Okuthathwe Ukunqoba (Ingxenye) Yomjaho We-Runfire Cappadocia Ultra Marathon eTurkey

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Kuthatha ini ukugijima amamayela ayi-160 ehlane elishisayo laseTurkey? Isipiliyoni, impela. Isifiso sokufa? Kungenzeka.Njengomgijimi womgwaqo, angiyena umafikizolo emizileni emide, kodwa ngangazi ukuthi ukubhalisela i-Runfire Cappadocia Ultra Marathon kuzoba uhambo oluyinganekwane nokuhlola i-mettle, ngisho nakumdlali wemarathoni amaningi njengami.

Ngahamba amahora angu-16 ngisuka eNew York City ngiya edolobhaneni lase-Uchisar eKapadosiya. Kodwa isingeniso sami sokuqala sangempela esifundeni size ngokugibela ibhaluni lomoya oshisayo enkabeni ye-Anatolia. ICappadocia eyomile iyikhaya lamaHeti asendulo, amaPheresiya, amaRoma, amaKrestu aseByzantium, amaSeljuks, namaTurkey ase-Ottoman, futhi kwakulula ukubonga ubuhle bendawo engangizoyisebenzisa ngenkathi nginyuka phezu kwamadwala aziwa ngokuthi "inganekwane oshimula. " Imibala ephinki yaseRose Valley, imihosha ejulile ye-Ihlara Valley, iziqongo zamadwala zase-Uchisar Castle, nezindlela ezihamba emihosheni eqoshiwe zathembisa isipiliyoni sangesikhathi sokuphila. (Njengalezi zi-10 ezihamba phambili zeMarathons Zokuhamba Emhlabeni.)

Kodwa ungakwazi ukuyibiza kanye empilweni uma usuvele uphuphe ngokuyenza futhi?

Ngaphambi komjaho, samisa amatende ematendeni esintu aseTurkey eLove Valley. Ngezinketho eziyisithupha ezahlukahlukene ezisukela kusuku olulodwa lwe-20K (cishe umarathon wesigamu) kuye ezinsukwini eziyisikhombisa, ezisekelwa ngokuphelele yi-160-mile mile marathon, bonke abavakashi abangama-90 ohambweni lwami bahlanganiswa. Izigaba ezaziwa kakhulu ngama-mini-mini "mini" nezinsuku eziyisikhombisa, lapho abasubathi bathwala khona amamayela ayi-9 kuye kwayi-12 ngosuku phakathi kokudla okuphekiwe ekamu. Umjaho unqamula ukuqhuma kwamadwala, amasimu epulazi, izigodi eziluhlaza, amadolobhana asemaphandleni, ichibi lomgodi, kanye neLake Tuz kasawoti owomile. Izinsuku ziyashisa, zidudula u-100 ° F, kanti ubusuku bupholile, buyehla bube ngu-50 ° F.

Ngibhalisele i-RFC 20K-umjaho wami wokuqala we-trail owake waba nezinsuku ezimbili ezengeziwe zokugijima. Kepha ngasheshe ngathola ukuthi cishe amamayela ayi-13 ukudlula eCappadocia kwakuzoba ngamakhilomitha anzima kakhulu futhi amahle engake ngahlangabezana nawo. Emijahweni eyi-100 kanye nokugijima okungabaleki engikungenele emazwenikazi ayisithupha, awukho oke washisa, unamagquma, uthobekile, futhi ujabulisa njenge-Runfire Kapadosiya. Unzima kangakanani lo mjaho? Isikhathi sokuwina kunoma yimuphi umgwaqo unikezwe uhhafu wemarathon uphakathi kwehora eli-1 nehora eli-1, imizuzu engama-20. Isikhathi sokuwina ku-RFC 20K kwaba amahora ama-2, imizuzu engama-43. Lowo ophumelele kwaba ngu- kuphela umuntu ozoqeda ngaphansi kwamahora ama-3. (Funda ukuthi Ukugijima Ekushiseni Kwenzani Emzimbeni Wakho.)

