City of Fireworks

July 15, 1983, Friday

A cloudy day with some showers. I started the run at 8:00am for a manageable 35km to the town of Nagaoka. Two runners from the Nagaoka Running Club joined me today. No problem, they took it easy on me.

Today's distance was short (21+ miles is short? It's all relative, I guess). The legs are still hurting though. As you can see from the photo, I am now wearing a knee support.

A bit of history: On August 1, 1945, the city of Nagaoka experienced approximately 126 B-29 bombers bombing Nagaoka for one hour and 40 minutes, starting at 10:26 p.m. The air raid turned most of the city into a deluge of fire. It claimed about 1,460 lives, and nearly 60,000 people lost their homes.

In 1946, the city designated August 1 as a day to commemorate the rebirth of the city. In 1951, the day was chosen as Nagaoka’s Festival Day. On August 2 and 3, Japan’s largest scale fireworks show is held along the banks of the Shinano as a reminder of the people who lost their lives during the air raid.

To the people of Nagaoka, the city’s annual fireworks show is a symbol of peace and an expression of enthusiasm for Japan’s postwar reconstruction. Unfortunately, I won't be around to enjoy the fireworks with the citizens of Nagaoka. In fact, I'll still be continuing this run.

I'm trying not to think too far ahead about the future right now. No use asking myself, "Am I going to be able to walk if I make it to Hokkaido?" I need to take one day at a time. Things will work out.