Day 74 of Running the Length of Japan – Nakadake to Nobeoka (43.75 km)

Day 74 of Running the Length of Japan – Nakadake to Nobeoka (43.75 km)

We woke up on and off from around 5.30 am as the wind attempted to flatten our tent. We were in no mood to rush today, so we kept snoozing. We were only ready to leave at 9, but with a short day planned, it was nice to have a relaxing morning. We’d camped in a valley next to a river, and if there was a convenience store nearby, I could easily have been tempted to spend another night here.

As we set off, someone who lived nearby stopped for a quick chat. He wished us good luck as we pushed the bike uphill towards Totoro. The village had been called Totoro since before the movie was made, but now it had a Totoro bus stop, with a few signs and figures for photographs. It made a nice little stop on our way downhill.

Most of the day would be a long downhill along a main road, with a collection of tunnels to hide the scenery, but they at least prevented any big uphills. There was plenty of pavement along the road, and little traffic, so we could enjoy the day.

I was slow today, tired and sore, paying for yesterday’s long day. This was fine for the first 30 kilometres or so, but in the last ten I really began to struggle. By the time we hit the marathon, when I stopped at a Lawson, my vision struggled to keep up, and everything looked like it was still moving. At least we had a hotel to retire to, and to hopefully recover before another short day tomorrow.

We’re only 250 km away from the end now, and with 6 days remaining on the clock, we can make every day a short 40-kilometre day.