2021 "Festive 500"

The Pelso prays for world peace at the shrine just outside Haneda airport.

After the 300/400/300km brevets I joined in late October through mid-November, I have taken a short vacation from longer rides, with only a few ~50km coffee rides with the Tokyo Cranks from November 20 and December 23. I will rejoin Audax events from next March, but hope to focus on swimming in January and February. 

So I was not sure if I would be able to get in enough short rides to clear the Festive 500 (500kms during Dec 24 to Dec 31). I did so, finishing with a short spin this morning, the 31st. I ended up doing more than 60% of the distance on the Pelso recumbent.

The first ride was a flat trip to Soka City, Saitama to pick up a bicycle component and meet Sashikata-san, the only recumbent dealer in Kanto (who is very much on a part-time basis, his main business involving supply of classroom desks to schools).  The next ride of significance was a trip to and from Mitaka for an appointment -- I headed down to Haneda, then up the Tamagawa, and on the way back went to Mitaka. Then on the 29th I took a short ride on the Parlee with Jerome and Peter, also the Tamagawa with "hospital hill" and "I-ro-ha-zaka". The last long ride, the longest of the week at 107kms, was again to Mitaka via Haneda and the Tamagawa ... with a return also via the extended, indirect route.

As always, when I ride the Pelso, I hear plenty of exclamations as I pass by groups of people. "Sugoi. Are nani?" (Wow. What is THAT?)  

The Tamagawa looked as if it is ready for the New Year. I often feel like riding along the river is just the boring, same old route that one needs to get through in order to enjoy the "good stuff" once into the mountains further out of town. But on December 30, on the Pelso, the Tamagawa, and the sky with its changing colors as the day went on then faded away, was enough of a reward in and of itself. 

The water skiier I saw near Kawasaki was the icing on the cake.