Running in Turkey

It's been a couple of weeks since I left NYC and of course I've been running almost every day. I mean, I am training for a marathon.  This is one part of the adventure. Run everywhere I go and prepare for the Chiang Mai Marathon on December 20th. Plus that is what I do. I run. And it's such a great way to explore. I get to see so many neighborhoods I wouldn't otherwise see. Especially on those 15 and 17-milers. 

And since this is my 10th marathon, I did want to make it pretty good. Since Thailand has been on my list of places to visit for such a long time, it seemed like a good choice. People have also been recommending the city as well, so that's even better. And it's the 10th anniversary of this race. Even more fitting. 

So how has running in Turkey been you may be wondering. Well besides the obvious challenge of finding routes, tracks, and people to run with, it's the same. The one good thing about running, is you can truly do it anywhere. 

So far I've run in every city I've visited in Turkey. And since I'm in my last city before I head to Israel, now is a good time to comment on my running experience. 

Istanbul

I got a few solid runs in and a 15-miler shortly after I arrived. Fortunately since it's a city, there were some recommendations on where to run. I got to see more of the city, outside of the touristy parts. However, even with the recommendations, there weren't that many people out there running. I think I saw a total of 15 people in the 3 runs I did. And only like 3 females. I also got the sense that I was getting a lot of looks from people. I tried not to focus on that as I don't want to call additional attention to myself. I'm not sure if it was me, or the traffic, but I felt like I also got a lot of honks. Again, I pretended that it wasn't for me, as I don't want to be cursing at them for being inappropriate. Plus since I can't understand Turkish, I have no idea what they are saying. Except with the occasional, "go go".

View of the Bosphorous Strait and downtown Istanbul.

Bodrum

Running in Bodrum was a bit more pleasant. Not as much attention. But I could have done with less hills. Since I'm training, I want to get in as many tempo and speed workouts as possible. Which will continue to be a challenge. When running isn't a part of the lifestyle, it's nearly impossible to find a running track nearby. And no easy place to do tempos. I was definitely spoiled with Central Park being in my back yard and having tracks at my disposal. You have to be a bit creative, like doing laps on a basketball court, when you want to get speedwork in. I do have to say my 17 miles around the Bodrum Peninsula was quite enjoyable, even with all the hills. I still got a lot of honks and didn't see another runner during the entire time, but the views were spectacular. 

One of the many bays of Bodrum.

Pamukkale

I only got one run in Pamukkale, but it was a good one. Again, no other runners (and when I told the owner of the hotel I was staying in what I was doing, he was confused), and more honks. But I did get to see more of the Turkish landscape. 

Cotton Castle.

Goreme

Goreme is my last stop before heading to Israel. I have a couple of more runs here, but the one from this morning was quite lovely. I took an overnight bus in and my room wasn't quite ready. So I figured, let's go explore. Hilly of course. Shockingly. But man the rock formations are amazing. And I got to run on some trails, which were quite nice. I would like to get some sort of tempo run in tomorrow, but maybe I'll do some sort of hill workout instead. Take advantage of what you have, right?

Cappadocia.

I'm glad I've been able to run in each place so far, and it's definitely interesting to see the reactions. This is only the first country I've visited so far, so I imagine each place will be a bit different. And if you are reading this and have any running recommendations for Israel or beyond, please share.