The Coastal Route

When training, the spaces between workouts, the rest, are as important as the work. Following up great efforts with recovery is a way to get stronger over time, to let the work turn into gains. A rest day can do wonders for the legs and, more importantly, for the mind. Getting back onto the road from Kanagawa, I saw the benefit of this, with a refreshed mind and legs that were ready to work. I also received an order of Chamois Cream to help with the discomfort from all the time in the saddle.

From Kanagawa, I followed the Sea of Japan. The first day was a bit of a transition, still urban, but far less busy and developed than the first day's riding on Honshu, more suburban than urban. There were long stretches of road surrounded by rice fields and warehouses. The weather was on the warm side, but not uncomfortably so. Good riding weather.

The day ended at an Onsen, a hot spring hotel that is the perfect way to end a day cycling. Japanese “grand baths” are everywhere throughout the country. Communities meet together to soak in the waters that have a medicinal quality. When you arrive, you take off your shoes, get a locker and get ready to bathe. The process requires a full scrub with soap and shampoo before getting in the water. There can be as few as a single pool, or a variety of temperatures and mineral content. This particular night featured both sulfur and salt pools, with the wonderful sensation of sitting out in the cooling evening air to counteract the heat of the water. Looking up at the stars is a great way to unwind after a day of riding. 

Every few nights, I have taken advantage of an onsen, with this particular one featuring an Izakaya for dinner after the plunge in the pool. The fried chicken, noodles and edamame made the night complete and ensured that I had a great night of sleep.

The sleep was needed as my longest day so far was awaiting. I hugged the Sea of Japan the entire day, making for wonderful riding and surprises around every corner. There was a decent amount of traffic, which made some of the (many) tunnels a bit of a challenge, but it was a great day of riding. Towards the very end of the ride, after cycling up a very tall hill, I was greeted by a very unwelcome bridge maintenance closure. I was turned back and forced into a long descent and the subsequent climb back up the valley to finish the day. Not what I was looking forward to at that point in the ride, but a reality of riding roads that are completely unfamiliar. I will likely have a day filled with more distance later in the trip, but the effort of the day was long and satisfying, once again making for a great night of sleep. 

As the trip has gone on, my mind has become more peaceful, living in the moment and focused on the tasks of the day. There are still unwelcome thoughts and worries that pop into my mind each day, but overall, I am able to turn off my analytical side a bit more and get the ride in. I am starting to realize, though, that despite seeing a massive amount of the country, I am seeing a very narrow band. The effort of cycling is all encompassing in that usually, when I retire for the evening, all I want to do is rest. To get laundry done, to maybe read, but more likely lie in bed with my phone watching something completely mindless. I don't want to head out (likely on my bike) to see things in the area, and in fact, I have prioritized the end of rides each day for urban environments where there are more hotel options but often less to see. This is a tradeoff and a freedom that comes with being on the road, but leaves me feeling that I want to come back to see even more of this country, likely from behind the wheel of a car, though rather than cycling again. 

Day 16, the third day since the rest day, was one of the hardest yet. My body was feeling the long day yesterday, and the weather wasn’t cooperating. It was a hot day with pretty intense sun for the first half of the ride. By the time I was nearing the mid-point of the ride, I was really ready to be done. Taking a break at a 7-11 to hydrate and get some calories in for the push to the finish, I was approached by an older man who, through the use of Google Translate, talked to me about his desire for peace in the world and his devotion to Japanese Buddhism. It was a nice interaction that helped refocus the mind to push on to the stop for the night. When I arrived, I found a great burger place to fill up and get ready for a shorter day the next morning. I contemplated taking an extra day, but the food and rest did the trick, and I was ready to head out from Niigata.

Day 14

Distance (day) - 130 km

Distance (total) - 1204 km

Climbing (day) - 750 m

Climbing (total) - 7755 m

Convenience Stores (day) - 2

Convenience Stores (total) - 24

Tunnels (day) - 21

Tunnels (total) - 75

Day 15

Distance (day) - 94 km

Distance (total) - 1298 km

Climbing (day) - 206 m

Climbing (total) - 7961 m

Convenience Stores (day) - 3

Convenience Stores (total) - 27

Tunnels (day) - 3

Tunnels (total) - 78

Day 16

Distance (day) - 59 km

Distance (total) - 1367 km

Climbing (day) - 134 m

Climbing (total) - 8094 m

Convenience Stores (day) - 2

Convenience Stores (total) - 29

Tunnels (day) - 3

Tunnels (total) - 81