Sangam-dong to Han River Run: Pegasus 40 & Haneul Park
Running · Published 5/13/2024 ·
There are two main ways to get onto the Han River running course from Sangam-dong. The first — the one most people use — is to head out from DMC Station and follow Bulgwangcheon out to the river. To reach DMC Station, you cross over toward the railway-line side and either walk or jog a little as a warm-up, and you’re there in no time. Once you pass the station and cross the road just once, there’s a downhill path that takes you straight down to Bulgwangcheon.
Looking from Bulgwangcheon toward Eungam Station — you can see the trains up above. I ran the other way, heading toward the Han River.
You’re higher up than you’d expect, so the Sangam World Cup Stadium sits nicely down below.
The water in Bulgwangcheon must be pretty clean, because, oddly enough, it’s full of carp. Maybe it’s because not many people catch and eat freshwater fish these days — these guys are plump and well-fed.
Today I went out in the Nike Pegasus 40. It’s a road running shoe and a neutral one at that. The size is 275mm. My actual measured foot length is 268mm, and a 275 fits me well for just about any sneaker. This shoe has no carbon plate, and it’s not a max-cushion shoe but a neutral one, so it’s a solid pick for training while still feeling the ground under your feet. By most accounts it’s perfectly fine to use for a race up to about half-marathon distance.
The cushioning isn’t super thick. It’s moderate, and there’s no air unit. For the price, the weight is on the lighter side — about right.
Before I knew it, I’d reached the Han River. I ran down to under Seongsan Bridge, turned around, then passed Worldcup Bridge and turned back again to wrap up the run. My Garmin Enduro 2’s instructions for the day recommended an easy run of about 38 minutes at a 7:15 pace. I followed the instructions and ran accordingly. Apart from a quick run a couple of days ago, running for around 40 minutes after such a long break wasn’t easy.
That’s Worldcup Bridge in the distance. You can also spot the Mulgyeol Han River café.
This is the north end of Worldcup Bridge — I was planning to head up using the west staircase.
The riverside road in the early morning, after the commuting rush had died down, was quiet and absolutely wonderful. Here and there were a few people cycling to work, and others out for a walk.
Since I was told to run for 38 minutes and I’m not really sure how far I need to go to hit that, I just went out and turned back, over and over, more or less by feel.
I ran 5.41km at a 7:00 pace — it was a bit tough to actually hold the 7:15 target. Pacing is the hardest part of all.
Once you climb the west staircase of Worldcup Bridge, you only have to cross one signal-free crosswalk off the bridge and you’re right onto the sidewalk.
This is the other side. Normally I’d head down over there to join the bike path, or cross over to join the bike path on the south side of the Han River.
This is the metasequoia path beside Haneul Park. The trees around Haneul Park really were planted densely and deliberately — clearly so that nobody looking at it could tell what this place used to be, haha;
They really did plant them well, and the trees have grown in nicely too — they look to be about 30 years old.
This is the entrance to Haneul Park. There’s a cycling course that runs up and down Haneul Park and Noeul Park, one after the other. “Ha-No-i” for short… I’ll introduce the Ha-No-i course next time.
I ran in the early morning with perfect weather and an ideal temperature. It felt so good, and by walking plenty on the way back I hit my 11,000-step goal before noon.
When it comes to dieting in your 40s, it seems like the weight only comes off little by little if you go all-in on exercising whenever you can — regardless of diet control or whether it’s cardio or strength. Let your guard down for a second and your body fat shoots right up to 25% and your weight climbs to 82.5. I’ll have to work at fitting exercise into my life steadily, a little at a time, as a routine.
Thank you.
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