This article is “Start - Niigata sightseeing edition”.
The situation the day before the event is ``The previous day to the start of the day Part 1”.
Start (6:00) ~ Aikawa AS (6:50)
This time I will be participating in the A course 210km.
The long road started around 6:00.
The weather at the start was drizzling, or rather foggy, with small water droplets clinging to the computer screen and sunglasses as I ran.
The temperature felt chilly when we were lining up before the start, but once we started running, it was just right and comfortable for running.
The temperature rose around noon, and the weather was forecast to be sunny.The only concern is that the wind is strong.
The section from the start to Aikawa AS (aid station: a resting point where food and drinks are handed out) is approximately 20km long and mostly flat.
Thanks to a tailwind, we arrived at Aikawa AS easily around 6:50.
It seems that many fast and advanced riders skip the first stop at Aikawa AS, but I always make sure to stop by.
At Aikawa AS, “Soba, onion soup, porridge” was offered.
I was told that I could refill the soba noodles in one bite size, so I had two bowls.
Since the temperature is still low, I'm grateful for some warm onion soup.
The porridge was very crowded, so I skipped it, drank a bottle of gel, and headed out.
Aikawa AS - Irisaki AS (8:00)
The section between Aikawa AS and Irisaki AS is also approximately 20km long and mostly flat.
Thanks to the tailwind, we arrived at Irisaki AS easily around 8:00.
Japanese sweets were provided and we received all kinds of them.
I didn't feel it was that strong when I had a tailwind, but when I stopped and rested,A significant blast with a wind speed of over 7km/hI know that.
If you go around the island, the tailwind will eventually turn into a headwind. .
I leave, feeling a little depressed.
Irisaki AS ~ Washizaki AS (10:00)
Irisaki AS ~ Washizaki AS is the section where the famous Z slope is located.
We will take a short break to take photos in front of Z Hill.
What you can see is Z, but it is a well-known story that beyond Z there is even more climbing, and it is actually a W slope.
Since the goal is to complete the climb, we will take breaks to enjoy the scenery along the way.
After Z-zaka, Onogame-no-zaka comes.
The yellow daylily flowers seemed to be at their peak, but I didn't have time to look at the scenery while climbing. .
As a reward for climbing, ice cream (350 yen) is waiting for you.
This is not AS, so there is a fee.
If you want to eat, don't forget to prepare cash.
I arrived at Washizaki AS around 10:00.
My goal was to travel between each AS within 1 to 1.5 hours, but I was running a bit late because I struggled with the hills and ate ice cream along the way.
At Washizaki AS, “bread, banana' was provided.
There was a limit of one piece of bread per person, but the Chikuwa bread provided was shockingly delicious and worth the money.
I don't have enough calories, so I add some gel and drink it before heading out.
Washizaki AS - Ryotsu BS (11:40)
Up until now, I had been heading north, so I had benefited from a tailwind.As we head south from this section, the wind will turn into a headwind.
We continue onward, facing a headwind that's so strong that I can hear the sound of my heart breaking many times. .
Our goal was to arrive at Ryotsu BS around 11:00, but we arrived around 11:40.
If you do not leave Ryotsu BS by 12:00, your time will run out and your flight will be DNF.
You also have to fight against a headwind, and although the road to the next Tada AS is mostly flat, it is a long walk at about 40km.
If I was going to have a DNF anyway, I thought I would just enjoy my meal here, but I ate quickly and left.
Ryotsu BS is exactly the halfway mark of 100km, so lunch will be served at BS (Bentou Station) rather than AS (aid station).
There were several types of bento boxes, but one of them was the one that used squid from Sado.Squid mince lunch” was selected.
The rest is ``Imoni” was also provided.
When I think of imoni, I get the impression that it is eaten in Yamagata and Miyagi, but not so much in Niigata, but I wonder if it is eaten in Sado.
I thought about this as I headed out, but at this point it was 11:50.
Ryotsu BS ~ Tada AS (DNF)
The section from Ryotsu BS to Tada AS is approximately 40 km and is almost flat.
『Approximately 40km'This realization leads to the tragedy that follows. .
Halfway through the 20km run, it was past 13:00, and I knew that if I didn't leave Tada AS by 13:45, my time would run out, so I would have to cover the remaining 20km in 45 minutes.
Running with a 7km/h headwind is tough, so I thought I wouldn't be able to make it in time, so I slowed down a little and took a break along the way.
However, in this section, Ryotsu BS is at 103km and Tada AS is at 138km, so technically it is 35km.
By the time I had run about 20km, there was only 15km left.
DNF at 137km point at 13:45. .
Then, the words 500m to AS came into view.
Eh. . If I hadn't taken a break or slowed down, I would have made it in time. .
However, time cannot be turned back,The time limit has passed, so this is a DNF.
After DNF
After registering for a DNF at Tada AS, I was originally supposed to be put on a recovery vehicle that came from behind and go to Sawada, the start/finish point, via another AS.
This time, probably due to the strong headwind, there were many people who retired from Tada AS, so we arranged a special bus and headed directly to Sawada.
The journey took about an hour, but since I was sleeping on the bus, we arrived at Sawada in no time.
I had booked a shuttle bus to Ryotsu Port to depart at 18:30, but there was space on the 16:30 bus, so I was able to move up.
At this point, I was in such a hurry to put it away that I realized later that I had lost the bag (outer bag?) to put it in. .
I looked it up and it seems like it's sold separately, so I'll buy it next time. .
