aargh

I tried, I really did, but I had to throw in the towel when I was 13 km away from my destination. I was simply too tired and achy, I guess. "45 km is enough," I tried reassuring myself, but I still felt guilty for quitting. Fact is, every time I sat down to take a break toward the end, it was getting harder and harder to stand up again. 

At the beginning of the walk, I left straight from work, which is right next to Daechi Station, instead of leaving from home, so the usual 60 km ended up being 58 km because Daechi Station is slightly closer to the Han River. By the time I elected to head back to my apartment, I had 13 km to go, according to Naver Map. So I managed 45 kilometers, and I guess that'll have to do for this year. 

Walking at night was otherwise very pleasant. The night was cool, even bordering on cold by about 3 a.m. The most annoying aspect of the walk was that I kept walking through spiderwebs that were always at eye level. I thought of my buddy Steve back in the States: Steve is both grossed out and freaked out by spiderwebs. So aside from my mortal limitations, the walk had its ups and downs. 

I was able to do the first 25K of the walk without taking any rest breaks, although I did have to take two piss breaks. I did take several rest breaks during the second part of the walk, though. My boss texted me around 11 p.m. to ask how things were going. I didn't see his text until I arrived at Hanam City around 11:40 p.m.; when I saw it, I texted back that I had just arrived in Hanam. The boss jokingly responded, "Pace yourself." I had to smile because I was already going slowly—about 4.4 kph.

I'm not sure whether I'll re-attempt the walk next week. I might, if for no other reason than that I can be a stubborn completist, but much depends on next week's nighttime temperatures. A lot also depends on my fatigue levels before the walk: I think my new workout routine may have played a role in why I ended up quitting today. The new workout includes jogging, which hurts my feet thanks to all the pounding. Same goes for climbing stairs while wearing a weight vest. Anyway, I'll assess my fatigue levels next week, look at the weather, and make a decision. 

There's a chance I might go out this evening and walk an extra 2.5 hours, which ought to bring by walk total up to 58 or even 60 km. But right now, I'm in bed, and it's hard to think about going back out there right now.