퇴사 후 알게 되는 것들 그리고 달리기

퇴근 후 뛰기 싫은 날, 결국 마음이 풀리던 순간 I. 달리고 싶지 않은 날 퇴근 후 영 기분이 그래서, 달리기를 하지 않으려 했습니다.  회사 일도, 앞으로의 인생도 모두 불안하게 느껴졌습니다. 머리가 지끈거리고, 그냥 쉬고 싶은 밤이었죠. 그런데 정모에 나가면 어떻게든 뛰게 되니까, 억지로라도 모임에 참석 하기로 했습니다. 우울한 얼굴로 중앙공원에 서성이다가, 환하게 맞아주는 고문님과 멀리서 손 흔드는 회장님을 보니 묘하게 마음이 풀리더군요. “오늘의 하이라이트, 계곡 입수”가 문득 기대되기 시작했습니다. 조깅 페이스로 안양천에 도착하니 하늘님도 계셨고, 다 함께 사진 한 장. 그 순간, 이미 절반은 회복된 느낌이었습니다. II. 조깅주 이후 — 숨이 턱까지 찰 때 회장님께서 말씀하셨습니다. “오늘 코스는 11km니까, 지금부턴 조금 빠르게 지속주로 갑니다.” ‘오늘은 달리기 거리가 짧다’며 방심했지만,  안양천을 벗어나, 경인 교대 방향 하천으로 한 10분 달렸나??,  전에는 그렇게 빨리 보이던 하천 끝이,  '요기만 가면 보이려나?'  를 몇 번 반복 후 겨우 보이더군요.  하늘님께서 우직하게 속도를 유지하시고,,  전,, 컥컥거리며 하늘님 발만 바라보며,  '제발 속도를 늦춰 주시길,,, 매 호흡마다 기원하고,,,' '경인교대 계곡까지만,,,참자!!' 출발 전에 회장님께서  "중간에 잠깐 언덕 좀 오르면 11km 코스에요 "  회장님도, 고문님도 정확한 코스를 살짝 감춘 느낌이었고, 숨이 턱까지 차서 경인교대에 도착할 무렵,, 갑자기 불안해 지기 시작했습니다. '혹시 삼막사 주차장까지? 에이 설마!!!' 리딩하시는 하늘님도 숨을 크게 몰아쉬고 계셨고 ,  저는 처음부터 계곡이 목표였기에 그 끝만 생각하고 모든 인내심을 다 쓴 상태여서,,,, '이제 멈추겠거니'  기대하면서 모든 ...

A Full Walk Around Suwon Hwaseong — Walking, Eating, and Resting After finishing the fortress trail, my wife and I walked around the café street. “It feels like Itaewon, but with more young couples and foreigners,” she said while looking around. Suwon Hwaseong is a great one-day course for couples, friends, or anyone who wants a simple walk and food trip . However, walking the entire trail may be a bit difficult for families with young children. I. Total Course & Time 1. Parking Lot Simply enter Hwahongmun Public Parking Lot into your navigation and you’ll be fine. It’s spacious, and when we arrived at 11 a.m. , there were plenty of spaces available. However, around 5 p.m. it was almost full. Since this is a public parking lot, the all-day fee is 7,000 won (50% discount for compact cars). 📍 Start point location 2. Time to Complete the Entire Course If you simply walk without stopping, it’s a 2 hour 30 minute course. Bu...

A Gentle Walk Through Namhansanseong Fortress If the charm of Suwon Hwaseong lies in its beautiful castle walls and the cozy cafés tucked inside the village, then the charm of Namhansanseong Fortress must be the tall, ancient trees standing at the mountaintop and the wide fortress trail that winds quietly beneath their shade. The entire course takes about two hours . Wear comfortable walking shoes, and if you sweat easily, packing an extra shirt isn’t a bad idea. There are several restrooms along the trail, but since they’re up in the mountain, there’s no place to wash your hands. Bringing wet tissues will make your walk more comfortable. Here was our day: Park at the public parking lot at 11:00 Walk Namhansanseong Course 1 for about 2 hours Visit the Haenggung Palace for about 30 minutes Enjoy a simple lunch for 40–50 minutes All together, it’s about a 3 to 4 hour trip. Parking at Namhansanseong Fortress We arr...

A Quiet Mountaintop Where No One Appeared for 30 Minutes I’ve never been to the Silver Grass Festival, but two days ago, my wife said she wanted to see an open mountain peak. So we decided to visit Mindung Mountain, a place known for its wide, treeless summit. For nearly half an hour, it felt like the entire mountain belonged to us — just the two of us, the wind, and the endless view. No crowds, no noise, only the sound of wind brushing through silver grass. When we finally reached the top, there wasn’t a single person around. It felt like a date in the sky. The Doline — A Pond Formed 550 Million Years Ago At the very top, there’s a small round pond called a Doline . The rocks on Mindung Mountain are made of limestone, and over millions of years, rainwater slowly dissolved them, creating this natural basin. Geologists say the Mindung Mountain Doline was formed about 550 million years ago . Standing beside it, it’s hard not to think abou...