Hey guys, I’m going to be there for about a week. Any good places to run? Is there a pool around? A gym with spin bikes? I don’t want to take my bike with me if I can avoid it (esp. b/c I’ll be in Tokyo for 3 days before).
I have heard a rumor of a Bally’s but haven’t been able to find confirmation.
Thanks a lot!
bump.
come on…
a gaping hole has been found in the ST global community.
Hmmm… McArthur also came from Tokyo. Weird.
i am honestly shocked right now…
No longer in Korea, but lived there for three years. Spent some time in Pusan. Not familiar with the Ballys. There is some phenomenal trail running along the coast, that was the best workout option I found there. Good luck.
I’ve spent quite a bit of time there with the Navy in the past few years.
There are some beautiful hills for running…Just lace 'em up and enjoy seeing something new.
Most of the “American” hotels have gyms (including the Hotel Lotte) which are pretty nice. The Hotel Lotte also has a nice lap pool, but the chlorine is VERY strong so don’t forget your goggles.
Don’t even consider bringing your bike. The traffic, narrow roads, and general congestion make it unappealing to ride there (keep in mind that this is one of the busiest ports in Asia).
Cheers,
Jonathan C. Puskas
thanks a lot. I will look them up online. Do you think they would let me swim there if I’m not staying there? Is there another pool in town just in case?
Thanks for the tip on the bike.
Any specifics on where to run?
any gyms where I might be able to find a stationary bike?
Thanks again,
Dan
www.aiatriathlon.com
There are lots of parks situated throughout Pusan of which you can run — enjoy the sites. +1 on running along the coast, as someone already mentioned.
Aside from the American style hotels, you can ask the hotel personnel for the local community lap pool. This worked for me when I stayed in a nearby city called Masan. They called a taxi to carry me off to the pool. Now if I can just learn how to swim…
any tips on where to find the trails?
Thanks,
Dan
www.aiatriathlon.com
The two times I lived in Korea I found that finding a lap pool was pretty easy. I didn’t live in Busan, but visited once and I think there’s a YMCA affiliated pool somewhere. I know I swam when I was in Busan, but I couldn’t tell you where it was or how to get there. Most hotels will help you find it and will call to get the hours/rate to drop in and swim.
Just know that when you go the pool it’s customary to take a complete shower (with soap) before getting in and swimming. None of this rinse off stuff/just get wet stuff we do in the US. I think the men were also wearing swim caps in the pool.
I remember circle swimming wasn’t the proper pool etiquette. I’m not sure what the method was, seemed more like swimming lane madness to me.
awesome. Thanks for the tips. any others I should know? Speedos? jammers?
I don’t want to offend anyone’s cultural sensibilities.
I don’t recall seeing too many speedos on the locals, but the American guys I swam with wore anything from board shorts to speedos and nobody seemed to really care. I’m not sure how the men’s locker room was but in the women’s they really took their time showering (both before and after swimming) and sat down on the floor to scrub each others bodies raw with glove loofah things.
The only other tip I can offer is if you decide to play golf when you are there find the most utterly mismatched outfit and you’ll fit right in 
Lots of National arks around Pusan so finding running spots will not be a problem. My favorite was to start at Hyundae Beach, follow the beach north out of town, at the start of the bluffs, hang a left to the railroad tracks, follow the trail parallelling the tracks and you’ll find yourself on a trail network going through coastal forest, keep the ocean on your right and you can run for days.
wow. great tip. Sounds like that’s where i’ll be going.