Yamanote Mawari

Run type: Long
Distance: 38 km
Average pace: 5:30/km
Heart rate: --
Weather: Raining and 18 degrees

Today was the day we set down some six or eight weeks ago to run the Yamanote Line as our long run. As the instigator of the event I was coordinating things and had used the g-map pedometer to map out the route and, most importantly, measure the distances. I had also set the departure time for 7:00 a.m. to ensure we had plenty of time to get done by lunch time, even allowing for contingencies; there was also the need to slip through some areas before the crowds built up too much.

Unfortunately some rain closed in late yesterday and we had quite a good soaking overnight. Forecasts were for "light showers". Indeed the rain was not heavy when I got up at 5:45. I'd packed my bag the night before and had little to do to get out the door by 6:15. I arrived at the park at 6:45, the first one there, and had a 14-minute-59-second wait until suddenly everyone arrived at once. Well, amost everyone. After waiting for Colin in the cold and rain for what seemed like an eternity, we eventually got away at 7:12 a.m. (according to Gareth's trusty Garmin). So seven hardy souls set off from Yoyogi Park: me, Colin, Gareth, Paolo, Keren, and our only Japanese and female members, Rie and Satohi.

The first ten km of the route was familiar to Gareth, so we were able to keep pretty close to the tracks and make good progress at the same time. We kept the group together and moved along at about 5:30/km pace (stopping the watch for lights and conferences and so on). In this way we passed by Harajuku, Yoyogi, Shinjuku, Shin-Okubo, Takadanobaba, Mejiro, and Ikebukuro before arriving at Otsuka, the 10 km mark, at 8:00. Here we met Luke. We were expecting to lose Gareth as he has been coming back from a foot injury. But instead we lost Paolo to a foot injury, and Gareth decided to press on. So then we were in Keren's backyard and he guided us ably past Sugamo, Komagome, Tabata, Nishi-Nippori, Nippori, and Uguisuidani, from where we had a minor directional challenge, but not for long or very seriously. We soon made it to Ueno, the 17 km mark. This meant we were through the "Bermuda Triangle" section of the Yamanote line, the section that most foreigners in Tokyo have almost no knowledge of. The voice of many a foreigner required to recite the stations of the Yamanote line, even long-term Tokyo residents, trails off to an embarrassed murmer after Ikebukuro. So for the record, one more time, the lost stations are: Otsuka, Sugamo, Komagome, Tabata, Nishi-Nippori, Nippori, and Uguisuidani! remember them (but please don't expect me to).

After Ueno we had a fairly straightforward run close to the tracks. Through an amazingly sparse Ameyoko Dori (street) to Okachimachi; then Akihabara, Kanda, and Tokyo were quickly dispatched. We arrived at Tokyo's South Marunouchi Exit, the 23 km mark, at 9:45. Gareth was still with us 13 km after his expected Otsuka end point, and was running strong. We thought we might pick up Motozo here, but either our timing was off or he was a no-show. We waited a couple of minutes and moved on.

Legs were beginning to tire now and the light rain that had been keeping us company all the way showed no sign of going anywhere soon. We pressed on. After Tokyo we put to the sword Yurakucho, Shimbashi, Hamamatsucho and Tamachi. Alas at Tamachi, Gareth finally found his Otsuka, some 26.5 km into the run and 16.5 km further than he'd expected. A truly sterling effort.

After Tamachi we were running along a major road (Route 15), the scenery large bleak office blocks and the rain our constant companion, and the legs and bodies were becoming weary. The consensus was that the stopping and starting was taking its toll on our legs, but I thought it rather had more to do with what we were doing between the stoppages. Next station was Shinagawa, and we were now in familiar territory for me so I took over piloting duties. This only really involved one little jink over a hill where the line takes a sharp curve between Shinagawa and Osaki. At Osaki, the 32 km mark, Luke and the two girls, Satohi and Rie, bid us farewell as they took the train back to our start at Harajuku. And then we were three. Three leg-weary but determined Aussies to slug out the last six km. Keren was also thinking of bailing out at Osaki, but a well-directed pejorative soon got him going again.

So from there we set off along the lovely (not) Meguro River (drain would be more apt) to Gotanda, past the shoe shop for big men's sizes, and up the hill to Meguro (my station). After that we were on the home stretch, the last leg, but poor Keren was almost literally on his last legs. But we grit our teeth and ignored the pain and went past Ebisu and aimed ourselves at the 29th and last station we would pass, Shibuya. A few short painful minutes later we were shouldering our way through the building crowds of young hipsters and their forest of umbrellas. Across Hachiko Crossing, then along the-road-with-no-name past Tower Records, up the hill beside the Yamanote Line for the last little stretch, Keren almost down to a walk, six aching legs, up and over our last pedestrian overpass, at the bottom of which we re-grouped and entered the park and ran the last 100 m together to cross the start/finish line from which we had departed four and a half hours earlier.

Tired but satisfied, we changed into dry clothes and six of us (the three complete loopers plus the Osaki departees) refueled on a much welcomed lunch at Soho. The Yamanote Mawari (mawari means "around" in Japanese) is a classic Tokyo exerience. A litte like climbing Mt. Fuji, something everyone should do once, but which only fools would attempt a second time. (Truth be known, I actually enjoyed every step and would gladly do it again if the planets are favourably aligned).