Adidas 10K in Seoul Korea – Prepping for a half marathon… and my personal playlist..

Am I the only one that gets excited for race day, no matter what the distance, and goes through weirdo OCD checklists in my head to make sure everything is in place the morning of?!  Ok, so I’m probably not, but I wanted to share a few of my checklist items as well as my full tracklist of what got me through a 10K running through the streets of Korea for the 2018 Seoul Marathon sponsored by Adidas (as well as Pocari Sweat and BMW)!  But let’s talk about how the main color theme was PINK?!  Note the armpit sweat at the BEGINNING of the race (below)… those nervous race vibes always get me..

 

 

I normally don’t sign up for anything less than a half marathon, but in this case, I have a half coming up this weekend in Jeju.  I figured I had to run anyway to train and prep, so why not make it count with an official race to hold me accountable?  Plus, Adidas happens to be one of my favorite running brands, so I basically had to.

 

{The official flatlay}

 

Adidas Running Shoes: Marathon 10

Adidas Tech Long Sleeve Shirt: no longer sold

Zensah Compression Socks: here

Graced by Grit Running Shorts: similar here

Adidas Tank: similar here

Victoria’s Secret Sports Bra:

Fitletic Running Belt: here

Apple Ipod

Gu Gels (I only took 1 at the 5K mark): here

 

I dragged Instahusband Chris with me since it was ONLY a 10K (I say only because he doesn’t like running and compared to a half, this was pie, right?).  The starting line was at Olympic Park and ended at Seoul Olympic Stadium in Jamsil.  It was nice to see the Olympic rings and Lotte World Tower for the backdrop.. makes for great pictures and way to get excited!

 

 

 

 

 

{korea race pro tips..}

 

The race capped out at around 30-35K (I think).  Regardless, it was a large race which I don’t mind.. I like the hype at the beginning of races where everyone is super excited to run an ungodly amount of miles with each other. A few protips:

1. Bigger races or race sponsored by large athletic brands bring out people of all ages, whereas races in Korea that are more locally sponsored are full of ajummas and ajusshis (grandmas and grandpas).  No offense to the elders, they legit pass me during the race. Every. Single. Time.
2. Drinks are more sparse throughout compared to races in the US.  I think for the 10K there were two water stations.  But there was also a sponge station (more helpful when it’s hot, but on March 18, 2018, the temperature was around 49F).  Nothing else was provided, i.e. gels/food.
3. Take the subway or a taxi, never plan on driving to the start/finish of any race in Korea.
4. You can bring a bag they provide in your race packet that gets mailed to you locally before the race, and they transport it to the finish line.
5. Corrals work the same as in the US.
6. I usually show up around 20-30 minutes before gun time and haven’t had a problem with using the restroom (in the subways), snapping some pics pre-race, and getting situated in line.
7. Don’t bet on port-o-potties in Korea.  There are some, but I hardly ever see them, and people mostly rely on public restrooms seen during the run (which usually are pretty clean).
8. Most races in Korea, you are given your medal in a bag full of goodies, which you collect way past the finish line, so snapping a pic with your medal and finish line in the background is a no go.

 

{stalk my playlist for running a 10K} 

 

I need music to run outdoors.. it helps me focus on something other than running and hearing myself breath heavily and wonder why I signed up in the first place.  Real talk.  Here’s my playlist to help get you through a 10K!  If you have any suggested songs that help keep the blood flowing, please leave me a comment.  As a treat, I always download a song or two before every race to make it feel fresh and new!

 

1. Selena Gomez – It Ain’t Me
2. Julien Le Play – Rollercoaster
3. Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine
4. Alesso ft. Tove Lo – Heroes
5. EXP Edition – Feel Like This
6. Justin Beiber – Sorry
7. Justin Beiber ft. Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee – Despacito
8. Cheat Codes ft. Fetty Wap & CVBZ – Feels Great
9. Dimitri Vegas, Like Mike & Ummet Ozcan – The Hum
10. DNCE – Body Moves
11. DNCE – Toothbrush
12. Fetty Wap – Trap Queen
13. Burak Yeter ft. Danelle Sandoval – Tuesday
14. Sia – Cheap Thrills
15. Tegan and Sara – Closer

 

The race was a good one worth signing up for.  Although cloudy from the bad air quality, we crossed one of the bridges (I can’t read Korean so I couldn’t tell you which one, but crossing any bridge in Korea is nice!).  The cooler temps made for the most perfect run day (minus the bad air).  I didn’t realize how much it affected me till the evening of the race and I sounded like I smoked my entire life.  Three days later and I’m still unable to fully speak normally.. so just a heads up if you run in Korea on days when the air is less desirable, either wait till it clears, or don’t run at all.

 

 

 

 

I wanted to finish in under an hour and my official clocked time was 59:09.  And now my personal PR has been set for the 10K.

 

 

Next up is the Jeju MBC International Peace Half Marathon, so if you are interested in running races abroad, be sure to subscribe to my blog for all the updates!

Also, if you are super into getting sucked into YouTube videos like me, one minute I’m looking at how to apply makeup contour, next I’m watching a worm pulled out of a crevice from someone’s body, start with my Adidas 10K Seoul Marathon highlight!  And subscribe to my newly revamped channel.. because it’s good karma.