Weekly Topics/Archive
September 2013
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Though I cycled with the intention of crossing the finish line, I regreted to say that I retired
because of exceeding the time limit on the way.
I really feel heartbreaking grief.
I still have aftereffects from it.
Here are all the details.
| Course and variation in altitude |
Course Map
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I waked up at just 4 A.M with a alarm clock of my cell-phone.
It is still before dawn and dark in the outside.
I had breakfast at a hotel restaurant from 4:30 A.M.
I guess that the hotel afforded special benefit to guests who participate
in the event.
I left the hotel at 5:15 A.M with two backpacks on my shoulders.
I got to the main venue in about 5 minutes by bike.
I lined up in the open space and waited to start after checking my backpack
at temporary baggage storage.
About 2000 cyclists participate in this event.
We formed 13 rows in order of arrival and I lined up in the 11th row.
Participants in the first row started at 5:45 A.M and ones up to 7th row
have already started.
The sun already rises and the venue is enveloped in the fresh seaside
air.
We walk about 500 meters to the gate.
It seems that about 30 participants per minutes start.
I'm inspired more and more with fighting spirit.
The time has come.
I started from the gate at 6:35 A.M.
At first, we cycle south on the prefectural road 28 along the coast to
the first Aid Station(AD)
at the Sumoto Port.
Local people give a cheer for us on the sidelines.
I was pedaling in high gear since the road was relatively flat in the first
leg.
It was 7:50 A.M when I got to the first Aid Station at the 28.5-Km mark.
Even a yacht was moored at the Sumoto Port.
Aid Station at the Sumoto Port
(at the 28.5-Km mark) |
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At the Smoto Port (At 7:58 A.M)
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At all the Aid Station, rice balls, drinks and a variety of local foods
are provided to us.
I replenished food with “ton jiru”.
( “Ton jiru” means miso soup with pork and vegetables.)
After a 20-minute break, I restarted.
I pedaled toward the 2nd Aid Station, Nada AD.
I came to the first hilly and grueling part of the course around Tachikawa
through the Yura Port.
A variation in altitude is 150 meters and an average slope gradient is
8 %.
(Maximum slope gradient is 10 %.)
I gave up pedaling halfway up this hill.
However young riders go up without difficulty.
When I'm overtaken by girls, I get sad.
When we get over a pass, the road changes to the prefectural road 76 called
Minamiawaji Suisen Line along the coast.
A big white wave sometimes washes even on the road.
So we are occasionally sprayed with sea water.
Minamiawaji suisen line (at 9:32A.M) |
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There are not traffic signals on the road and the traffic is very few.
I was able to ride a bike feeling sea and nature.
It was 10:10 A.M when I got to the 2nd Aid Station, Nada AD, at the 59.1-Km
mark.
Participants taking a short break
at Nada Aid Station (at 10:10 A.M) |
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Nada Aid Station (at 10:27 A.M)
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After a 20-minute break, I started again.
Next, I head for the 3rd Aid Station, Uzushio AD, in Minamiawaji City.
There is the hilliest and most grueling part of the course that has three
uphills in this leg.
After a while, I came to uphill around Nadachino.
It has a variation in an altitude of about 80 meters, an average slope
gradient of 8 %
( Maximum slope gradient ; 11 %) and distance of 10 kilometers.
I shrink back when I see a sign like “8 kilometers to go”.
I get tired when I think I have to ride a bike another 8 kilometers up such a hill.
I see some participants who push their bike up a hill.
I was given the courage by them and also repeated pedaling and pushing
my bike.
The uphill around Nadachino area (at 10:45 A.M) |
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Soon after passing through here, there was a uphill again near Awashioya
Town.
It was short but has the variation in altitude similar to the first hill.
Around the Fukura Port, I knew my trip distance has been over 75 Km according
to cycle computer.
I felt somewhat better since I was more than half of the way there.
The sight of the coastline from the mountain road make me feel fresh.
The sight of the coastline viewing from the mountain road (at 12:04 P.M) |
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It was 12:12 P.M when I got to the 3rd Aid Station, Uzushio AD, at the
79.9-Km mark.
At Uzushio Aid Station |
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My situation take a bad turn at once here.
On arriving at the AD, I could hear a stuff speaking over a loudspeaker.
“You are disqualified because the time limit for passage through this AD
is 12:10P.M.”
