Since December I started walking home from work, which is about 2 hours and 45 minutes. I quickly got used to this distance and time, but I realized that I needed to walk much much more. Just because I could walk for two hours then rest at home and be fine, did not mean that I could do an 8 hour day of walking.
My first challenge was to, of course, go a longer distance. I chose to walk from my home in Nagoya to Mikawa Anjo Station (I used to dance there). The walk itself was about 5 hours and 45 minutes. I knew from my walks home that I needed to stop and rest every 2 to 3 hours or I would risk completely burning out. Thankfully, most of the way down to Mikawa Anjo also follows Route One, aka the Tokaido Road. I stopped at a McDonald's near Zengo Station, which was about 3 hours from Nagoya, rested my legs for an hour, refueled and continued walking with no problem. Since I was able to stay with friends that night, the next morning I walked my way back to Nagoya. Two days of walking almost 6 hours? Good. (Including my break, it was a total of 7 hours, 1pm-8pm, both ways)
My second challenge was carry the weight. Walking freely or with a light bag is one thing. But having to carry everyday essentials for long distances is another thing entirely. Naturally your body will undergo more stress, especially your back, shoulders and legs. So, I bought myself a nice 45L trekking backpack with waist and chest straps. The size is just enough to carry an extra pair of shoes, sleeping clothes, survival essentials (I'm not going to be camping, but things like toilet paper, minor first aid, food, water, etc.) and some light reading materials without being so heavy or making me think I can carry more. When I would go to work I would have very little to carry, but I got in the habit of always having it on my back. So, on the weekends when I would do my grocery shopping I would load up that bag and carry it home for 40 minutes. Sometimes I would need an extra shopping bag to distribute the weight. Most recently I managed to cram a week's worth of groceries in and it was quite heavy. I weighed the bag when I got home to find that it was 11kg (25 pounds). That was an eye-opener for me because that is the exact amount of weight (fat) that I intend to lose (at some point, hopefully this year, not during this trip, are you crazy?)The next challenge was more mental in a way, how to use your time wisely. Basically, what can I do while I'm walking? I can't imagine three weeks of walk, eat, sleep, repeat. All that time, and what would I have to show for it? How could I use it the most effectively? I do not plan on listening to music, all day everyday. Thankfully, early on I did try walking home without listening to any music whatsoever. It was fine, I can do that. I will talk to myself (in and out of my head) during most of it, but I don't need music to function. Even so, there is only so much conversation I can have with myself. I thought it over, since I had ample time to think, and decided I would try to study more during my trip. I would take study materials with me, put language apps on my phone for when I take breaks, download audio books and language courses and just TRY to mentally improve somehow.
Okay. So now we're walking more, getting used to the extra weight, and training our brain as well. But I'm still sleeping well every night. I won't have that luxury during my actual trip. I do have a few plans to stay with either friends or at guesthouses along the way (surprisingly very few), but for the most part I will be catching my Zs in 24-hour net cafes. Massage chair please!
Challenge number four, sleep. It is very important. And not just sleep, but how do I spend those hours by myself, in an unfamiliar place, at night when I shouldn't be walking. This challenge more or less happened on a whim. I walked to Mikawa Anjo again, from work this time, and found that all my friends were to busy to meet me. That's when the idea came that I should take the opportunity to treat that night like a night on the trip. Challenge accepted.
I didn't plan to sleep then. One of my ideas was to continue to Okazaki (2 hours away) or Gamagori (4 hours away) and sleep briefly at my friend's house, then start to return to Nagoya. Unfortunately, both friends were busy and could not accommodate my sudden request. I was reluctant to simply to back home, but I had no other options at the time. So with no sleep, I left Gusto at 5 am and walked back to Nagoya, arriving at noon.
On the trip I would probably visit the net cafe first to sleep for 3-6 hours, and then grab food and head on to the next location. Note to self, we can't drink things with cream anymore, please remember that. Also, be careful with coffee, and if you're going to drink many glasses of juice, make sure you know where the restrooms are!
The last and most recent challenge was 100% commitment. I needed to day to literally commit to just walking to my destination and spending it as if it was a real day out. These other days I would either meet friends, or do something a little off the plan. I needed to get my mind into this 100%.
Yesterday, February 16th, I woke up and made the decision to walk 8 hours. It wouldn't be a straight 8 hours out, but I would walk a new part of the Tokaido (heading west from Nagoya) 4 hours to Yatomi, and then walk back home. I loaded up my pack with what I thought would be the usual haul - sleeping clothes, extra shoes, light study materials, lunch, and 2.5 liters of water. I also had my winter gear and other necessities too.
I left the house at 11:30 a.m., later than I had intended, but I still had time to walk my route. I quickly realized two things - it was warm and it was sunny. My hat and sunglasses were right next to the door, and even though they were on my master list of things to take, I was like "I'll be back home tonight. I probably won't need them." Well, no, it was sunny, and I had to walk into the sun for 4 hours.
As for the heat, it was about 11-12 degress Celsius, with little wind, so it was warmer than the recent days. Because I caught a little frostbite (great job!) I was more focused on being warm when I left the house. I ended up taking off my neck warmer, and changing my long t-shirt to a short one (still over my long compression heat gear, and under my relatively thick jacket). At least I was prepared in that way.
I also took food with me. Of course, I can't prepare my meals on the road, but I can stock up on a few things. The question then became where can I eat the food I carry with me? I can't go sit in a restaurant and eat it. If it's a food court, then no problem. If it's food like onigiri, then I can eat it as I walk. But I would still need to rest my legs somewhere. For this trip, I knew that there was a Sushiro (conveyor belt sushi) on my route at about 2 hours and 30 minutes in. If nothing else, I could just stop there to rest. Actually there are TONS of restaurants along Route One, obviously because it is a main highway now. I got lucky though. Just as I was double-checking my map to check my distance covered I noticed that there was a park ahead of me.
I took my first break at the park. There was a nice clean restroom, but there was no toilet paper, as is expected in most public restrooms. No problem, part of my gear is a roll of toilet paper for such occasions. So I rested at the park for maybe a half an hour, ate my lunch and continued on.
Again, keeping in mind that this was a training day, I could have set my goal anywhere. For example, I entered Yatomi CITY about 30-40 minutes before reaching Yatomi STATION, which was my goal. I had to commit to that "extra" time, but I did consider stopping. On the real trip, that is not an option, I will not be going backwards.
After that, everything went smoothly. I went to the station, then started my way back towards Nagoya, stopping at a Gusto to rest for a couple hours, and picked up for another four hour walk home. I stopped at the park again to rest my legs and use the restroom. Only the lights in the men's side worked. Not sure if the sensors were out or what, but it was pitch black. Thankfully, I had a light! Take that public restroom!
I also talked to my mom on the phone for the last hour of the walk. It was a good distraction. When I got home I was done. Not dead tired, but I was hungry again and my feet were exhausted. I made dinner, stretched and sat back for a bit before finally going to bed.
I guess the Real Final Challenge is Don't train too much. It's not fun, let's be honest. I could do a lot with my day, or nothing if I felt like it, but I have committed myself to this adventure. It's a bit depressing to walk 4 or 5 hours down your route, only to have to turn around and go back home. That's why I can't wait for this actual trip to go down. Only moving forward.
The body is capable of doing amazing things, but you have to treat it right in order to do so. I can't burn myself out with "training" for the actual ordeal. As long as I am mentally ready, it will work out. I know what I need to do. I am strong enough to do it. Train hard, but train smart.
There are still two weeks to go before I head to Tokyo and begin my trek. Who knows what I'll convince myself to do by then haha.
Until next time~
Take care.
