Day: August 13, 2006

Today’s profile was relatively flat, along the coast.  It was a Sunday that put the race a holiday mood.  At 6H30 AM there were already plenty of people at the beach.  There were different ways of spending this long holiday weekend: hotel, camping with tent or camper and some even slept on a mattress directly on the ground or on the sidewalk around the parking lot.  At 7H00 AM the shops in the villages we crossed were already open.  Then it was time for fishing and bathing.  Strangely enough, Japan is spotless except for the seaside, which is littered with cans, plastic bags and all kinds of stuff.  It surprised us because there were no refuse bins in the beach parking lots.  A good cleaning would do no harm and it would make these places a bit more heavenly.

Midway between the mountains and the sea, this region produces a very high quality of rice, the most expensive in all of Japan.

At kilometer 53, Serge reached the suburbs of Nigata.  His posture led me to believe that he was in pain: head sunk in his shoulders and facial features tense.  But Serge didn’t say a word and you don’t dare ask him if he is OK.  This evening, he complained about his tendon and I fear that this inflammation is not going to give him any peace until Tokyo.  To think of something other than his pain, Serge spent his afternoon in flash back.  He went back to December 18th, the day of departure, up to today.  What does Serge think about while he runs?  Here’s a partial response.