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With a forecast for good weather today and rain tomorrow, I was determined to get out for a ride this morning. Nana was up early, whipping up a batch of her world-famous onigiri, but I was dawdling. I was hoping for the temperatures to get into double-digits before I set out. I’m not particularly wimpy about riding in the cold, but with a forecast high of 17C today, I didn’t want to deal with two sets of kit: one for single-digit temperatures and another for when the sun poured it on.

When I finally set out just after 9, the weather report still said 9C but I was quite comfortable in my long-sleeved jersey, shorts and fingerless gloves.

Traffic was heavy, with some construction and even more parked delivery vehicles impeding progress. When the road allowed I would overtake lines of idling cars to get to the next traffic light. It took more than an hour to reach Nishigawara Park on the Tamagawa, where 50 minutes is more the norm.

After a brief rest I set out again with Persimmon Park as my next goal, stopping only to take photos of the many, many sakura lining the path. Where space and facilities allowed, families and groups had set up hanami viewing parties. The smell of barbecuing made my stomach growl and wish for something other than Nana’s onigiri — delicious as they are.

I reached Persimmon Park and stopped to enjoy a couple of Nana’s mentaiko onigiri. I was surprised to see when I finished that it was nearly 11:30 — the result of my lollygagging in the morning. I set out again knowing it would be at least 12;15 before I reached Hamura Weir.

I hadn’t counted on the final 5km — lined with sakura for the most part — being wall-to-wall people. I had to proceed with caution, at a reduced pace. Most of the people on the path were enjoying the cherry blossoms or busy chatting with their companions, and even my strident bicycle bell could not compel them to pay attention. If I had a nickel for every time someone stepped onto the path, looked and saw me coming, heard my bell, waited, and then … stepped right in front of me as I approached!

I was worried as I drew closer to Hamura that the hanami crowds would prevent me sitting in the shade to enjoy the last of Nana’s onigiri. The pavilion was more crowded than usual, but I had no trouble finding a spot to sit in the shade.

After finishing the onigiri I wanted to just relax and stretch, perhaps have a nap, but I was aware of the time and the fact I’d be fighting a headwind on the way home. I messaged Nana at 12:44 that I was on my way back.

And what a headwind!

In addition to the toll on my thighs, the slow pace put an additional burden on both my hands and my backside. I kept moving as well as I could, standing off the saddle when I had a chance and shaking my hands to maintain the feeling in my fingers. I was telling myself that the cycling course continued until the 14-15km mark, at which point I turn into city traffic, and so was counting down from 37km or so (after another stop at Persimmon Park), when in fact the path runs out at the 24km mark. That’s a half-hour of pedaling and pressure on the bum I didn’t have to put up with.

When I reached Nishigawara Park, where I leave the river for city traffic, I was feeling hungry. I’d passed up a couple of opportunities to leave the path in search of a convenience store because I didn’t want to interrupt my rhythm. At the park I inspected the vending machine: corn pottage (which I’d usually turn my nose up at), and was there any café au lait or similar? After shaking the change out of my wallet I realized that everything in the machine with any caloric value was sold out. Subsequent inspection told the same story about water.

I checked two more vending machines before finding one that had water and wasn’t sold out. I filled a bottle and drank the rest, and continued into traffic.

Out of the wind, I made much better progress overall. I knew I didn’t have a lot of power left for the next two climbs on Setagaya Avenue, so I shifted down early and took my time. I’d set my sights on a Daily Yamazaki convenience store along the route for a last snack, but when I finally reached it I continued on without stopping, not wanting to break my rhythm.

Countdown to 100

I’d been mentally totting up the kilometers since leaving Persimmon Park and coming up with a variety of answers (such as adding a fictitious 10km to the downstream portion of the ride). After leaving Nishigawara I knew I had 15km to go, and I was going to be short of 100km for the day. The question was: short by how much? I was wiling, despite my sore butt and general exhaustion, to loop around to add a few kilometers at the end, and I wasn’t in a hurry (having told Nana not to expect me until 4:30), but the question was still: short by how much?

As I drew closer to the goal, I resisted the urge to constantly clock my progress via Garmie. I knew I’d be short, and I knew I wouldn’t have an accurate measure of how much remained (and what time was left to me) until I was nearly home.

And when at last I reached that point, it was just 4 p.m., and I was nearly 4km shy of 100. I had time to make up the difference, but with my soreness and exhaustion, I sincerely wished for a route that would continue downhill (and downwind!) for 4km before depositing my neatly at the tower entrance.

Such was not to be, but I knew I could loop around the Tokyo metropolitan government building, then Nakano Sakaue (with just a bit of a climb) before heading home. Speeding down Yamate Avenue, I realized I would still be 1km short, but rather than climb again to Suidobashi, I turned towards home and then lapped around the building three times to bring the clock up to the goal.