the fact that I'm actually running and I feel like dying. This natural thinness of air forcing me to breathe deeply is actually very helpful! 

So now that you have read my pros and cons list, I hope you feel a little more motivated to get out there and run in the cold! You now know why I LOVE running in the cold! It is possible and can actually be really fun! 

Here is a picture of me actually enjoying myself on a run~~

How to Have Biking Adventures in Korea

Biking is hands-down one of my favorite past times so after being in Korea for a year with no other transportation than walking or taking public buses, trains, and taxis, I decided to purchase a bike! Not only is it great exercise and easy on the knees, but it's also fun and provides some great ways to get together and meet new people. So here's where my biking adventure begins....

Step 1: Buy a new bike

Step 2: Go on a few glorious and fun bike rides with this bike:

 On a morning bike ride to work. It's about an hour and a half ride, but it beats the morning bus ride! 

 Salgu ready for the ride.

 With my original bike.

 Happily taking selfies as we enjoy the beautiful sunrise and calming ride along the river.

 I live in a small town in Korea called Jochiwon and my normal commute to work is about 30 minutes to Sejong City (where my school is located) on a bus plus another 20 minutes of walking. Plus I have to deal with the bus driver's road rage, trying to catch the bus on time, and sometimes standing the whole way. Though I can't do the bike commute every day, it only adds about another 40-50 minutes onto my commute and leaves me feeling refreshed and at peace in the morning. The bike trail from Jochiwon to Sejong is a beautiful path along the river which has a serene feel to it. 

Towards the end of the commute, there are thousands of beautiful wild flowers marking the way and providing a spectacular view! 

A quick stop for more pictures!

Step 3: Your wonderful bike gets stolen and you are in mourning for it for about a month.....

Unfortunately I didn't lock my bike up properly....It was locked, but just the back tire to the frame. In hindsight I should have locked it up to the railing in my building, but that was difficult because of the plethora of bikes already there. Anyway one Saturday while I was up in Seoul, someone apparently came into my building and carried my bike off with them. I was so heartbroken and did everything I could to try and find it to get it back, including going to all the local bike shops and showing them the picture and telling them to call me if they saw it. I never found it, and any leads I had on it didn't pan out.....

Step 4: Buy a new bike so you can go on more biking adventures!!

A friend of mine loaned me some money so I could buy a new bike right away and I did! 

I ended up traveling all the way to Incheon for this bike (took about 2 1/2 hours from my home) because it was a lot cheaper. Definitely not the same quality as my old bike, but certainly worth the money! 

Step 5: Learn to change a flat....

Well only about 3 days after I bought this new bike beauty with the sturdiest chain bike lock I could find, I decided to ride to school. The ride was fine and dandy, but when I came out of school to leave BOTH of my bike tires were completely and totally flat....I was upset and the nearest bike shop was a long ride away. I decided to go by bus and get the proper attachment to put air in my tires, but when that didn't work I was so discouraged I gave up until the next day. The next day came and because I've never changed  a flat before and didn't have the proper equipment, I decided to try to go to the bus, but got thoroughly rejected and had to call a call-van service. They came and picked me up and took me to the bike shop for only ₩5,000 (about 5 dollars) and I got both my tires fixed and got home without a hitch. I still don't know why my bike tires went flat, maybe the quality of tubes they used in the beginning weren't good, but after this incident I have decided not to commute to work by bike until I can buy the proper tools for changing my tires and an extra patch kit.

Step 6: Enjoy biking again.

Well I'm back on my bike and enjoying biking again. I caught some beautiful views and sights on my way home from school with my new tubes.

 Sunset over the rice fields.

 Lotus flower park in Jochiwon.

This park has a beautiful walking path where  you can see the lotus flowers.

And I made it home! This time without any flat tires! I hope you enjoyed reading about my biking adventures. I hope there will be many more to come! :)

Can I Get a Witness?

Can I get a witness?

I don’t want to do something; I want to witness God do something. In this is my purpose. I want to allow God to show Himself strong. I want to rest in Him.

People throughout history and especially today spend so much time being busy, doing things, working, and sometimes I think God is just asking, “Can I get a witness?” We all question God in terms of what He wants us to do. What does God want me to do with my life? What does God want me to do with this person who doesn’t know Him? What does God want me to do with my close friend who is sinning? What does God want me to do with my sinful thoughts and desires? But we forget that the FIRST thing God wants us to do is LOVE HIM. When we love Him we get to be witnesses to what He is doing, to His power, to His goodness. Jesus says to His disciples, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea in Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

When we receive the Holy Spirit and power, we get to be WITNESSES. It doesn’t say, “you will change people’s hearts,” or “you will change a generation.” It is God who does that. I see far too many people, pastors, leaders, who think that they can change the world, or that they have changed the world or lives, and what happens to them? They either give up on the whole God thing, or they get a god-complex and abuse their positions of power, turning more and more people away from the church and away from knowing the Truth. We can do nothing for God. Only God has the power to do. May we stop doing for God, and start BEING who God wants us to be.

God is not often described by what He does but rather by who He is. When Moses asks for God’s name, God responds with I AM. He is. We need to stop trying to define ourselves by what we do and start defining ourselves by WHO WE ARE. We are not God’s army of working ants, nor can we take credit for anything that God has done, that is HIS GLORY and He will not share His glory with any other. Anytime we say, “I did such-an-such thing for God,” we miss out on the whole point. No, actually you didn’t do anything, God did, and you were a witness. When we believe that we can do things for God, we start to put other people down, or think somehow we are better than them because of what we have done. We want recognition, we want praise. We start comparing ourselves to others, and when we find out we are not “doing” as much for God as someone else we begin to feel down and depressed. We start thinking, “What more could I or should I be doing for God?” We throw ourselves into God’s work and get burned out fast. We end up empty and wondering, “God wasn’t that what you wanted me to do?”

