This morning I went for a 10 km run along the Istanbul Bosphorus. It was early, quiet, and exactly what I needed.

Between software projects, meetings, and the general pace of running a company, it is easy to let physical activity slip down the priority list. I have never let that happen, and I do not intend to. Running, tennis, padel, swimming, gym cardio — I genuinely enjoy all of it. None of it feels like an obligation.

The mental clarity that comes from physical effort is not a cliché. After a run, problems I was turning over the night before tend to resolve themselves. Decisions become clearer. The same workload feels lighter.

The honest reason I protect time for sport is not productivity theory — it is that I feel worse without it, and feeling worse makes everything else harder. That seems like sufficient justification.