Birthday Miles into the Hills

Daily miles: 32.69 | Total miles: 11,142.88

I got up at 6:20 a.m., and because I couldn’t find any water, I prepared my cold coffee with carbonated water. So yes—my birthday started with a bubbly, fizzy black coffee. A quiet little celebration. I turned 45 today. Wow. What a life so far. What a journey I am on right now. I’ve explored a lot already—and I know there is still so much ahead. I feel deeply fortunate for the opportunities that have come my way—and that I’ve taken.

I got ready and started running out of Tekirdağ in the dark, on cobblestone sidewalks. Once out of town, the climbing began. Up and up and up. It was ice-cold and windy.

At one point, a car stopped on the shoulder ahead of me. I walked over, and a woman named Habiba asked if I wanted a ride. I told her about my run. She is from Uzbekistan, her husband from Turkey. Not long after, a police car pulled over. The officer asked what I was doing—not to check my ID, but simply out of curiosity. He seemed genuinely impressed that I was running in the cold.

A little later, I saw another car stopped on the shoulder and thought it might have broken down. As I approached, a man got out smiling. He spoke in Turkish and asked something like, “Where is your bicicletta?” I told him I run. Then he gestured again, and I thought he was asking where I was going. I answered, “Espania.” He burst out laughing and hugged me as if we had known each other forever. We took a photo together, both with huge grins. I waved goodbye and ran on with a big smile still on my face.

I met my sister around mile 12 at a gas station. The day stayed hilly throughout, and my legs didn’t feel as fresh as yesterday. Still, I enjoyed the walking sections uphill and the space they gave me—to think, to reflect on the journey and on my life.

Later, my sister waited somewhere along another hill. I sat in the van for a moment, wishing I could stay in the warmth—but it was time to go. The last part was sunny but still ice-cold. I passed a man cleaning a large tractor with a pressure washer. I waved, and he waved back. People here are incredibly friendly, and the farmland reminds me a lot of Switzerland.

I ran past a place where onion bags and köfte were being sold out of a bus. When I took a photo, the door of a nearby house suddenly opened and a woman invited me inside. They had a wood oven and poured me an orange drink (portakal). We sat together. The language barrier made it difficult, but it was beautiful to share what we could. They offered me meatballs, and I had to explain that I’m vegetarian. We took a few photos, and then I headed out for the final six miles as the sun started to sink lower.

When I arrived back at the van, my sister had a birthday card ready—just as she always does. Thank you. She spoiled me with a protein shake, an apple, an orange, and some peanuts. I made a few phone calls, took a shower, and then we had a wonderful birthday dinner: lentil soup, salad with pumpkin seed dressing (my absolute favorite), and some naan.

More phone calls followed, and now it’s time to sleep.

Thank you all for the birthday wishes.

Be well, Andrea