I, like all amateur runners, have a love-hate relationship with jogging. Every time I go for a run, I have to force myself to strap-on my shoes, get my hip-hopy, loud, fast, energetic playlist ready, fasten a watch with numbers large enough for my eyes to read at a bouncing distance, lock my door, store my key in my sports bra and hit the pavement at a pace so slow walkers have occasionally passed me. Despite all this struggle, however, I continue to run. I've been amateur-ally running for nearly 10 years now, and have taken the occasional monthly break, but always return to forcing myself out that door and hitting the pavement.
My relationship towards being a runner is a little more straightforward. I simply don't like it and I refuse, to look like a runner. My sportswear (for every athletic activity I participate in) consists of old, holey, black leggings, sports bras with little to no elasticity, a tight Adidas tennis dress that I found for $5 at an op-shop a few years ago, and until a few weeks ago, running shoes purchased nearly 5 years past. And as the winter has crept its chilly breath into the air, my running attire, with each old layer has, I fear, only become more ridiculous.
Last year, Dunkin Donuts, here on the island, had a promotional Christmas package, where lucky customers could purchase these enormous earmuffs equipped with headphones inside the white fluffy muff. To accessorize accordingly (and in a very Korean fashion), the earmuffs also sport a small chord-storing, bum-less, meant-to-be-adorable (blah) teddy bear attached to the chord. The earmuffs also have sewn into the sides, with golden threads, a decorative DD, sure to alert any jealous onlooker as to the origins of the wonderful multi-purpose earmuff-headphones! I was lucky enough to receive this incredible invention last Christmas, and sport them enthusiastically in these cold winterly days, as I jog along the streets of Jeju.
In Jeju, street joggers are not a common site. Joggers, and walkers stick to the sidewalks of a few designated 'running' and 'biking' roads, or jog around the tracks found in most school yards. I've reasoned that most of them drive to these roads, park their vehicles nearby and walk or run back and forth along the socially accepted jogging paths, as it's hard to spot Korean runners and walkers anywhere else but on these roads and tracks. And one need not search carefully to discern a Korean jogger or walker from ordinary pedestrians, as Koreans are prone to wearing the exact same attire when out exercising. They sport long, dark-colored, brand name trackydaks accessorized with clean, white, reflective, brand name runners. In the winter months, many Korean joggers and walkers wear large scarves and winter beanies, though some still sport the brand name cap.
Needless to say, I look different. Even if my hair weren't blonde, my large eyes weren't blue, and my legs weren't a bit longer than the average Korean woman's legs, I look different. I jog on un-designated jogging roads, paths, and sidewalks. I wear earmuffs so big that when walking through a small door frame, I have to turn my head sideways to enter! I don't wear trackydaks, ever. And brand name clothing, unless purchased at an op-shop, ranks pretty high on my list of things most wrong with people in the world today. And when you look different in Korea, people, all people stare.
So my love-hate relationship with my amateur running hobby is further compounded here in Jeju by those curious onlookers unaccustomed to seeing anything out of the ordinary. What I want to do is run like a maniac, screaming nonsense at the top of my lungs, chase them down the street, and then give them a big hug and sloppy kiss. But I continually fight these urges, occasionally making a 'what the flip are you staring at?' face. Sometimes I even pull my shirt over my head or cover my face with my hands, and then run home...faster. At the very least, jogging along the streets of Jeju has improved my pace as I angrily race away from the numerous confused stares!
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