It all goes back to February this year:

Having rediscovered the joy of running during the winter of 2011-12, I wanted to set myself a challenge, a goal to work towards. I had my eye on the Berlin Marathon which has a reputation for being an ideal marathon for beginners. In early spring, before I committed myself to the marathon, I pushed myself a bit harder to see if I had it in me to run long distances, hours at a time. It looked good. My body could take it, but also I was enjoying it!

I was reading Murakami's "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" around the time I made the final decision to run the marathon and it dawned on me that I had other subconscious motivations than just facing a physical challenge. It was something to do with freedom.

At one level it's a metaphysical freedom. The freedom of doing something not because it pays not because it's going to be good for you in any sensible way, but doing it just because you feel it's the thing you should be doing at this moment.

At another level it's a physical freedom. The freedom to explore and experience the city on your own terms. No public transport, no traffic, no charges or time limits on your activity. A bit like walking, but with less respect. Human meets concrete! During my intensive training in the summer months I made peace with London and claimed it as my home (if that's ever possible) after 13 years here. I have the Nike+ maps to prove it!

Alongside this visceral experience of freedom, I was opening up creatively as well. I have now, after 2 years of inactivity, 2 new pieces in the pipeline. Both about and around the theme of freedom. I will start sharing one of these pieces before the new year, so watch this space. The second piece which I will be developing into the spring is exploring physical freedom, specifically the loss of mobility through spinal injury.

Hence the choice of SIA- Spinal Injuries Association- as the charity I wanted to raise funds for. Please visit their website, have a look at their achievements and ambitions. SIA is a charity that's led by it's users, so they're active in the decision making and management of the charity. SIA is a national charity, but a small one, your donations will make a big difference.

My employer is matching the money I will raise. So every £1 you donate will be worth £2! 

OK, back to the day of the marathon: 30th September 2012

The marathon itself was an amazing experience. Berlin was a city I dreamt of visiting for a long time, probably ever since I watched Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire for the first time in early 90s. I ran the whole marathon with a big grin on my face, soaking up the atmosphere, celebrating every moment. The support and warmth from the people of Berlin lining the streets, took me by complete surprise. Strangers applauding and encouraging complete strangers running in front of them. There were street parties all along the way, with live bands playing every 700-800 meters. I wanted to shake everybody's hands, hug them and thank them for their generosity. I finished the marathon in 4hours 17mins. Not a great time, I did not run at my top speed maybe because I just did not want it to finish, but lets say because I played it safe. It was my first marathon, I wanted to finish wanting more rather than feeling spent...

I have by now surpassed my limits of sentimentality, so I think this is a good moment to stop. However, if you want to hear more, lets meet up or lets exchange messages, notes, emails so I can tell you more.

So please dig deep and donate now and thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

With love,

Taylan

 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.