Running more than a year 🏃

Hi everyone. I started running in January 2023 and now it’s June 2024. I can say I am a runner more than 1 year. I wanted to share my feelings and answer for some questions like, “Why i like running?”, “What are the changes in my life after started running” etc.

You can read this blogpost from my personal website https://www.okandavut.dev/posts/running-more-than-year

Why I started to running?

When I started to run my only goal was being healthy. Also it was really nice to see that people having some goals about it and completing their goals. I thought that it can feel really good to achieve your goals in sport.

I made a lot of different sports. As professionally

• Football, 10 years. Sustained an ankle fracture, which forced me to stop
• Judo, 5 years. Turkey Championship 3rd, 2–3 times Izmir Champion of 34kg ,38kg ,42 kg
• Amateur Tennis and Running.

Also I tried many but these ones I can say at least I joined one official competition. So I can say really enjoy doing sports and childhood I spent a lot of time for it.

Due to university and starting my career, I stopped doing sports for nearly 10–12 years. However, at some point, I began to feel the effects of aging, and with my job requiring a minimum of 6–7 hours of sitting every day, I realized I needed to get moving.

During this time, I came across a group on Twitter called ‘Software Developers Who Do Sports’ and decided to join. I discovered that many people in the group were already engaged in various sports like running, swimming, fitness, and triathlon. Inspired by them, I started researching the best sport for me and decided to give it a try to cycling and running.

After started cycling and running together I liked running more than cycling and other sports. During the running workouts, I started thinking about life, work I will do and other things. It started feeling really good.

Detailed Process Overview: Actions Taken and Results Achieved

After I started running, I initially ran 3–5 kilometers, three days a week. There was no structured plan, so I began researching how people start running, set goals, and participate in races.

Then I signed up for the ‘Maraton Izmir 10KM Race’ in Izmir, Turkey. At that time, I didn’t have a training plan or much knowledge, and I was only running a maximum of 5–6 kilometers. One day, after completing a 6-kilometer run, I thought I could handle 10 kilometers without a problem. I pushed myself and managed to run 10 kilometers. However, when I got home, I started feeling pain in the front of my knees. It was the worst feeling because I had registered for a race that was less than a month away, and I really wanted to participate.

I asked my friends from the ‘Spor Yapan Yazılımcılar’ (Developers Who Do Sports) Telegram channel about my pain, and they said it sounded like ‘Runner’s Knee.’ This was a new term for me, and I learned that some runners experience this injury. I went to the hospital and had 10 sessions of physical therapy. My pain went away, but there were only 10 days left before my race.I asked my doctor if I could participate in the race, and she said, ‘You can join, but don’t push yourself. Just run slowly, and if you feel pain, walk’.

Good news!! I was able to race and started training a week before the event. I ran 3 kilometers and felt awesome. There was no pain, and everything was great. With that boost, I ran 6 kilometers two days before race day. Then I joined the race and completed it in 1 hour and 6 minutes. I felt really great. Defining your goal, working for it over a long time, and achieving it was an amazing experience!

What will be the next step?

So, I completed a race. What will be the next step? I took about 10 days to recover, and during this time, I researched races and goals, and what others in my situation were doing. I decided to set a new goal: completing a half marathon in September. My only goal is to finish the half marathon within the allotted time, without worrying about my finishing time.

With the 10km race and the training process, I realized how much I enjoyed running, even more than cycling and other sports. I had been using an Apple Watch to track my activities, but its battery life was frustrating. So, I bought a Garmin Fenix 7 and created a Garmin Coach Plan for my half marathon race.

I trained at least three days a week from the end of June to September. During this time, I also researched extensively about running, including form, techniques, warm-up routines, injuries, and nutrition. Running a half marathon is a significant distance, and proper feeding and hydration are crucial. My training plan included a mix of easy runs, interval training, and long runs. I started with 10km for long runs as per my coach plan, and my longest run was 20km. My goal was to complete the 21.1km (half marathon) in a maximum of 2.5 hours.

On race day, I prepared my gels and learned how to eat before a race. When I started, I felt really good, although the weather was quite hot. Despite the heat, I managed to complete the race in 2 hours and 22 minutes. It was a great feeling because my goal was to finish the race in under 2.5 hours, and I achieved that.

So What’s Now?

After completing the half marathon, I realized that running would definitely be my main sport. I made a plan to participate in the Berlin Half Marathon in 2024. My wife and I thought it would be a great opportunity to travel to Berlin again, a city that’s special to us because we once lived there. We applied for a Schengen Visa in December 2023, and I planned to buy a race ticket once we got our visa approval. However, while we were waiting for our visas, the Berlin Half Marathon tickets sold out. Even though we got our visas, we decided not to cancel our trip. Instead, we will travel and watch the race. I also continued my training in Berlin 😄

Then we traveled to Berlin. Watching the Berlin Half Marathon inspired me to join the race next year. After the race finished, they opened ticket sales for the 2025 Berlin Half Marathon, and I immediately bought a ticket!

In April 2024, I participated in the Maraton İzmir 10km race, which was my first race of the next year. I prepared diligently for this event with a goal of finishing sub 1 hours. I completed the race in 57 minutes and 51 seconds, surpassing my goal and achieving another personal best!

I noticed a race in Çeşme, İzmir. Since I was living in İzmir and it was nearby, I wanted to participate. However, there wasn’t much time to prepare properly. My goal was simply to finish in under 2 hours. I competed in the Çeşme Half Marathon but didn’t achieve my goal. Nevertheless, I set a personal best, which I’m okay with because I know my preparation wasn’t optimal. You can also see my eyes 😄

In May 2024, the Izmir 10km race event was scheduled for May 19th, commemorating Atatürk, Youth, and Sports Day. I thought it would be beneficial to participate in this race before the summer, giving me nearly a month to train. My goal was to finish sub 55 minutes. I joined the race and completed it with a time of 53 minutes and 54 seconds.

So after this race, I decided to participate in 10km races throughout the spring, summer, and first half of autumn in 2024. This will help me build speed and endurance over shorter distances. Afterwards, I will start a new training plan for the Berlin Half Marathon in 2025. During this period, I aim to lose weight and reach my ideal weight, which will also contribute to better running performance.

The last thing I wanted to mention is that I started an Instagram account to share my running journey and the knowledge I’ve gained. You can find me at “runningwithokan” and perhaps my journey can inspire you as well.

This is my running journey from the beginning until now. I hope it inspires you and that you enjoy reading it! Thank you!