Dokkodo: Lonesome Road of Running

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

The second day starts at Shanghai Pudong Airport. The gate area has become quite crowded. I am incredibly sleepy. Turkey—situated at the western edge of Asia and the eastern edge of Europe—is by no means close to Japan. Most of the passengers bound for Istanbul are young people in their twenties; groups of young women and couples are particularly noticeable. This is likely due to the long National Day holiday in China, though it may also reflect the fact that many people there have become economically prosperous. Boarding began shortly after 12:30 AM. I took off from Shanghai at 1:20 AM. Since sitting for long periods isn't good for you, I had walked around the airport quite a bit beforehand. The temperature inside the terminal was low and chilly; hardly anyone was dressed lightly. About two hours after takeoff, the next in-flight meal was served. Even though I was sleepy, I still had an appetite. This time, it was chicken rice with onions, accompanied by fruit, a biscuit, and appl...