MTB

It's about a week until the big ride.

It's been 4 years since I was last able to participate, but I'm heading back to Akita next weekend to go for a long bike ride. 100 miles long. Around a big mountain (Chokai), about half off road, half on. I haven't been able to do as much mountain trail training as I would have liked, because the hills around here are either full of country clubs or self defense force training grounds, neither of which I'm allowed on. I did do 80km (approximately 50 miles) last weekend to Sapporo and back via a mountain road in good time, and felt ready for it again the next day, which I took as a pretty good sign that my legs are ready for it. I'm excited, and hopefully I'll be able to take some photos of the ride.

Here's the course, in case anyone cares.

 

The times are when the particular gates close, so it you aren't through that gate by then, it's the van back to the start line.

And here's a link to the elevation profile. Three climbs worth mentioning really. One that will be kind of a killer, but that's the challenge. Make that one, and you're most of the way there. Lots of downhill after that.

The ride is next Sunday, the 10th, which happens to be the anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Olympics, which was turned into a national holiday, Sports and Health Day. So, I'll go be sporty and healthy.