The Ironman Triathlon is a grueling one day endurance race consisting of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26.22 mile full length marathon run. It’s considered one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world. To accomplish this feat once in your lifetime is impressive enough. But to return to this race 3, 4, 5 times or more? Today, I welcome back on the podcast Sam Chung, Jack Chen, and Rob Koh who talked with me about their Ironman experience back in March. What drives them back to Ironman year after year? What’s it like to have to drop out mid-race? And how does one of them train with his six year old daughter? Thank you Rob, Jack, and Sam for coming back to the show!
Catch the first episode, “How to be an Ironman” here: http://whatjustpodcast.libsyn.com/how-to-be-an-ironman-ep-16
Thanks for listening!
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In the second half of this K-pop series, we identify the secret ingredient that propelled Psy’s “Gangnam Style” to success in the United States, the cautionary tale of The Wonder Girls, and my deep, personal dilemma with nine member girl group Twice’s single, “Likey.”
Select links and references:
If you’re new to K-pop, I found the best place to start is a website called moonROK, which has a helpful series of articles called “The History of K-pop, Chapters 1 – 10.” http://www.moonrok.com/tag/the-history-of-k-pop-10/
Factory Girls: Cultural technology and the making of K-pop - https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/10/08/factory-girls-2
Korea's S.M. Entertainment: The Company That Created K-Pop - https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesasia/2013/07/31/koreas-s-m-entertainment-the-company-that-created-k-pop/#45bb264c407d
Hallyu, K-pop! Inside the weirdest, most lucrative global frenzy in music - https://qz.com/725161/kpop-feature/
The Hallyu Wave: How Crisis Led to K-pop - http://seoulbeats.com/2015/05/hallyu-wave-crisis-led-k-pop/
Books
Euny Hong, The Birth of Korean Cool (2014)
Stuart Kallen, K-Pop: Korea’s Musical Explosion (2014)
A complete list of citations can be found at: www.facebook.com/whatjusthappenedpodcast.
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The K-pop boy band ‘BTS’ made history on November 19, 2017 as the first ever Korean band to perform on the American Music Awards. If you’re mystified by the worldwide phenomenon known as K-pop, you’re not alone. K-pop has experienced a massive surge in popularity in recent years. K-pop has come a LONG way from its roots twenty five years ago when a single live performance by a rookie band electrified the nation. And it’s remarkable that what is essentially “Top 40” music from the relatively small nation of South Korea has reached such epic heights of global domination.
Our story beings with a 19 year old high school dropout, a lonely 13 year old teenage girl, and “a boy named Soo.”
(Afterword coming soon!)
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Critics are sharply divided over 2017's live action remake of Beauty and the Beast. Find out where Eugene and I stand on this box office behemoth. We talk about the visual imagery, the music, the characters, the new scenes, how it compares to the 1991 animated classic, and Eugene tests his wits on an impromptu Disney Princess quiz!
Thank you Eugene Chang for another fun review!
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Music from the Beauty and the Beast Original Motion Picture Soundtrack:
Something There - Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, & Co.
Be Our Guest - Ewan McGregor & Co.
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It doesn’t seem humanly possible. Swim 2.4 miles in open water. Bike 112 miles--farther than the distance from Manhattan to Philadelphia. And then, assuming you have any energy left, run a full length marathon, 26.2 miles. All back to back to back, in less than 17 hours. That is the Ironman triathlon—widely considered one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world. (And not to be confused with “Iron Man” Tony Stark of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.) Today, I speak with three men who have all completed full length Ironman races and are training for more.
I ask them to do a bit of soul searching--while I do a bit of my own--as they talk about what drives their ambition to compete in this crazy race. They discuss what it takes to finish an Ironman and whether or not it’s fair to describe Ironman training as “selfish.” (Lots of shout outs to significant others in this episode!) We talk about training schedules, logistics, nutrition, and the mental challenges of completing a race. And in a twist, regular contributor—and triathlete in her own right—Jennifer Lee Koh joins us to reveal what it’s like to be an “Ironmate.”
Many thanks to Rob Koh, Jack Chen, and Sam Chung for taking the time to talk and reflect! Sam, Jack, and Rob are all part of the Trinity Endurance Club or TEC—a group that Sam started to build and foster a community of fitness fans. This was such a fun conversation, and I am so inspired by your stories!
Thanks for listening!
SUBSCRIBE, RATE, and REVIEW What Just Happened? on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, and SoundCloud.
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Twitter @davidgchang
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whatjustpodcast @ gmail . com
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Eugene is back for a conversation about The Lego Batman Movie! I offer my bold outrageous theory that the movie — while perfectly kid friendly — is ultimately not a “kids movie” (and who it’s really for). Eugene reveals what he thought about Will Arnett’s Batman and how this movie compared to the original. Hint: It’s not a sequel. And we both talk about our favorite scenes.
Thank you Eugene Chang for another fun review!
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Music from The LEGO Batman Movie soundtrack:
“Forever,” by DNCE
“Friends Are Family,” by Oh, Hush! & Co.
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Twitter @davidgchang
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whatjustpodcast @ gmail . com