July 6, 1983, Wednesday
I was awake by 4:30am and left the inn at 6:00. I had a long 70km stretch of road to cover today to the town of Obama. My back hurts like hell! I've started to do more walking and I'm just tired of it. I would rather run the whole way if only my back felt better. It would be great to get rid of this backpack so that I can run unimpeded. Lately, I have been going through every single item in my backpack to see if I could dump it. Believe me, I have thrown a lot of stuff away already. I am so careful about adding to the weight of my pack that even the thought of throwing out my money ran through my mind.
The truth is even if I got rid of the backpack, it would still take a while for my back to feel normal again. With the walking, these distances are taking up too much time, leaving me less time to rest/relax after the day's journey. The routine after each run has been rush to the inn to eat, bathe, wash clothes, and make phone calls, etc. This feels like a low point of my trip. Bad back = Bad mood. If you have experienced major back pain before, you know what I'm talking about.
Now I am in Fukui Prefecture. The city of Obama prospered as a good natural harbor along the Sea of Japan since ancient times. It was an important port for international trade with Korea and China via the Sea of Japan. This made it one of the first Japanese cities to introduce the advanced culture of the continent. It was known to Nara and Kyoto as the closest port from the capital through the Saba Road (salted mackerel road).
The history is interesting. Learning about these new places helps to get my mind off the painful back. Am I going to make it all the way to the northern point of Hokkaido with my back feeling this way? I am starting to wonder.
5 comments:
Out of curiosity, about how many change of clothes did you start and end with? AFter the run, did you keep any of the running clothes?From past experiences, I got rid of certain clothes to forget the turmoil.
I had about 2 or 3 pairs of shorts, tank tops, t-shirt, and rain poncho. That was about it. I washed clothes every day.
I did keep the tank tops and maybe a pair of shorts. The shoes were auctioned off for charity after the run.
Ahh huh, no wonder you keep saying you wish you could wear regular clothes.
I'm reading your blog from all directions, beginning to end, end to beginning, and I'm almost done.
Excuse me for asking as I'm sure you made this post, but how long did it take you to complete the run?
I was on the road for a total of 59 days, from June 11 through August 9.
Not only did I miss wearing regular clothes, I also missed being able to listen to music.
Imagine how Sgt. Shoichi Yokoi felt when he was hiding in the Guam jungle for 28 years...nobody to talk to, no music, and just clothes made from coconut fiber.
Ah so des...Fifty-Nine Days to Wakkanai, ok, I get it.
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