2018 in review: Mountain madness

One of my favorite parts about starting a new year is reminiscing about the previous year. And 2018 was a particularly great one!

Last year was a wild ride: bumpy at times, and always busy! That’s because this was the year of the mountain. We explored far and wide, ran more than ever before and had a blast, both at home and abroad.

Without further ado, I’d like to present to you my highlights of 2018!

Top 3 overall highlights of 2018

A portrait of the author near the peak of Gamaksan mountain. She has her back to the camera and appears to be running downhill. She's on a rocky outcrop above a forest of green pines. In the distance, green mountains rise out of misty valleys; bright near where the sun is rising in the upper righthand corner of the frame.
Mountain mission + morning magic

Mountains

Our second mountain mission was the defining feature of 2018. Every single weekend of the year (save for races abroad!) was spent exploring the mountains of Korea. We climbed 76 new mountains this year to complete our special list of 120 famous Korean mountains. This was accomplished in 50 days, and included 20 car rentals! It was an incredible adventure – one of our very best.

Another portrait of the author. This image was taken close to the first checkpoint of Wild Trail Inje. Here, the author runs towards the camera in her race t-shirt. This frame captures her in mid-air and mid-stride. She has both arms raised over her head in pure joy. Her husband is visible a few paces behind her on an overgrown dirt road.  The pair are running through a tunnel of lush green forest.
Running makes me happy

Running

Of course, running must also top this list. We ran 3009 kilometers in 2018 – our highest annual total to date! But I loved where and how we ran even more than how much we ran. In addition to 13 races, we also completed 4 self-supported ultras and 8 other epic runs of over 6 hours or 30k. Every single one of these runs was somewhere beautiful. In 2018, we worked with a coach to learn new things about training and work towards becoming the best athletes we can be. We enjoyed runs with friends and even brought my family to a race for the very first time! Best of all, I ran healthy and I am so very grateful for that!

An unusual portrait of the author! In this image, she has her hair down and loose over one shoulder. She's wearing a casual purple t-shirt and checkered shorts. She's holding a large camera in one hand and looking right, out of the frame. She's standing in front of an old brick wall that's completely green with moss and leaves.
Time to be a tourist!

Travel

We had the good fortune to do some wonderful travels in 2018, both at home and abroad. In Korea, we watched some Olympic snowboarding with two of our favorite people and celebrated the wedding of our friends. We ran five Korean races and volunteered at three others. Combined with our mountain mission and a few dates at the beach, we spent 66 days exploring Korea! Seven trips took us abroad to three new countries and a new city – and we fell in love with all of these places! We ran our first race abroad, which was so fun that we did four more international races. We also got to go home for a very special wedding and a very fun race. And, we explored some new islands belonging to some of our favorite countries!


Best month

Hands down, September.

This month often contends for favorite of the year. After all, it starts with Kent’s birthday! In 2017, we logged our biggest mileage month and set a PR at the 50k distance running the DMZ race. But in 2018, September was truly amazing.

First, a few figures. September was once again our highest mileage month with 365.2 kilometers of running! This also included one of our biggest weekly totals: between August 27th and September 2nd, we logged 113.6k. These totals are high because we ran one race, volunteered at another and ran one ultra on our own this month!

A selfie of the author and her husband on Baraebong, a summit in northern Jirisan National Park. The pair are crouched low around the stone summit stele, which is partially visible. There is a deck with a wooden railing surrounding the stele, and some natural rocks and grasses are visible beyond.
On Baraebong!

We kicked off the month with a return to Jirisan National Park. Exploring the remote northern section of the park with a summit of Baraebong was first on our itinerary. We followed this up with a return to the highest summit on the South Korean mainland: Cheonwangbong! We reached the 1915m peak near the end of our 42 kilometer traverse of the park and after a full day’s worth of fun!

But the fun did not stop there: the following weekend we were off to Northern Gyeonggido for another traverse! This one took in Myeongseongsan & Baegunsan – two of the mountains on our 120 summits list!

A selfie of the author and her husband, taken, as always, by husband. He stands closest to the camera, smiling and wearing his running vest. The author is slightly behind in a pink shirt. She's holding a 100 summits sign above her head. Between the pair, the large stone summit stele of Hwangjangsan is visible.
#100!

In mid-September 2018, we climbed our 100th Korean peak! We celebrated atop Hwangjangsan in a remote corner of Woraksan National Park!

And the very next day, we took part in Wild Trail Inje – an exciting new race near where we live! It was our first time on sweeping duty, and following the 33 kilometer race was no joke! But we loved the course (truly, a little wild!) and getting to revisit Bangtaesan – another famous Korean summit!

An image depicting the author, seated on the stone steps of a temple in Bali, Indonesia. The author is dressed in running clothes and has her hands on her knees. She's seated in front of a gilded door, surrounded by carvings of mythical beasts. She's looking away from the camera, possibly at some of the intricate stone carvings.
Bali is beautiful

After all that, we took off for adventures in Indonesia! We had an incredible time exploring three islands and meeting lots of local wildlife. But of course, the highlight was running the Ijen 70k race – and somehow nabbing 1st place!

