37th Istanbul Marathon

37th Istanbul Marathon, 15. 11. 2015

This journey have been very hard for me
because of border and sleepless night.
Nausea and headache since Friday evening
passed after a sleepless night in the hostel.
Fair where we were claiming starting
packages looked magnificent to me, but because
of the complaints in the way I could not
enjoy enough that evening. I was pleasantly
surprised when I saw on one
large panel the names of registered
competitors,and among them my own.
The whole saturday schedule was
in company with Pera and Gabrijela, we
went to see the ancient Byzantine,
especially Constantinople, also known as
Tsarigrad or today’s Istanbul.

Due to limited funds I invested
in visit to Topkapı Sarayı,
palace of the Ottoman sultans, and I bought
the book “Istanbul cradle of civilization”
in our language, which is technically
well done, but linguistically very bad.

Sunday arrived the day of the race.
I was ready for the challenge armed with
positive thinking and good mood, I felt ready,
but a bit impatient. I managed to
get settled into the starting zone, not so
far away from the start lane. Race finally
started. I’m sorry that I could not
enjoy more in the view from the bridge on
The Bosporus because it was crowded, I needed
to position myself and settle down the pace,
which was not easy because you have to
catch up some people and someone overtakes you.
I was looking for pacers, somehow I’ve lost them
at the first part of the race.
However, about a fifth kilometer
I settled tempo and running
felt good, at tenth kilometer we crossed
the Golden Horn Bay, ie. bridge
Galati and headed to the semi-circle along the bay.
It was crowded due to the other two races.
After 17 km marathon race separated.
When the walls of the ancient
Constantinople arised on one hill before
the half marathon dividing, I felt the first signs of fatigue.
Halfway my time was slightly above 1:40,
mostly according to plan, although I thought
I can be even faster. The longest and
the hardest part of the race has started, beautifull though.
The path went to a large semicircle along the coast of Marmara
sea. The weather was pleasant, even
warm, little wind did not bother.
Somewhere in the 23rd kilometer in opposite direction
the second race emerged with the leading runners
from Kenya, where it was already 35th kilometer.
I tried to maintain the rhythm althow
it dropped slightly to above 5 minutes per
kilometer. At that moment it has been more
psychological struggle to remain strong in the head,
and not constantly think how much more is there to
the end. I watched the nature as much as I could.
The tactic was to take a little
water for every 5 kilometers and a wet
sponge in between. I also took a sugar cube
with some of my own magnesium.
My time at 40th kilometer was slightly above
3:16, I was pretty exhausted.
I heard it is a difficult finish, which I proved to be accurate.
Just after half way I realized I wont be able
to come closer to pacers with 3:15 time, and I wanted
that so much secretly, but I was
a lot ahead that pacer at 3:30. However tough finish
brought me 3:27:35 according to my measurement, so
I though the main goal to go under 3:30
is fulfilled. I was pleased, I wouldnt
risk waiting for a massage because it took
time to find things, which was not easy.
I felt sick and bad because I had to wait
half an hour to find a bag.
Finally I rushed to the hostel so that I
could even do some stretching exercises
before showering.

After the race, when I was a little stabilized
I afford myself a plentiful lunch in company
with Pera and Gabrijela in a nearby
restaurant. The next day we visited some more
places, although I am eager to go
back. I liked a lot their
cheese pie and freshly squeezed pomegranate juice
from the street, but not the rice
I tried in a restaurant.
Patchwork of streets and bazaars and various
stores have not left
an impression, although I was sorry
I have not looked at a little more
two bookstores where there were many
interesting books in English
language. The way back was less
stressfull, but after returning home
a slow passing of sore muscles in combination
with some disease that affected me, so Im
still recovering. The main goal
has been made and I think this trip was
successful. Hostel was good and at
good location along with breakfast too.
It means a lot to me because I
met new people at this trip .