Ryotsu Port - Ferry boarding
After arriving at Ryotsu Port, if you are traveling on a bicycle, you will be able to park your bicycle just past the ticket gate, so you can easily browse around to eat and buy souvenirs.
Even after arriving in Niigata, I won't be riding a road bike today, so let's get some sake in.
Niigata limited beer “Refreshing flavor Nishite” I was so excited, “Agodashi soy sauce ramen + sauce cutlet bowl” was selected.
If you like alcohol, you can try sake when you come to Niigata, but...Refreshing flavor Nishite” I also want you to drink it.
The ramen isn't as flashy as the old days, but it's delicious and that's fine.
Tarekatsudon is a specialty of Niigata, and although the quality is lower than Tonkatsu Taro and Tonkatsu Masachan, it is still delicious enough for someone who has just driven about 140km.
After drinking one cup, you'll want another one.
Go to the sake tasting section in the souvenir corner.
For 500 yen, you will be given a sake cup and two coins, so all you have to do is insert the coins and choose your favorite drink.
I still had some time after drinking sake, so I went to the restaurant where I had eaten ramen earlier.Nagamo soba” I received it.
It's a normal stand-up soba, but the salty seaweed and soup stock were very good, making it the most delicious soba I've had this year.
It's time to board the ferry.
I also paid for a 1st class carpet seat on the way back.
Perhaps due to the alcohol and fatigue, I fell asleep and before I knew it, I had arrived at Niigata Port.
Arrival in Niigata - Sleeping
We will arrive at Niigata Port around 22:00.
The Shinkansen bound for Tokyo has already reached its last train, so if you come by Shinkansen, you will be forced to stay overnight here as well.
The hotel is located near Niigata Station, and it takes about 30 minutes to walk from Niigata Port to Niigata Station.
Since I've already been drinking, I can't drive myself.
I had planned to take a taxi, but as luck would have it, there was a bus bound for Niigata Station, so I boarded it.
There are many restaurants around Niigata Station that are closed on Sundays, but after having a few drinks at a bar that's open on Sundays, you'll definitely want some ramen.
A ramen shop open until late at night.stones and stones” I ate one cup and went to bed.
Niigata tourism
I slept on buses and ferries, but I was tired and had been drinking, so I slept until the very last minute of check-out time.
After getting ready quickly and checking out, we left our road bikes at the hotel and headed out to eat.
First up is sushi.
A stand-up version of Benkei that I also ate on Sado.Standing Benkei”.
There is also a conveyor belt sushi type Benkei where you can eat while sitting next to you, but the quality of the ingredients and the prices are the same, but the difference is in the live feeling of the sushi being made on the spot and the wide variety of drinks available.
To be honest, there is also a standing sushi version in Kanda, Tokyo. .
Next is “Aoshima Shokudo Minamibandai Branch” to.
Niigata is famous for its seafood and rice, but it is also famous for its ramen.
Aoshima Shokudo is a Nagaoka ginger soy sauce ramen restaurant that is considered one of Niigata's top 5 ramen restaurants. .
Aoshima Shokudo is a one-off restaurant even during lunchtime, so you will have to wait a while.
When it gets busy, they close early, so I recommend going early, even for lunch, rather than following the business hours on Google Maps or Tabelog.
It's delicious even under such bad conditions, so I go there almost every time I come to Niigata.
By the way, there is a store in Akihabara in Tokyo as well, although it's always crowded no matter what time you go.
Next is “Ponshukan” to.
It appeared in the ending of Sazae-san, and it is so famous that it appears in almost every Niigata sightseeing video posted on YouTube.
It's located inside Niigata Station, so it's easily accessible.
I think it's famous for serving sake using a gacha-gacha-like machine where you insert a coin and press a button to pour out the sake.
『Sake ranking” If you search for something like “Abe』、『Murasuke』、『The forest that grows'', but these were not drinkable or sold at Ponshukan, and can be purchased normally in Tokyo.
You might think there's no point in going there if they don't have the top-ranked sake, but there are many brands of sake that can only be found within the prefecture, or more specifically, within the city or in areas near sake breweries, so there are many brands that can only be drunk here.
It's good to have a brand that's highly ranked or a famous brand, but I recommend drinking a brand that you've never tried before.
It's difficult to decide since there are so many types, but the taste information is listed in the sake tasting corner, so try deciding from there.
I think it's a good idea to choose the jacket based on the label.
If you still don't know, ask the staff at the sake tasting section.
If you find any sake you like, please buy it at the souvenir corner.
In addition to alcohol, this shop also sells snacks, sweets, and other souvenirs, so if you're sightseeing, we highly recommend stopping by.
We've been eating and drinking a lot, but we still have time until the Shinkansen, so let's finish up.
『Toyoko Niigata Ekimae store' I came to.
Toyoko is a restaurant that serves Niigata rich miso ramen, one of Niigata's five major ramen types.
When we say rich, we tend to think of a viscous or mushy soup, but it's simply a salty, rich flavor.
Therefore, a split soup is provided to dilute the soup, and you eat it while diluting it to your desired consistency.
There aren't many shops selling Niigata rich miso ramen in Tokyo, but it's not that different from other miso ramen, so if you're in Niigata and have the stomach and time, give it a try.
Now, it's time for the Shinkansen, so let's go home.
It's long, but ``Start - Niigata sightseeing edition'That's all.
Next time ``Reflection/consideration edition” I would like to think about the causes of DNF.