Best race

This category had a lot of competition. Kent and I were involved in 13 races in 2018! I was an official participant in 10 of these races and a volunteer at three of them! A big step up from three races in 2017 and two in 2016 – even besting my 10 races back in 2010!

Not only were there quite a few races to choose from, but they were all pretty seriously awesome. There was our first international race in the Philippines and our three-peat at Korea 50k in the spring. In the summer, we had our seaside sprint duel and family fun times in The Badlands. How could I not rank incredible Ijen up there as well? And, despite the outcome of the race, the wild, rocky mountains of Oman come to mind too…

But the race of the year has to be Tengri Ultra – the Marathon of the Great Steppe.

An action shot of the author running the Tengri Ultra. She has her back to the camera and her race backpack on. Her swinging arms and ponytail show movement. She's running on a rough dirt road through a rolling section of the steppe in Kazakhstan under a bright blue sky!
This perfect race in this perfect place

This race was simply one of the best days of my life. From the moment I woke up in my little frost-covered tent by the Ili River, I knew this day was going to be great.

And it absolutely was, from start to finish! I ran happy for the entire race, high-stepping across the steppe with my hands in the grasses. At every aid station, I guzzled coke, devoured pretzels and chatted with awesome race volunteers. I felt profoundly lucky to have chanced upon a contest and won an entry into this amazing race. We were running in Kazakhstan! Could anything be cooler?

In short, it was one of those magical, once-in-a-lifetime kind of experiences. That second place finish was just icing on the cake!

Best mountain(s)

The simple answer is all of them. This was, after all, the year of the mountain! We climbed 76 new summits in 2018, and I can honestly say that each one was special. From that first icy, somewhat scary hike on Samaksan through to the very last outing of our mountain mission on Jeombongsan, I loved every peak.

It’s tempting to give top honors to Jirisan. We’d long wanted to revisit the main peak, and our traverse was definitely one of the coolest things we did all year. I also wanted to name Seoraksan, which I visited for the 10th time(!) with an American film crew! But of course we loved these familiar, famous friends.

Among the new mountains, there were so many that I loved! Dutasan took my breath away (literally, it was -15 and blowing a gale!) and Oseosan gets my vote for a quirky, off-the-beaten path fave. I loved revisiting new parts of Woraksan and Mungyeong Saejae. Dalmasan was as tranquil as Unaksan was thrilling. Bangtaesan is a hidden gem in our backyard. Hongdo and Palbongsan were by far the coolest domestic trips we did this year. I saw one of the best sunrises of my life on Minjujisan and my favorite fall scenery at Bulgapsan.

A striking image of a dynamic sky above a landscape in which emerald peaks peek up out of a blanket of thick mist. The author is a small figure in the center of the image, standing on a triangular helipad. She has her hands on her head, overwhelmed by the splendid scenery.
Unreal scenery

But the top of all these tops, if I have to choose, is Odaesan. Remember how taken I was with Odaesan National Park back in 2016, on my first visit? This year, it’s a cheeky choice because it allows me to choose two summits, both inside the park – but neither of which are the main summit. Gyebangsan was my birthday peak. The night before, we had a sunset picnic on a high pass below the summit. The unbelievably clean air and stunning skies the next day prompted us to run a super fun double summit of this mountain! On another blissful blue-sky weekend, nearby Noinbong and the Sogeumgang valley delighted me beyond my capacity for description.

A portrait of Noinbong peak, featuring the author. She stands at the side of a large summit stele inscribed with Chinese characters. This rocky summit commands a dramatic view of the surroundings, which draw the author's - and the viewer's - eyes to the left. Row upon row of mountains unfold into the distance, like the folds of a jade fan.
More enchanting views

Best adventure abroad

Another challenging category with so many great adventures in 2018! We were very fortunate to take some of our running and racing abroad for the first time in 2018. This unique way of combining my love of both travel and running has been awesome! I feel like my eyes were opened to a brand new way to live – and spend our savings!

We went on 7 adventures abroad this year: revisiting the Philippines and Indonesia. I also went on a solo adventure to see more of Thailand, and Kent and I visited our families in North America. We also visited several new places: Kazakhstan, Oman, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka.

So what takes the cake for best new adventure? Our recce’n’rest trip combining Hong Kong and Sri Lanka.

An image of some of the gorgeous scenery of the Hong Kong Hills. In this vertical image, the author runs on a downhill trail, heading into a deep forest. Above the greenery, the steep peak of Lion Rock rises dramatically into a moody grey sky.
Happy in the hills of Hong Kong

Can you believe we’d never been to Hong Kong before 2018? After hearing nothing but terrific things about the city, we set our sights on a trail race there. And with some time off for the holidays, we thought we’d go check out the course in advance. Four very happy days were well-spent running in the mountains above the city. I think it’s safe to say we’ve found a new favorite place!

