I wasn't in the saddle of my bike for six months by the last weekend. I just wasn't in the mood of riding a bike and go the distance but I knew the bike was looking at me in my room every weekend.
Well it was the last Saturday when I woke up to see the outside and found that I overslept for the beautiful day. I finished laundry quick and get out with the bike to go as far as I could.
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Funride Arakawa Cycling Course
I could ride all the way through the "correct" route that I couldn't find the path the last time. It was hot and sunny and on the road were a lot of people - baseball kids, soccer kids, family, couple and loners killing time.
I thought I could go even further when I turned around at the crossroad of Route 16, but it turned out it was actually too late as I found I hit the wall (or was bonked) at a place which was more than 20 km away from home. I didn't remember until then that I didn't eat anything but a piece of chocolate.
Well a story should always a bright side. I had to drink load of water from a tap in a park alongside the route, which I thought it would taste and smell bad. It turned out the Tokyo Water tasted really good. Yeah I know thirst is the best sauce, but I have to say that Tokyo Waterworks is doing a good job.
I went down (up) to my parents' again to start this year's Golden Week. The experience was similar to what I described in this post last year.
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Otsuki - Oizumi May 2010 - fumiakiy - Garmin Connect
Since I am looking to climb Norikura sometime in the future, I thought I would try another hill climbing course that is used in the tour of Yatsugatake. The start gate of the route was 40km away from my parents' house and was too far to go there by bike to start the climb... I rode to Matsubarako Lake where we enjoy ice fishing every year and turned around to go back. I was lost around a hill and climbed another hill without a plan but I felt good I was able to beat it.
Fun ride around Yatsugatake May 2010 - fumiakiy - Garmin Connect
Took onsen bath after biking and took a nap. The best thing about visiting parents was that I didn't have to prepare meal after having fun outside. Mom FTW (happy mothers day!).
Since I got a new utility, single-speed bike for commute, shopping and, well, utility, I left my Cannondale behind after we came back from the successful century ride in Okinawa. She has been in the room instead of the entrance she was every morning because the place was taken over by the utility bike, and I heard the voice last Friday.
Why don't we go for a ride? It's going to be pretty in the coming weekend.
Yeah why not? I looked for a place to go, and found the Forest Park in Higashi Matsuyama, Saitama prefecture is about 60km away from home. 120km for a Saturday. Not a bad idea.
The problem was that it's going to be a boring, "highway" ride; I mean, I had to take 17 or 254 to get there. It's large roads with tons of cars on it in the weekend. Rather, I found on the web that you could be near there by riding on the Arakawa Cycling Road, which, ahem, I also hate. I chose the latter because there is no traffic signal at least.
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Arakawa Cycling Rd.
Well, it was sunny, 80km of ride on the bike. What more should I have had? We can always be there in another weekend.
I was vacation-less in 2009. I am not in 2010. In fact this is one of those streams of vacation for me in 2010, hopefully.
Okinawa is a southern island of Japan with its own history. WW2 was not a thing in the past in this island. But Okinawa also has a history of encouraging cyclists. Tour De Okinawa is one of the biggest cycle road races in Japan. The 200 km amateur race is the top goal of every amateur cyclists all over Japan.
The island announced in October 2009 that it would hold a century ride in 2010. Circling around half of the main island the longest course was set to have 100 miles or 160 km. Since I missed Honolulu Century Ride in the summer 2009, this had to be my vacation plan.
So, here I come. I rode 160 km successfully. I was able to follow one of the lead riders from the pro team Bridgestone Anchor (only on a flat roads and descents.... He climbed hills like a rocket). My bike, travelled par avion for the fist time, took me all the way without any trouble. Here is the GPS trackpoints recorded during the run.
The rest of the six days vacation is ... taking rest. It is not high season for taking vacation in Okinawa which I prefer taking it. The hotel and restaurants do not have too many guests. The adjacent beach is empty in the morning and only a few families and couples appear in the afternoon. Onsen bath was also pretty much empty every time I had to take it just for the sake of sinking myself under water.
