👟 Weekly Summary

Monday: Oshamambe to Mori

An absolute beast of a day, 66.6 kilometres, and we made the distance we needed to make. We’d not expected much from the day, as many people had told us this stretch was all highway and traffic. Instead, we found some rather lovely coastline to keep us company through the run. Yes, there was traffic, and yes, there were bits where the pavement disappeared and we felt a little closer to that traffic than we would like, but it wasn’t as bad as people made out to us. This was a long day, but we enjoyed it.

Tuesday: Mori to Hakodate

This was a long day to Hakodate, I think partly because the last couple of days had been quite big days, and partly an accumulation of going a couple of weeks without a rest day. We had a good morning, albeit with a bit of knee pain, but I had a miserable time after lunch. I was hurt and tired and just wanted to be at the hotel. Instead, as we made our way through the outskirts of town, I was stopped by traffic lights and slowed down by my heavy legs.

Still, we had finally made it to the end of Hokkaido. I had expected more of a sense of achievement, even elation, about having made it that far; instead, it felt like another day done, and time to find the hotel.

Wednesday: Rest day in Hakodate

It took over two weeks for us to have our first rest day. This one was at the insistence of Joy, who wanted to try and catch up with social media bits, and just generally recover from day after day of moving. It was the right choice, to be fair, and one I hadn't really appreciated how much I needed until I kept falling asleep in it.

We wandered through the markets, had Ramen for lunch, and had a nap. That evening, we took the cable car up Mt Hakodate to see the night view.

Thursday: The Ferry from Hakodate to Oma

Another rest day, this one enforced by the ferry times. The Hakodate-Oma ferry choices were 9am or 4pm, and there was no way I was waking up. We spent the day drinking coffee, eating and generally not getting much done until the ferry. Once we arrived in Oma, we walked three kilometres to the free campsite, ready for the start of the next day's run.

Friday: Oma to Mutsu

Our day started at the northernmost point of Honshu, and our morning followed what has been the most beautiful coastline that we’ve been along so far. The running felt quick and easy, something that definitely wasn't the case before the break. I could feel slight twinges here and there, left knee, right ankle, but nothing that really caused concern.

After lunch, we had a bit of luck with the restaurant owner chasing us down (first in his car, then getting out and running after us), to return the hat I’d accidentally left. These moments of kindness, where someone goes out of their way to help, seem more common in Japan.

Saturday: Mutsu to Noheji

A long 61-kilometre day started in the cold and wet. I wasn't in the mood for food at breakfast, and that feeling continued through the day. I think continually eating 5000 calories a day and just trying to get enough food in is too much; it's not as fun as it first sounds.

We kept on along the road to Noheji and had hoped that it would provide more sea views than it did. We had a few moments, but often we were moving through half-abandoned towns before reaching our campsite by 5pm.

Sunday: Noheji to Hachinohe

I'd had an awful night's sleep, waking up with reservations about the route we should take, and in the morning, we changed our minds and chose a different path. We headed to Hachinohe, the nearest big town, where we would find a proper bed for us both to get a good sleep. It seemed too early to need a hotel, but we needed it nonetheless.

Through the day, the miles kept ticking by quite nicely, but something just felt off for me today. Today was simply about putting one foot in front of the other as consistently as possible and letting everything else fall where it would. I struggled to eat again today. I'm just completely disinterested in food. I'm focusing on calories and what I can stomach, and that's it. Today was just about getting the miles in.

☀️ Photo from the Road

🧠 Running Through My Head

It’s strange seeing the abandoned houses, shops and schools as we make our way through Tohoku; there’s something almost post-apocalyptic about it. Part of me feels the decay is very natural, but there’s a hint of sadness about seeing places that must have been people’s homes full of stories, or an abandoned primary school that would have once been filled with children laughing in the playground. Now those places are empty and may never be used again.

🚀 Next Up

More stories on Instagram, hopefully the reels will start coming soon. Joy has been busy making them. I’ve just got to check them and add the captions, then they’re good to go. Hopefully, we can catch up with those soon.

🏁 Finish Line

It’s a late night for us tonight, and I’m shattered, so that’s all, folks.

Thank you for reading and for all your support.

Take it easy,

Phill