In addition, he said, “I collect your number tags. We take you to the start
point in the park in
a bus and also carry your bikes to the same point by truck.”
Furthermore he said, “It's free for you to continue cycling after this, but even though you can
finish, you are considered as retired people. Please challenge again next
year.”
I was very surprised to hear that.
“Hey, come on now. Why!” “Only two minutes late.”
“We have only to finish by 4 P.M. Is that right?”
“ Sorry, as is well known, it's the rule of this event.”
We had an exchange of fruitless conversations.
I knew that there are some rule about time limit, but I'd forgotten about
that.
Little did I dream that I conflict with such a rule.
I felt heartbreaking grief since it was unexpected incident.
I was looking forward to cycling since remaining legs of the course was
flat along the coast.
It's indeed regrettable that I can't do that.
After a while, a bus and a truck arrived here.
I decided to get on a bus.
It's because I'm not certified as a finisher even though I would go on and could finish within
the time limit.
I was obliged to load my bike into the truck and get on the bus.
That is indeed a disgraceful scene.
They say the number of disqualified participants is 28 at the 3rd AD.
All the people involved got on the bus.
I felt in the bus as if I was escorted to a camp as a prisoner.
Somehow I got tired suddenly.
It was 1:50 P.M when we arrived at the park.
It was our only consolation that we got kicked out of the bus in an obscure
place.
I can see some participants in the leading group are finishing.
I was originally planning to cross the finish line, get a certificate for the completion and fit into
the commemorative photo of making a V sign.
At any rate, “careless” is the word.
I was really shocked at being informed of my “ashikiri”.
It was the first experience in my life.
I thought about the causes of my retirement for a while.
Is it a cause that I watched the TV drama till late last night?
If “Hanzawa Naoki” heard it, I might be taken hundredfold payback rather
than double one.
My refrection point comes down to operational careless mistake as below.
①My starting time was too late. To start earlier.
②I wasn't carefull. To get information about the time limit into mind.
I will challenge once again next year.
In the event “Cycling Shimanami 2013” on Oct.20, I will apply lessons learned
at this event.
[Note] with the intention of ～ ； ～するつもりで
I regret to say that ； 残念ながら(that 以下)です, grief ； 悲しみ, 嘆き
feel heartbreaking grief ； 痛恨の思いである
have aftereffects from ～ ； ～の後遺症が残っている
here are ～ ； ～は以下の通りである
all the details ； 一部始終, afford special benefit to ～ ； ～に特別の便宜を図る
with a backpack on one's shoulders ； バックパックを背負って
line up ； 整列する, check ； 荷物を預ける
temporary baggage storage ； 臨時の荷物預かり所, form ～ rows ；～列に並ぶ
line up in the ＿ row ；＿列目に並ぶ, be enveloped in ～；～に包まれる
be inspired with ～；～が湧いてくる, give a cheer for ～；～に声援を送る
on the sidelines ； 沿道で, leg ；区間,at the ＿-Km mark ; ＿Km 地点で
moor ；(船など) を係留する, replenish ; 補給する
hilly and grueling part of the course ；難所, hilly；険しい
grueling ；(精神的,肉体的に) 骨の折れる, slope gradient ；斜度
a variation in an altitude；高低差, slope gradient ；斜度
halfway up a hill ；坂の途中で, get over a pass ；峠を越える
overtake ；追い越す, wash on；打ち寄せる
shrink back ；辟易する,萎縮する, feel better；気が楽になる
somewhat ；なんとなく, take a bad turn ; (状況などが)暗転する
speak over a loudspeaker ；拡声器を使って話す
be disqualified ；失格である, take someone to ～in－；－で(人)を～に送る
Hey, come on now；おいおい,それはないでしょう
［一体どういうことなんだ」と改めて問う場合などに使う。
have only to ～；～しさえすればよい,as is well known ；周知の通り
Little did I dream that ～；～とは夢にも思わなかった, conflict with ～；～に抵触する
It's indeed regrettable that ～；～は実に悔やまれる(残念だ)
be certified as ～；～と認定される,go on；続行する, disgraceful；みっともない
all the people involved ；該当者(当事者),prisoner；捕虜, escort ；護送する
somehow ；なんとなく, get tired suddenly；どっと疲れが出る, consolation；慰め
get kicked out of ～；～から追い出される, in an obscure place；目立たない場所で
a certificate for ～；～の認定証, fit into the photo ; 写真に納まる
refrection point；反省点, comes down to ～；～につきる／帰着する
operational；運用の, 作戦上の, get ～ into mind；～を頭に入れる
apply lessons learned； 学んだ教訓を生かす
 Picture / Cycling / 「2013 淡路島ロングライド150」
Japanese Diary / No.560－2013.09.23 / 「2013淡路島ロングライド150_リタイヤ」
I will participate in the long-waited cycling event “The 2013 Awajishima
Long ride 150”
for two days from tomorrow.
