This year, I’m taking part in the Chuncheon Marathon—a race famous for its gorgeous fall colors. It’s a long-standing event where you can soak in the beauty of autumn foliage in Chuncheon. (And the entry fee is 150,000 won 🥲💸)

Usually, to safely finish a full marathon, you need to train for at least three months ahead. You have to hit certain mileage and frequency without fail. So lately, running feels more like a duty than a hobby.

The problem? The weather’s been brutally hot. With temps soaring over 30°C, plus humidity and sudden downpours, there are days when I just can’t get my workouts done. And on the rare days I do run, I’m often more focused on just making it through parts of the route than hitting my target pace or time. At times like that, I seriously wonder if the aging curve has finally caught up with me. (Back when I was younger, I could run just fine no matter the heat or cold.)

But when I think about it, aging doesn’t always mean decline. If you take care of a car well as it ages, it becomes the one uniquely broken-in ride perfectly suited to you. But before that, you have to drive it fast, take curves, and figure out all the little quirks, adjusting to every dent and sound. Over time, the worn parts become tuned to each other, wearing in a way that makes the car almost a part of you.

I love running because that tough period at the start—when it feels like dying—is followed by a moment when your body and mind just click. When that moment comes, it’s like something pulls at your arms, and your feet roll forward as if someone’s holding you up from underneath. It’s like the screws in your body loosen and tighten naturally—you take a break when it’s too hot and recover, then start running again. (That day, I ended up doing heart rate interval training anyway.)

The thought, “Can I really do this?” drifts up like a wisp of smoke from a sigh. Those kinds of thoughts float by like clouds—making you stare blankly and stop moving forward. For me, it’s better to just take a step forward, one at a time. If you keep going, there’s always that moment when your body and mind align (and I really love that part). Even if you wonder, “Is this right?” stepping forward eventually makes it feel right.

Maybe getting old is really just the mindset of stopping your progress. Even if you’re wrong, it’s better to fail by effort than to try to predict failure in your head beforehand.