Lee Bong Joo Running In The World Marathon Championship

Edmonton, Canada - Lee Bong Joo (31, Samsung), nicknamed `Bongdari,` wears a calm expression. His unfazed cool may be due to his veteran status, making this full-course run his 26th race. Although he says he is not in peak condition, there are no signs of anxiety or panic.

We met at the Saint Alberta Horizon Motel, after he had completed a three-day ``bloodsucking`` diet and final stages of intensive training.

DA: Once again, the Korean people expect great things from you.

LBJ: I know. But I try not to place too much pressure on myself. I don`t know whether it`s all the full-course runs I have completed, but I am not too worried. I would be grateful if people watched me with peace of mind.

DA: How is your condition?

LBJ: It`s not excellent. It`s been getting better from the recent adjustment training.

DA: Even with the setback, you seem confident. Is there a special reason for that?

LBJ: I don`t know. I`ve never felt really nervous or stressed as big races came up. It`s probably because I`ve been at this for some time and have some experience.

DA: Have you had a chance to study the Edmonton course?

LBJ: Although the course is relatively flat, there is a steep slope around 27km ~ 37 km, so it`s not an easy course. It was raining here until last week but the weather cleared up starting this week. The forecast predicts temperatures up to 23 degrees which will be an additional hurdle.

DA: Where is the victory margin?

LBJ: The last stretch is 38km. If I can keep a good pace until then, I can use the last spurt to win.

DA: There are many good runners this time. Is that a concern for you at all?

LBJ: Every runner who enters the world championships has good records. But I`ve run with every one of them at least once, so I am not too concerned about that.

DA: They say that the diet regiment this time around was the toughest yet.

LBJ: I wanted to die! I ate nothing but red meat and water for three days, so my nerves are heightened.

DA: Will you wear the Korean headband again?

LBJ: It`s my trademark, so I think I should wear it.

DA: Who do you want to see the most right now?

LBJ: My girlfriend and my mother.

DA: You mentioned your girlfriend first - won’t your mother be disappointed?

LBJ: . . . .

A huge smile shone on Lee`s face as he made his way back to the dorm.

``Bong Joo injured his right ankle and couldn’t put in a full training in Korea, but he has recovered very well - around 90 percent - in the pre-Edmonton training,`` remarked Samsung Electronics coach Oh In-Hwan. ``At altitudes of 650m, breathing becomes a challenge for runners who come from outside this region. We trained in the high altitude region of Kangwon Hwaeng-Gae for a month and began training in Edmonton after July 6th, so we feel better adapted to the environment than other runners,`` said Oh with confidence.

Yang Jong-Koo yjongk@donga.com