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Day 5: Izmit, Turkey

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Day 5: A rest day in Izmit. Woke up at 5:30 AM. The hotel is right in the middle of the bustling downtown area, yet it’s quiet in the morning. Took a short walk around the city this morning. I heard there’s a bicycle shop nearby, so if they have 20-inch tires, I plan to buy and replace mine. I’ll also re-evaluate the route for the days ahead. Today’s temperature ranges from 11°C to 26°C. It’s chilly in the morning but looks like it will get a bit hot during the day. On days I run, I focus entirely on running; on days I don’t, I don’t think about running at all. I don’t even put on my running shoes. This mental switch is crucial. I suspect that runners who frequently suffer injuries or breakdowns often struggle to make this kind of mental switch. Well, that excludes people who run all year round, of course (haha). Regarding my journey across Turkey, the route has changed a few times, but after reconsidering, I’ve decided not to go to Ankara and instead take the coastal route heading wes...
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Day 4: Körfez to İzmit (Turkey)

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Woke up at 5:30 AM. Went for breakfast at 7:00 AM. A buffet-style meal at the hotel's restaurant. There was a wide variety of options, including cheese, bread, egg dishes, and vegetables. It’s easy to end up eating too much with a spread like this. Picked up the laundry I had dropped off yesterday. In Turkey, you rarely see coin-operated laundromats outside of Istanbul. The hotel's laundry service cost 600 Lira (approx. 2,000 yen) per load. Hand-washing takes a long time to dry, so I figured it was worth it to have it done professionally. Departed at 11:00 AM, seen off by the kind hotel staff. They asked to take a commemorative photo, and I happily agreed. They even followed me on Instagram. Körfez was a wonderful, lively city. Now, heading east. Just before noon, I took a break at a park in Kocaeli, located above the D100 highway tunnel. Even there, the noise and exhaust fumes were unavoidable. The temperature was a comfortable 21°C; taking off my jacket felt just right. After...
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Day 3: Gebze to Körfez (Turkey)

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Day 3. Woke up at 4:00 AM. My legs and lower back are sore. If I can just get through this third day, I’ll be okay. Took a shower and relaxed a bit. Today’s route covers 35 kilometers to Körfez. There aren't many climbs, and I should be able to run along the seaside promenade again. The weather has been clear for a while, but it looks like there will be a lot of rain next week. My body is gradually shifting into "traveler mode." I’ll accept the aches and pains here and there. No complaining. I’m thinking of taking a rest day in İzmit to recover and make adjustments. Had a delicious breakfast just after 7:00 AM. It was a buffet-style meal: boiled eggs, ham, cheese, pickled olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, coffee, and bread. Packed up my gear and set off at 7:30 AM. However, I got a flat tire before I’d even gone 100 meters. A flat tire—the first hurdle of the day. While I was repairing it in front of a bank that hadn't opened yet, my pump broke—hurdle number two. Fortunate...
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Day 2: Tuzla to Gebze (Turkey)

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Woke up at 4:00 AM. Severe muscle soreness was concentrated in my lower back, upper back, shoulders, and arms rather than my legs. I took a hot shower and massaged the sore areas with the hot water. Even though I run regularly, I rarely push a buggy up and down hills. I could have taken a rest day, but due to accommodation arrangements, I aimed for the town of Gebze, about 15 kilometers away. Decided to check out a bit later than usual. Breakfast at 5:00 AM: banana, oat biscuits, raisins, dates, orange, apple juice, and salted drinking yogurt. A late start at 11:00 AM. Navigating through residential areas and the town center was fine, as there were sidewalks. The first tricky spot: I was guided onto a road resembling the D100 expressway—restricted to motor vehicles. It ran parallel to the highway, and the exhaust fumes were intense. There were sections where the shoulder simply disappeared. Running on the left side of the road felt terrifying, as oncoming traffic seemed to be charging ...
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Day 1: Istanbul Old City to Tuzla (Turkey)

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I was awake by 4:00 AM. I had fallen asleep at 7:30 PM the previous night and woke up several times during the night. Whether it was excitement or a sense of impatience, I just felt an urge to get moving. I organized my gear, assembled the buggy, loaded it up, and set off at 7:00 AM. Since it had been six months, I had completely forgotten various details, so it took some time to get back into the swing of things. I chatted with the hotel staff and had him take the photo above. It was 2.3 kilometers to the Sirkeci ferry terminal. Right from the start, I had to climb a steep hill. The Old City has many hills and is quite difficult to navigate. There are sidewalks, but they are narrow and crowded with commuters and students, requiring constant caution. I paid the ferry fare (120 TRY) using a contactless credit card. The ferry crossing took about 15 minutes. At 8:30 AM, I resumed my journey from Harem. I passed through a university campus, where traffic was heavy for a while. The road run...
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Istanbul, Turkey: Part 2

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It is my third day in Istanbul; tomorrow, I finally start running. I woke up at 4:00 AM and spent some time working on my PC. Just after 7:00 AM—once the sun was up—I headed out into the city. It was a clear day with a temperature of 15°C, expected to rise to 20°C by midday. I visited Sultanahmet Park, home to the famous Blue Mosque. There were quite a few tourists around, including many groups on organized tours. I had a late breakfast at a café. I ordered *pide*, a traditional Turkish flatbread shaped like a boat—often described as Turkish pizza. It must have been a good 40 centimeters long. I was surprised by its size; the menu photo hadn't prepared me for just how big it was! I managed to finish it, but it left me feeling incredibly full. It’s essentially just a round pizza stretched out, but it was a bit too much to eat on a day when I wasn't running. That’s when the "incident" occurred... Just as I was checking my smartphone after taking a photo, what should app...
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Istanbul, Turkey

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It is the morning of my second day in Istanbul; the low is 15°C, but the wind makes it feel quite cold. It reminds me of a December morning in Osaka. I had agonized over what clothes to bring before leaving, but I’m glad I packed a thicker jacket. It’s perfect for running, but standing still in the wind and rain makes me freezing cold. I find myself strangely missing my travels in tropical and subtropical regions now... After just one day of walking around Istanbul, I think I might already be in love with Turkey. Usually, the aspects that stand out on the first day are the ones that feel a bit off-putting or difficult, but that hasn't been the case this time. Between the city itself, the people, and the food—and judging by the experiences I've gathered on my travels so far—Turkey ranks pretty high on my list. I wonder if the rainbow I saw yesterday was a sign of that. "Ayran," a salty drinking yogurt, is surprisingly delicious.  It shares something in common with Viet...
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