When we see clearly who God calls us to be, or rather, who God made us, only then can we live how God calls us to live. God never started by changing what we do, but by changing who we are. He looked deep into our hearts and instead of telling us to do something about the sin and ugliness in our lives, He called us “righteous,” “child,” and “clean.” He literally spoke a new existence into our hearts, just as he did at the beginning of the creation of the world when He spoke and it became. He made something out of nothing. He did that for me. From that moment and every moment since then I became a witness. I can now testify of what I have seen and felt God do in my heart and life. I did not do it, I have not done anything since then, I have only become a witness again and again to what God has done in me and around me in the lives of others. I’m not the one who is changing lives and people, God is. When I forget that, I lose my way.

We are called to be witnesses to what God can do, not the other way around. God is not waiting for us to do things so He can witness what we can do, God calls us to wait for Him to do, so we can be His witnesses. God changes, we witness, we tell, and God changes all the more.

Yes, I still totally and completely agree that we should do what God says in His Word, but before we do what God says, let us realize that doing what God says does not change anything permanently, only God Himself can bring lasting change, and we can only be witnesses of His immense and awesome power.

Don’t do, rather BE who He has called you to be, who He has made you. Who you are dictates what you do. Be a witness to God’s power and work.

Korea as a Launchpoint

People call us brave for coming to a country seemingly on the brink of war, but really we are afraid. Afraid of remaining the same, afraid of settling down and wondering what would have happened if we didn’t travel the world now. Afraid that while we are still young, our youth is quickly escaping us. We are afraid of failure, yes, but more afraid of not trying something new.

We want to experience more and see, what most people only dream of or see in books. And many choose their ambitions from here, what they want to do after what they have experienced shapes them. Their decisions enter a new era, a new period, and there is always something new. And isn’t God in the business of making all things new? We could remain but we choose the change, we could choose the knowing and be content, but we chose the unknown to explore and experience.

This is why we come. To find ourselves, because at home is only a small part of who we really are, and when we come out the other side we want to truly know that we did what we could and didn’t hold back. 

Headphone Disaster at the Subway

The other week while traveling in Daejeon, I was waiting for the next train at the subway while I witnessed this funny incident:

Some girl got her headphone jack caught on an ajushi's (Middle-aged or older man) backpack and proceeded to chase him down screeming "ajushi ajushi!" While holding the tail end of her headphones like a dog leash. The people around all watched and smiled a little.

Just after I was entering the subway and a different girl's headphones got stuck on my purse. We both noticed about the same time and as she got the cord unstuck we looked at each other knowingly and smiled. I glanced her way again and we were both laughing internally knowing a second incident of certain headphone disaster had been avoided.

No Regrets

I don’t want to come to the end of my life and realize that I’ve shared laughter and great experiences, but not shared the One who created those things, Jesus, the Savior of the world;

I don’t want to come to the end of my life and realize that I’ve seen all the world and the wonderful things in it, but missed the glory of the Lord;

I don’t want to come to the end of my life and realize that I’ve gone to the rich and the powerful, but failed to help the broken.

I don’t want to come to the end of my life and realize that I’ve made the world more peaceful without allowing true peace to be released through the Author of Peace.

I don’t want to come to the end of my life and realize that I was a mother to only those that have a mother, but not to the motherless.

I don’t want to come to the end of my life and realize that I did lots of things, but nothing that really mattered for eternity.

I don’t want to come to the end of my life and realize that my life was wrapped up in a finite person, but not in the only Eternal God, with no beginning and no end.

I don’t want to come to the end of my life and realize that I gained the whole world and lost my own soul.

So this is my bucket list: to live each day for the Creator of the Universe. To go when He calls, listen when He speaks, and obey when He instructs.

He is all that matters, FOREVER, my Lord, my Father, my King, His name is Yahweh, Jesus, the One true God.

Mark 8:36 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”

A Weekend in Seoul

With everyday comes new challenges to face and new bridges to cross. Some days the bridges are short and steady, other days they are long and shaky in the wind. On the days when the bridges are long and shaky I can do nothing more than hold tightly to the sides and inch my way across, knowing Jesus is right there beside me guiding me, leading me. 

Seoul: 

Spending a weekend in Seoul was both relaxing and exhausting at the same time. I went up to -Seoul with some friends for the three-day-holiday weekend here which is Buddha’s birthday. We did a lot of sight-seeing and tourist stuff.

The best way to share what I experienced is through some photos:

In a major shopping area in Seoul:

These lanterns were lit especially for Buddha’s birthday down by a stream in Seoul. This is traditionally a place where many couples can be seen, but tonight it was crowded with all kinds of families and foreigners.

Seoul (Namsan) Tower has views of all over the city and lists the distances from Seoul to several places around the world.

Couples write messages to their loved one who is far away here in the tower. In another area outside couples purchase locks and write their love for each other on those lock, and then lock them and throw away the key to symbolize that their love is forever.

Gyeongbukgung Palace is beautiful palace in Seoul. We were able to see the Kings house and the architecture so characteristic of Korea.

In an area of Seoul called Insadong. Known for its tea shops, but one can find many other quaint shops there.
Our lunch starter:

With Kimchi Pizza:

A tea shop in Insadong:

A traditional Korean village:

Enjoy! See you next time! :)

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13