Ngobusuku obandulela i-20K, sazisiwe ngenkambo-kepha ngenkathi ama-Ultra marathoners ehamba namadivayisi we-GPS ahlelwe ngomzila womjaho, besimane sinohlu lokushintshana ngenkambo emakiwe. Usuku lomjaho, naphezu kwaleso sifundo esimakiwe, ngalahleka. Ngabe sengiphinda ngilahleka futhi, futhi, ngaze ngaphuthelwa isikhathi sokugcina esinqunyiwe endaweni yesibili yezindawo zokuphepha ezimbili zokuphepha. Ngiqede amamayela amahlanu okuqala ngaphandle komcimbi cishe ngehora elilodwa, imizuzu eyi-15 namamayela ayisithupha alandelayo ngamahora ama-2, imizuzu engama-35. Ngihlekise ngawubiza lo mjaho ngokuthi "i-Walkfire" ngemuva kokuhamba ngindilinga.

Emzileni, ilanga lalingayekethisi, umoya womile, umthunzi wawumbalwa. Ngakwemukela ukuthi isithukuthuku somjuluko sizominza izingubo zami. Kodwa futhi ngathatha izinyathelo ezengeziwe zokuqapha ukuze ngigweme ukushisa, ukushiswa yilanga, nokuphelelwa amanzi emzimbeni njengoba ngigijima kuhhavini ofaka udaka. Ngangigijima kancane kakhulu kunokujwayelekile futhi ngithatha ikhefu lokuhamba njalo."Umlilo wokuhamba ngezinyawo," njengoba kwakunjalo, kwakungewona umqondo omubi kangako. Amathebhu e-carb ne-electrolyte kwakudingeka, kanye namanzi amaningi. Ngimunce wonke amabhodlela amanzi ezindaweni zokuhlola ngaphezu kwebhodlela ebengiliphatha lapho ngibaleka. I-bandana buff yami nayo ibalulekile. Ngangiyigqoka njenge-gaiter ne-sun guard entanyeni yami, ngiyidonsela emlonyeni wami lapho umgwaqo wawunothuli ikakhulukazi. Futhi i-sunblock, i-sunblock emnandi, ngikuthanda kanjani? Ngangifaka isicelo njalo ekuseni futhi ngihambe ngiswayipha ebhandeni lami lomjaho ukuze ngifake phakathi nokugijima. Futhi, angizange ngilokothe ​​ngithuthe ngaphandle kwama-shades ne-visor.

Ekugcineni, ukulahleka ogwadule lwase-Anatolian kwakungeyona into esabekayo njengoba kungabonakala. Njengakwezinye izindawo, kunezingozi eTurkey, ehlala ezimpambanweni zomgwaqo zaseYurophu naseMpumalanga Ephakathi. Kepha eCappadocia nase-Istanbul, ngizwe umhlaba ukude nosizi lomhlaba. Ngisho nowesifazane owayehamba egijima yedwa, engangikubona phansi kwakungafani neze nezithombe ezisematheni.

Amantombazane afake amaduku ekhanda eya esikoleni sangeSonto agigitheka njengoba sigijima esigodini sasemakhaya. Ogogo abafake ama-hijabs baqhweba ngamawindi esitezi sesibili. Owesifazane osemusha ogqoke ijini ecijile uzibuze ukuthi yini engaletha abagijimi kule ndawo yakhe enothuli. Ulungele ukubona abesifazane baseTurkey begijima eziqongweni zamathangi kanye nezikhindi njengoba u-tights namateyi. Futhi umsindo wobizo lwamaSulumane emthandazweni owawuphuma emibhoshongweni yama-mosque wawuzolile njengoba wawumuhle.

Izwe eligijimayo linobungane obudumile, futhi ngithole abagijimi baseTurkey nabahleli bomjaho phakathi kokumukelwa okuhle kakhulu engihlangane nakho. Phakathi ne-20K, ngenza ubungane nabanye abagijimi abane abalahlekile abavela emagumbini ahlukene eTurkey. Sixoxe, sahleka, sathatha ama-selfie, sathenga iziphuzo ema-café aseceleni kwamawa, safaka izingcingo ezivela kubaphathi bomjaho besibuyisela emuva esifundweni, futhi ekugcineni sangena endaweni yokuhlola yesibili ngemuva kokuzulazula cishe amamayela ayi-11 kwangu-13 emahoreni ama-3, imizuzu engama-49. (Funda ukuthi kungani ukuba neFitness Buddy kuyinto enhle kakhulu.) Ngithole i-DNF yami yokuqala (Did Not Finish), kanye nabanye abagijimi abangama-25 abangakwazanga ukuqeda ngesikhathi esibekiwe samahora amane. (I-FYI: Kwakunabagijimi abangama-54 kuphela ababencintisana.) Kodwa nganginomunye wemijaho engingasoze ngiyilibale empilweni yami.

