Kannonzaki Revisited

The Tokyo Marathon is less than three months away, so it is time to get down to serious training. That means a long run every two weeks, increasing the distance by 2 miles from the previous long run. If all goes according to plan (which it never does) I'll complete runs of 20, 22, and 24 miles before taking on the 26.2 mile marathon on February 28. This weekend I needed to do a 14 miler, so I revisited one of my favorite courses from our prior tour here. The run from Yokosuka Base to Kannonzaki Lighthouse is not only a good run, it's also a neat cross-sampling of the country and culture.


One challenge of running long distances this time of year is deciding what to wear. It is not a fashion thing…Lord knows I'm never to be confused for one of those guys on the cover of Runners World magazine. The trick is dressing right for the weather, which can be variable and unpredictable. The standard gouge is to dress for the end of the run, meaning that if you are comfortable for chillier conditions at the start, you will likely overheat as the body and ambient temperatures warm up. Well, today's prediction was for intermittent rain showers later in the afternoon, with a northerly breeze to make the 54 degree high feel more like something in the forties.


I added some long running pants and light jacket to my shorts and long-sleeved shirt and headed out the door. The out and back distance from the Base to Kannonzaki is roughly eleven miles, so I planned to do three miles around the base first. I had barely gotten started when the sun came out and the breeze lightened up. After two miles I was already hot, so I circled back home, shed the jacket and long pants, and resumed my path to the gate. By the time I egressed from the base it was overcast again.



Running left from the gate one first passes the Kanagawa University of Human Services, which houses schools of dentistry and nursing. Typical of any Saturday, students were coming and going from classes. School at any level in Japan seems to be six days a week.



 
Mikasa Park sits just beyond the Kanagawa University. This park features the Battleship Mikasa that was the Flagship of Admiral Togo Heihachiro during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904 – 1905. This park is a favorite gathering place of the local Yokosuka citizens, complete with fountain and bandshell, and is also frequented by Americans from the nearby base.

After Mikasa Park the run heads out onto the ubiquitous Route 16, which seems to be everywhere in Japan. One first passes a very large parking lot that is a staging area for newly manufactured automobiles to be loaded onto ships to countries where the driving configuration is opposite Japan's. Strangely, this huge lot that could accommodate several football or soccer fields was completely empty today. A sign of the economic times?



Continuing along Route 16 a family park nestles between the road and the bay. On a nice day many people are there, playing basketball, riding bikes, or just enjoying family time. When I that park the weather was turning more overcast and chilly, so little was happening. It's one of my favorite sites along this run because it sports a very nice public restroom and a water fountain where I can refill my water bottle. I always stop here.

To be Continued....