GangJin Race Report: Final Race of the season and another win! 강진 전국산악자전거대회: 마지막대회이얐지만 일등했어요!

Last Sunday was my last race of the Korean racing season.  It was a 50km mountain bike race held in the far south west corner of Korea and was actually pretty close to where I had my first race of the season back in April.  I had a great race then and I was hoping to have another great one!  I decided to make a trip out of the race and I traveled down with Yujin and another couple (Jin and Tuomas).  We left early on Saturday morning and went for a nice hike on a rocky mountain in Mokpo.  The mountain was awesome and had great views of the harbor and the many islands that are near Mokpo.  After that we had crab soup and then it started to rain pretty hard so we drove on to Gangjin where my race was going to be held. 
Sunday morning the conditions were less than ideal with rain and really strong winds but I was still excited to get to race.  The race started with a 10km road section before we hit the dirt so I just sat in the pack and worked my way to the front before we hit the dirt.  The first climb was 3km or so of gradual forest road and it split up our huge pack (over 300 riders at the start).  After the descent we were back on the road for a few more K but the lead group was down to 7 riders (only one of which was from my age group).  I knew the next section of forest roads was going to be much longer and would probably decide the race so I sat in the group and waited until the next climb.  Once we hit the dirt the road turned up for the next 3km or so again and I followed, Hak Min Noh ,a rider that my teammate Ji Haeng had told me about before the race.  Hak Min is a former pro mountain biker in Korea so I knew he would be one of the riders to watch in the race (lucky for me too he was in a different age group).  Knowing this we worked together with me pulling each other for the rest of the race.  The course was really nice with smooth forest roads, nice gradual climbs and descents that you could ride at basically full speed even in the rain.  The last 10km of the race was on the road with a massive tailwind and we averaged easily over 45km per hour over the last section.  Coming into the finish we crossed the line together to both take the win in our respective categories. 
After the race they had free lunch for everyone (including spectators) and free rice wine!  The race was a nice way to finish off the season and I will definitely come back again next year if I get the chance! 

일요일에 나 강진전국산악자전거 대회탔어요. 이대회 너무 멀었어서나 유진이랑  그리고 다른친구 2명 (진 과 토마스)함께 같이 갔어요.  토요일 새벽에 우리 출발했어요.  오후에 목포 갔어 유달산 산책했어요!  유달산 완전 좋아했어요. 정상에서 목포항이랑솜너무 많이볼수있어요!  등산하고 꽃게 먹으로갔어요!    그다음에비가 왔어서 그냥 강진으로 갔어요.

일요일에 일어날때 날씨 완전 안좋았어요!! 비많이 와도 바람 너무 샜어요.  하지만  이번 시즌 마지막대회이라서  잘타고싶은기븐있었어요.  대회시작하고  앞에 사람 이랑 달렸어요.  첫 10키로 로드 이얐어서  크팩있었어요.  하지만 임도 시작할때 차이있었어요.  첫임도 부분 끝나고 앞그릅에  7명정도있었어요.  내부분에  1명있었어 그래서 다음임도 시작 앞에 열심히 탈거예요 생각햇어요.  2번재임도 시작 하고 나 노학민선수 다다했어요. 이대회 가기 전에최지행 형  노학민 선수 잘탄다고 알려졌어서같이 갈거예요 생각햇어요. 
피니쉬까지 나 노학민선수랑  같이 달렸어요.  코스 너무 재미있었어요. 언덕 별로 안심했고 다운힐 부분 도 재미게탈수있었어요!   피니쉬올때  노학민 선수랑 같이 왔어요.  우리 두리종목에서 일등했어요.
시상식전에 밥 먹어같이오는 친구들이랑 막거리 한잔했어요.  이대회 전라남도이야서 음식 찐자 맛있었어요!  내년에 도 강진대회있으면 꼭가야겟다! 

This is a picture my friend took of me at the podium ceremony.