Ngosuku lwesibili lwe-Runfire, ngalandela iqembu elihambahambayo le-Garmin GPS, ngalandela abagijimi kuyo yonke inkambo ngeVolkswagen Amarok. Njengoba abagijimi abangu-20K bengasekho, bebesele nabagijimi abangu-40 kuphela okufanele bababheke. Ngihalalisele abagijimi be-ultra marathon kusuka ezindaweni ezimbalwa zokuhlola endleleni, lapho izikhulu zanginikeza khona amanzi, i-medical aid, kanye nendawo yomthunzi. Ngabe sengigijima amamayela amane okugcina ekhosi ngomgwaqo onesihlabathi, kodwa othandekayo.

Ubhekilanga wakha imigwaqo ehlukanisayo enqamula epulazini elishisayo, walungisa indlela eyayigcwele izimbali zasendle. Amazambane, amathanga, ukolweni, nebhali kwakhula ngaphesheya kwe-Anatolian bread basket of Turkey.

Njengoba ngangihamba nginyathela, ngezwa sengathi yimi ngedwa umgijimi emhlabeni, ngakhahlela uthuli, ngacothoza phansi kwelanga, futhi ngithanda wonke umzuzwana oshisayo, ojulukayo. Ngalowo mzuzu, ngakuqonda ukunxenxa komjaho omkhulu we-marathon osebenza emgwaqeni oyindilinga futhi ngivakashela umhlaba igxathu elilodwa ngesikhathi. Ngigijima ngaphandle komculo, ngezwa konke ukuphefumula, unyawo ngalunye, impukane ebhuza, nokuqubuka komoya komoya. Ngazizwa ngiyingxenye yomhlaba, isilwane esizulazulayo, umfokazi ekufuneni okukhulu.

Kepha ngenkathi ngilahlekelwa yimicabango yami ekuphindweni komgijimi ophakeme, abafana abathathu bangihlwitha engqondweni yami. Bangikhuluma ngesiTurkey, kwase kuba nesiNgisi lapho ngiphendula ngegama elingalungile merhaba, sawubona ngezinhloso zonke. Babefuna ukungitshela amagama abo futhi bafunde nelami. Omunye wayegqoke ithangi leDisney 101 Dalmatians. Futhi futhi, ngangimane nje ngingumuntu; umgijimi nje, hhayi i-ultra marathoner. Kepha imbewu yayihlwanyelwe, imbungulu yayilumile. Ngangifuna okwengeziwe.

Ngamakhilomitha angu-9 ngosuku olulandelayo, ngabambisana nomgijimi waseTurkey uGözde. Simangaze echibini le-crater, isigodi samatshe esiwile, nakwezinye izindawo njengoba sikhuphukela endaweni ephakeme yomjaho ngamamitha angu-5 900, ngaphezu kwamamayela ukuphakama, kuyilapho inkomba yokushisa ikhuphuke ngaphezu kuka-100 ° F. Ngosizo lwedivayisi ye-GPS, ngakuthola kulula kakhulu ukuhlala emzileni. UGözde wakha amabhilikosi nama-cherry ezihlahleni eziseduze. Sibonise izithombe ngesikhathi sekhefu lokuhamba-ikati lakhe nenja yami. Ngabelane ngamathiphu ngeBank of America Chicago Marathon, umjaho omkhulu olandelayo ekhalendeni lakhe, ovele ube sendaweni yakithi yobuntwana. Unginikeze izincomo ngokuvakasha kwami ​​​​okuzayo e-Istanbul, idolobha lakubo. (Ufisa i-adventure ekude kakhulu? Nazi Izindawo eziyi-7 Zokuvakasha Eziphendula Ubizo 'Lwasehlathini'.)

Nenhliziyo yami yehla lapho ngibona ukuthi isikhathi sami emjahweni sesinciphile. Ekupheleni kosuku, imoto yalinda ukuze ingisuse, ibuyele eCappadocia bese iya e-Istanbul. Bengifuna ukugijima nabanye abahlanganyeli siye ekamu elilandelayo eduze kwechibi elikhulu likasawoti laseTurkey. Bengifuna ukuba ngumjaho we-ultra marathon zonke izinsuku zami. Kudingekani ukugijima ogwadule olushisayo lwaseTurkey lwendawo yenganekwane? Ukuzimisela ukuba yiqhawe "kuze kube phakade naphakade," njengoba kuhlabele uDavid Bowie. Noma, uyazi, usuku olulodwa nje.

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