A selfie taken by the author's husband. In this picture, they are in an open safari jeep, leaning out one side. The author is behind her husband, with her large camera around her neck. Both are smiling, but the author is beaming especially brightly. Warm sunlight lights the background of green grass and a darker green forest.
On safari again!!!

Next, we made our way to Sri Lanka to celebrate the season and our wedding anniversary in paradise. This was our first visit to this gorgeous island, but it certainly will not be our last. On our short-but-oh-so-sweet visit, we went on safari both at sea and on land! We had some close encounters with whales and spotted some lovely leopards. We ate lots of delicious local foods, and got to run on the beach and in some peaceful green rice fields. And I swear, I’ve never been more delighted with any place. It was everything I’d hoped for and so much more.

A vertical portrait of the author and the local dog she called beagle baby girl. This half-wild, half-beagle female was exceptionally friendly, so the staff of the hotel adopted her! In this image, the author and the dog touch noses, and you can see the dog's beagle coloring, as well as her blue collar. The pair are on a beach of golden sand in the early morning.
Of course, the best part is always meeting the locals!

It was truly the perfect combo. Just over 26 hours and 142k of hard but fun running in Hong Kong, followed by some amazing animal sightings and a chance to really relax together in Sri Lanka after a very busy year. Expect to see more of both places on the blog soon!

Best domestic adventure

The best adventure in Korea is a category for which I honestly couldn’t pick a winner. There was the fun and the funny: introducing two of our favorite people while smashing cake, running a naked race and watching some Olympics. All of our self-supported ultras and other multi-hour epics in the mountains were contenders. The races and surrounding shenanigans. Our million mountain missions and all of the motel hopping, convenience-store dining and all-night driving that entailed. The very few simple days when we had time to play cards or take a dip in the sea. All of it was just too fun to narrow down to a single winner. Maybe the winner is…Korea? Or us – for getting to have such a blast this year!

A funny selfie of the author and her husband. The pair are perched high on an observation platform on rocky Yongbongsan mountain. They're attempting to make serious faces, but both failing.
Serious climbs only.

Best animal encounter

Without a doubt, our safaris in Sri Lanka take top honors for wild animal encounters. We also got to visit Komodo Dragons in their natural habitat this year, which was also awesome. And we meet the cutest dogs, cats and lizards wherever we go!

But we had some incredible animal encounters right here at home, too. We took care of a friend’s sweet dog for the first six weeks of 2018 – and it was awesome. Our neighbors, the car repair shop, got a little terrier that we visited daily. We got to meet Lily, our fur niece, at last!

But then there was Kalahari: the tiny orange kitten that we rescued while out on a run. Her playful presence brought so much joy into our lives, and it was incredibly hard to give her up, even to the perfect home. You win, Kali. You won our hearts.

A photograph of Kalahari, the rescued ginger kitten, asleep in the author's running hat.
If she fits, she sits…and snoozes…

Best person

I think you already know who wins this award! But it’s worth celebrating again: I have the world’s best and most fun partner. Thank you Kent for putting up with all my weirdnesses and speaking to me in Attenborough-ese!

Other podium placers include our VIP villain 김재승 and the entire Simmons-Stander-Steeves-France clan.


2018 by the numbers

Kilometers: 3172

3010 running(!) + 161 hiking

Ultras: 11

5 official ultras: Badlands, CMU, Ijen, Korea 50k & Tengri

2 additional attempts: Geoje & Oman

And 4 ultras in training: great Jiri Hwadae traverse, our Hong Kong training camp & the longest route to Soyosan

Plus a few more other races, including:

1 mountain marathon: High1

1 12k on the trails: Bada-ro

And 3 volunteer gigs: Mild Trail, Wild Trail & the snow race, all in Inje

Oh, and a random naked race

New peaks: 86!

In Korea, a grand total of 79! Our 120 summits quest took us to 76 brand new summits – basically, all the peaks outside of Korea’s national and provincial parks! Add in the mountains of our races: that other Bonghwasan on the High1 course as well as Daegeumsan & Garasan (along with countless other unnamed friends) in Geoje.

In Indonesia, incredible Ijen‘s namesake.

And finally, our year-end race recce took us to the numerous peaks of 9 Dragons: Bird’s Hill, Cloudy Hill, Lei Pek Shan, Shun Yeung Fung (& many fun friends!), Tai Mo Shan (& friends) & Tai To Yan (& friends) – thank you, Hong Kong!

New places: 3

Kazakhstan, Oman & Sri Lanka


In short, 2018 was nothing short of spectacular. I certainly experienced challenges this year, but also just a whole lot of awesome. Thanks for joining me on the journey! Happy New Year to you and I hope to see you around in 2019: I’m so excited to see what kind of adventures are around the corner in this new year!


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