Monday 28 May 2012

TWO MARATHONS IN A DAY

The total distance of two marathons is approximately 85km. This sunday, 27th May, 2012, İ covered a total distance of 80km , running and walking.

Güzelyurt is a city (Old name MORPHOU), located in far western corner of  North Cyprus.  It is a distance of 40km from Lefkoşa (North NICOSIA). I live in Lefkoşa. I planned to visit Güzelyurt this sunday, running and walking.

It was my first time that i would be running on the road linking the two cities. I had been there quite a few many times by car.But this time i wanted to go there running and walking. The distance was 40km, and the road and the route was totally new to me, so i had not made any plan for returning back from there again walking/running. I had left this issue, to be decided once i reach there.

                        (5.30am i started off for the 40km run. This is the lane just behind my residence)


I started off early in the morning, because the weather was going to be too hot, during the day time. According to my initial estimate i would be taking atleast 6 hours to reach there.So i started off early in the morning. It was 5,30am, when i came out on the road, and started walking towards the main highway, approximately at the distance of 2km from my residence. The weather was clear. No clouds. Just a bit cool in the early hours of the morning. I wanted to cover as much distance as i could during the early hours, when the weather is cool.

But i could not start running outrightly. I usually walk 2km atleast, to adjust myself.

I tried to walk at my usual speed, and reached the main highway, from where i had had to turn left (west) towards Güzelyurt (Morphou).

                                       (The signboard showing the way left towards Güzelyurt)

With sun dawning on my back, i started running westward. There was no traffic. It was too early for a sunday morning traffic. Here or there i found some people pacing for an early morning walk. In a short span of time, i found my rhythm, and picked up pace. A long long, unending road was in front of me. I had been through the same road quite a many times. One by one the known buildings continued passing me, on right and left side of the road.







I started feeling heat, at around 8am. Long long road was ahead of me. Some traffic had started passing by.

The sight of the oranges farms , was the first indication that the Guzelyurt was near. Almost the oranges had been plucked, yet some left over were there on the trees, perhaps waiting for someone like me. I did not leave any chance, and instantly put my hands on two of them. They were quite tasty. I took two more. I felt as if i had found again some of my lost energy.  I picked up speed.


I stopped at a petrol pump, and washed my face. I asked the boy there, about how much distance left to Güzelyurt. His answer was 4 or 5km. I looked at my watch. I was ahead of my schedule. That made me too happy. It was about 10am. I was on the road for about 4.30 hours.

I entered the city of Güzelyurt at about 10.30am. It was quite a good performance. 40km in 5 hours.

                        (I turned left from the main chember to enter the city of Güzelyurt.....lovely flowers)

I reached the main bus stop. I had planned to take rest there. I had expected some restarurants etc and some place where i could takesome rest.
It was a large round waiting hall. There were chairs, but no benches. Nobody was in. I went out the back side. There was a small bufe there. Passengers were seated there, waiting for their buses.

I took a cup of tea and returned to main waiting lounge. I put an another chair in front of me, took off my shoes, and tried to make myself comfortable on the chair. I  looked at my feet. The burning sun had made its mark, the colour difference of my skin was evident as i lowered down my socks.


I closed my eyes and dosed in somewhat uncomfortable condition. Passengers were passing through the main door and crossing to the other side where the buses were parked. I do not know how long did i sleep. When awoke i went out and took something to eat.


I padded myself up once again at about 2pm. I had taken my decision. I would be going back to Lefkoşa again running/walking. The very idea of completing 80km in a day, had really given me a new strength. I asked my legs," ARE YOU READY FOR 80KM İN A DAY,". The reply was YESSSSSSSS. I had already covered 40km that morning, and now was going ahead for an another 40km. I took off at 2,30pm.

It was quite hot outside. I did know that it would not be too easy. But with renewed determination, i started off. As usual i had taken a bottle of water with me. This proved to be a very costly mistake. I should have taken two instead of one water bottle.

I preferred to walk more, instead of running. I wanted to save my energy to run when the weather becomes somewhat cooler, in the evening. I saw some clouds on far far east, in front of me, but too far. I thought that it would be too better for me if those clouds come faster towards me. But it was just a hope, which ultimately proved senseless.

I was walking, the long long barren road was ahead of me. A couple of more kilometres. I passed through the petrol station. I decided to take a short break, and washed my face. I went off. The same gardens of oranges passed, but i was still in the beginning part of my marathon, so there was no need to stop and eat oranges. I continued.

I covered around 10km when i started feeling hungry. I sat in the shade of a sign board, and ate my packet of biscuits. I drank some water. I looked at the bottle. I realised my mistake. I must have taken two bottles. But it was too late. I did know that it was a new road, and there was no village in the way. There was only one petrol pump on the road, and that had already passed. I had had no other choice to keep on going.

I started feeling burning heat on back side of my neck. The hat that i was wearing was not large enough to save my neck from heat. I recalled the famous film BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, where the commander of the British forces and some of soldiers had put a piece of cloth attached to back side of their caps to save their neck from the heat. I had seen the same in some other movies also. 
BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI

I found a piece of white paper on side of the road. Somebody had thrown it. I could see lots of ants on it, because the paper was earlier used to cover some eatable. Part of the paper was stained with oil. I cleared the paper off the ants, and adjusted it under my hat, in a way that almost whole of the backside of my neck was covered by it. I had successfully found the way out to save my back from burning


But the biggest problem was that i was thirsty, and there was no way out to solve that. I was not running at all, just walking, but still thirsty. There was no village or shop or petrol station on the way.

I continued. Still half bottle was filled with water, but i was not going to finish it unless i get an another water. I took some very small sips of water, and kept on going.

I looked at my watch, i was much behind my schedule. It was 7.30. According to my performance in the evening, bu that time i must have been at home. But Lefkoşa was still more than 5km away. I stopped. I decided to take rest. I was too tired. My whole body was being effected by thirst.

But that was not all. By half way, i had checked that both of my socks had had big holes. It was not so in the morning. 80km were perhaps too much for them. The torn pieces of the socks had started troubling the bottom of my feet. I had realised that there were quite some water balls under the skin. But i had had to keep on moving. My speed had dropped. But i was continuing.

I found water in the first petrol pump that i found , around 5km away from Lefkoşa. I drank the whole bottle. Bought an another one for the remaining 5km.

The rest was just normal. Due to problems in the bottom of my feet, the whole of my leg had developed pain. I kept on walking.

I reached home at quarter to 9pm. I had finished these 40km in over 6 hours.

But the overall result was superb. Two marathons means approximately 85km. I had covered 80km in a day. Very fantastic and morale boosting performance from my point of view.




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