In this event, participants will start and finish at Akashi Kaikyo National
Government Park
on Awaji Island and cycle about 150 Km clockwise around the island.
When we complete the full distance within time limit, we can get a certificate
of the completion.
Today I get to Awaji Island from Kusatsu and then enroll at the reception desk of the main
venue in the park.
I got off at JR Maiko Station and transferred to the highway bus to get
to Awaji Island across
the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge.
I got to a bus terminal, Awaji-yumebutai after about 15 minutes from here.
In front of the bus terminal was the Westine Awaji Island that I would
stay overnight at.
After the check-in, I unpacked a bike bag which I had sent via parcel delivery
service called “Cycling Yamato-bin” and put my bike together on the first
basement of the hotel.
And then I went to the main venue through the park on foot.
The eve of the festival seems to be already going on and I hear a big sound.
I received a number cloth in exchange for the confirmation at the venue.
My number is 1461.
I joined in the event of the eve for a while.
The opening ceremony and some attractions like drawing for presents were held to pump
up tomorrow's main event.
Local Gourmet Festa was held near the venue and some B-grade groumet stands were
opend.
A coupon for 500 yen off was presented to all the evnt participants.
I bought “Fujinomiya yakisoba” using the coupon.
(Fujinomiya yakisoba is the noodle dish from Fujinomiya City in Shizuoka
Prefecture.)
I watched the event while enjoying it with a can of beer.
I got back to the hotel after looking a Start/Finish Gate.
I went out for dinner after completing all necessary preparations for
tomorrow.
I walked into the seafood restaurant “Kitora” in the restaurant area next
to the hotel.
It cost less than having at the hotel restaurant.
I selected the set menue “Tempura and Sushi Gozen” to build up stamina
for tomorrow.
The dish was great.
Anyway, the portions were too big for me and so I became full.
I will get up at 4AM tomorrow morning and so have to go to bed as early
as possible.
But there is a TV program I absolutely wanted to watch.
It's a drama series “Hanzawa Naoki”
Tonight it's final episode and is broadcast for 1 hour and 20 minutes from
10PM.
As you may know well, Actor Sakai Masato played the lead character, Hanzawa Naoki,
who is a major bank employee.
His willingness that face up to difficulty at work and unresonable bosses
was very popular.
In the final episode, Hanzawa said his signature phrase, “I take double
payback! ”.
It was really piquant.
I went to bed but had difficulty in falling asleep.
Is this Hanzawa's fault?
I was obliged to drink an expensive can of beer in the refrigerator and
then went to bed again.
[Note] The 2013 Awajishima Long ride 150 ；2013 淡路島ロングライド150
Akashi Kaikyo National Government Park ； 国営明石海峡公園
complete the full distance；完走する，certificate of the completion；完走証
enroll at the reception desk；受付けをする,main venue；メイン会場
unpack a bag；袋を開梱する，bike bag ； 輪行袋
via parcel delivery service ；宅配便で，put together；組み立てる
be going on； 始まっている, number cloth ；ゼッケン
in exchange for ～；～と交換に，drawing for presents ；景品抽選会
pump up the event ；大会を盛り上げる、 Local Gourmet Festa ；ご当地グルメフェスタ
a coupon for 500 yen off ；500円割引券, build up stamina；体力をつける
the portions are too big ；(一人分の) 量が多過ぎる,drama series ；連続ドラマ
willingness ；意欲，積極的な姿勢、 face up to ～；～に敢然と立ち向かう
an unresonable boss ；理不尽な上司、lead character；主人公, signature phrase ；決めセリフ
take double payback ；倍返しする, piquant；痛快な
have difficulty in falling asleep；なかなか寝付けない
be someone's fault ；(人) のせいである, be obliged to ～； やむなく～する
Picture / Cycling / 「2013 淡路島ロングライド150」
Japanese Diary / No.559－2013.09.22 /「2013淡路島ロングライド150_前夜祭」
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