Jin Tae-hyun, After Recovering from Thyroid Cancer, Faces "Hellish Anxiety" Due to Acute Pharyngitis

Actor Jin Tae-hyun revealed his recent status, showing him receiving an IV drip for acute pharyngitis while preparing for a marathon competition. For him, who has been focusing on running again after being declared fully recovered following thyroid cancer surgery, unexpected health problems arrived just before the competition. Having to worry about whether to participate right before the fruit of the training he had painstakingly built up for a long time, Jin Tae-hyun expressed that he experienced "hellish anxiety," but also stated his firm principle of not overdoing it.

On the 16th, Jin Tae-hyun shared his training process and current physical condition through his personal account, saying, "I am boarding the train to Gyeongju to bear the fruits of my efforts so far." He stated, "It feels like my training volume was insufficient, but I have run hard, covering 230km in June, 270km in July, 340km in August, and 320km in September." Although he prepared for the competition by running steadily for several months, he found himself in a situation where his body would not follow his will just as the competition approached.

The process so far has not been smooth either. Jin Tae-hyun confessed that following surgery last April, he suffered an injury to his flexor hallucis longus in October of the same year, which prevented him from performing tempo runs or interval training for about a year. He also had to give up several competitions he was preparing for. Rather than high-intensity training to improve his records, he essentially had to start over from regaining the sensation of running.

Jin Tae-hyun explained, "I was only able to run again in July and started training," and noted that he worked steadily through August and September to recover his former physical condition. As shown in the monthly running distances, he prepared for a leap forward by gradually increasing his training volume. However, as acute pharyngitis struck this Monday ahead of the competition, he faced another unexpected crisis.

He stated, "Acute pharyngitis arrived this Monday, and I went through a forced tapering period that was extremely anxious," adding, "After going through hellish anxiety from Monday to Friday, I boarded the train to Gyeongju this morning with a much lighter body condition." He meant that the process of reducing training volume itself before a competition is anxiety-inducing, and with the sudden pain overlapping, it was difficult to be certain whether he could participate.

Fortunately, the pain has subsided significantly ahead of the start. Jin Tae-hyun conveyed, "I had made up my mind to prepare again with next year as the goal, but thankfully, 90% of the pain disappeared this morning." However, he also made it clear that he would not unconditionally force himself to participate just because his physical condition improved. He stated, "If my physical condition is not over 90% like today tomorrow, I intend to withdraw immediately." It is a decision to prioritize health over the regret of a long-prepared competition.

In the photos released alongside, sportswear prepared for the competition, running shoes, and various equipment were neatly laid out. In another photo, Jin Tae-hyun was captured receiving an IV drip in his arm, which caused concern among fans. Contrary to his motivation for the competition, his body was demanding time for recovery. Jin Tae-hyun holds a deep affection for exercise, stating, "My only friend besides my wife is sports."

Nevertheless, he placed meaning in the process of challenging himself again rather than being preoccupied with the results. Jin Tae-hyun emphasized, "If I fail tomorrow, I will challenge myself again with a joyful heart, and if I succeed, I will move on to the next stage with a joyful heart," and "I compete with myself. If I am faster than my past records, I always succeed." This means he intends to focus on surpassing his own records rather than competing for rankings with others.

After being diagnosed with early-stage thyroid cancer last May, Jin Tae-hyun underwent surgery in June of the same year and was declared fully recovered. His recent status draws even more attention as he has continued running through the process of injury and recovery even after overcoming the battle with cancer. However, since it cannot be concluded that he has fully recovered just because the pain from acute pharyngitis has decreased, it seems important to prioritize his physical condition and make a safe judgment over the competition he has prepared for for a long time.

Read the original (Korean)