Running the Nike Victory Tour Race in Istanbul!

I used to say that I couldn't run.

I mean, it's super hard. I would get out of breath after only a few yards, and I really felt that it wasn't for me. But, a small bit of me really wanted to become a good runner.

So, I started to run just a bit here and there, slowing working up and adding a bit more distance. It helped that Bogazici University has a great running track at their stadium that all students have access to. As I stayed consistent with my running, I started to build up strength and endurance.

I've now learned to call myself a runner. I'm not super fast, and I've never run a marathon. but I enjoy running in order to keep my stress-levels low and to stay fit, and I especially like to run when it involves a race. 

Last year in June, Nike hosted the Women's Victory Tour race in Bostanci, Istanbul. I signed up, and was pleasantly surprised to find that several of my friends did as well. We got to the race and the music was already blasting. It was so hard not to dance to the Ellie Goulding playing over the speakers, that I just gave in a few times and swayed to the beat. We got our faces painted and some girls got colorful hair extensions. Then, we were ready! 

The Nike races are always a ton of fun, and they always have pacers running alongside the crowd to help keep the runners motivated. I found the atmosphere to be so positive, that it made running that much easier and a ton of fun. 

I really recommend signing up for a race in Istanbul if you enjoy running (or even walking). It is a good motivator as you look forward to running the race, and it pumps you up to get to run alongside so many other happy people. Get a group of Erasmus students together to join you! Races are a really fun thing to do with friends, and you can always go out to eat guilt-free afterwards. 

If you are studying in Istanbul in the winter months, and you really don't want to work-out outdoors, see if your campus has an indoor gym or join MacFit (an inexpensive, monthly-membership gym that has locations all over Istanbul). I know that Bogazici University has an indoor gym with a swimming pool on their Hisar Campus, and you pay a small entry fee or a monthly fee to use it. 

Exercising will really help you battle winter-blues, as the short days and cold can sometimes start to get you down. Stay up-beat by working out a few times a week! 

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