I don't have any plan besides the cycling event during this vacation, and it is good. I can wake up early in the morning, I can take a nap anytime I want to, and I can go anywhere by bike in the afternoon when I get a bit hungry. This is what every vacation should be like. I am traveling by myself and I have nobody to chat with when I am dining, and I am surprised how I actually like it.
Yay it's BBQ time in Japan! It was too hot last year when we went down to the mountain side of Tokyo to do BBQ, but this year it was a beautiful day.
My bike was parked in the office because of the rain last week so I had to get on the train at 6am to go to the office and pick her up. I left the office with a bottle of water at around 7am. The road was still clear and the day was absolutely wonderful. I went down to get on No. 20 and headed west. Mt. Fuji welcomed my arrival on the bridge of the Hino Bypass, but because I thought I was late I didn't stop to take a picture (the picture was by Dice).
The meeting time was set at 11am but I was able to get the BBQ park by 10am. It was still late because I would take an onsen bath which is up the hill from the park before joining the BBQ. I was able to arrive there at 1015 and took 1 hour of peaceful rest in a public open air bath. I love Japan when I am in a bathtub.
After I joined with Dice at the onsen we went down again to the BBQ park where the chef Yuji and the other good folks from Six Apart KK and Garth were grilling meat, fish, scallops and fried noodles. I drank a few chu-hi and beer but was careful not to drink too much, partly because I had a nightmare hangover two days ago, and partly because I thought I would return home by bike, something I didn't do the last time.
Food was great, the almond pudding Tomo-chan made was awesome again, and I was ready when it was time to go home. Kusano-san's Mercedes passed me and my bike on the road and I took about the same route as I did when I go this morning, to return home. I actually missed a turn at near my home and lost half an hour but it was OK after I arrived home. I felt very good when I saw my GPS said I rode 120km.
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Akikawa BBQ Ride 2009
I then walked down to a public bath near my home where two young sumo wrestlers were also taking a bath. They are chatting things like one of them would like to go shopping to Roppongi but the other told him he wouldn't have enough money to buy something there, etc, etc.
I rode on the infamous Arakawa Cycling Road for the first time this Sunday morning. It was just about 35km all the way up to somewhere near Horikiri Station and down to the end of Arakawa River this time for about 90 minutes. I had to stop riding because I didn't bring water with me and there was not a single vending machine on the road.
And..., well, it was boring. No surprise, but the river side cycling road was too damn flat all the way. If it had to be flat, it had to have some fun at the destination like meeting friends, BBQ, great view, etc. It was only Arakawa River. It should be a good walk with someone hand in hand, but not for a serious fun riding on a bike.
Oh, and I saw a road bike crashed into an elderly person on a town bike, and was calling an ambulance. The person looked seriously injured. Another fat freak on his road bike without wearing a helmet passed just in front of a little girl's nose in over 30km/h when she tried to cross the road (and he must have been aware that she was trying to without watching the side from which he was coming). I will not ride the road again, probably.
It was thanks to Yann and Beau who also sort of introduced me to him.
I was thinking about trying Muir Woods again by myself during this business trip in a road bike. However after I posted an intra-blog entry about me looking for a bike to use while I was here, Yann asked me if I would like a ride in the weekend. We made Marin Headlands and Muir Woods since then.
Well, this was the last day of my visit here. I asked Yann the options we could choose from for the day. We agreed that we'll cross the GG Birdge anyway and see if we are good and the weather is good.
It was the greatest ride ever. I was amazed by myself I was able to climb so fast as I as able to reach the cross road of Muir Woods Road and Panoramic Highway. However that was not the end. I was able to climb higher and longer all the way up to Mt. Tampalpais. I would not have made it if it were by myself. It was thanks to my friend who followed me and encouraged me all the way up.
