Hello, Dossa members.
I attended the Seorak Gravel Fondo held today in record-breaking heavy rain.
The rain that had been pouring since I departed from Seoul at 4 AM that day turned into a downpour by the time I arrived at Sangnam-myeon.
This year, due to excessive rainfall, the Gravel Fondo course was abruptly shortened and changed to the Medio Fondo for safety reasons.
Seeing the thick fog and heavy rain, I felt a sense of tension that getting back alive safely should come first.
From the moment I stood at the 7 AM starting line until I reached the finish line, heavy rain poured without stopping for even a minute throughout the 7 hours.
It was the worst underwater battle with dropping temperature and my entire body getting soaked,
but fortunately, the aid stations were very spacious and abundant.
It turned out that due to the heavy rain, the originally planned 5,000 participants were reduced to about 1,200 on the actual day.
Since the supplies prepared by the organizers based on the original number of participants were concentrated on the reduced number of participants,
I was able to eat hearty meals at each aid station without having to wait in line.
Thanks to this, I didn't even touch the personal supplies I had packed in my pockets,
and I ran using the food generously provided at each aid station as fuel.
This abundant supply was an absolute support in maintaining body temperature during the 7-hour heavy rain.
Of course, due to the heavy rain, braking distance increased several times, and with fog covering all around, the downhill was pure fear.
On the Guryong Ridge and Jochim Ridge downhills, I couldn't even attempt normal speed,
and I came down with extremely conservative deceleration to avoid falls, concentrating all my focus.
Though rainwater obscured my goggles in these harsh conditions, thanks to eating well, my engine didn't stall, and until the end
I maintained my mental strength and safely crossed the finish line in 7 hours 00 minutes.
It's a day that fills my heart with emotion just knowing that I completed the race without injury despite the heavy rain pouring for 7 hours straight.
The unexpected abundant supplies from the reduced number of participants will also be an unforgettable memory of this event.
I am grateful to the event organizers and volunteers who worked hard at the aid stations in this harsh weather,
and to the 1,200 brave cyclists who pedaled to the end while facing the rain with me on the road, you all worked very hard.
I hope you all disassemble and thoroughly wash your bikes (overhaul), and get some warm rest. Congratulations on a safe completion!
