After nearly a month without proper running training and two intense weeks at an MMA camp in Dagestan, I returned to the trails at the Merrell Istanbul Ultra 15K. The race started well, but after 10K my legs began to fade, and the steep final climbs turned it into a real battle. Exhausting, painful, but exactly the reset I needed to start running again.

I signed up for the 33K category of the Gökçeada UltraTrail not to chase a podium or clock a fast finish, but to train my mind and body...