kasumigaura marathon

Now that I've experienced all the seasons in Japan, Spring and Fall are officially my favorites. I think it's safe to say they would be my favorites in any place, but the colors and types of trees and flowers here really make it unique. The cherry blossoms are all gone now, and green leaves have taken the place of the pinkness. I miss the cherry blossom trees and had never seen anything quite like them before. It's starting to get warm outside, and I am hoping that summer takes its time getting here because I am not ready to experience the heat and 100% humidity quite yet. 

Today, I ran my first 10 mile race in the Kasumigaura Marathon. This race was held close to the station and not far from my apartment, near Lake Kasumigaura. There were over 20,000 participants in the race. It is an internationally known race for blind runners so there were lots of blind people running with partners. I finished the race in an hour and 42ish minutes, thanks only to all the encouragement and excitement around me. There were little kids and old people yelling "ganba re" (you can do it!) the whole way. There were also little performances which kept me extremely entertained. There was a high school band and cheerleaders, a few traditional Japanese musical happenings, a random man playing some kind of flute-like instrument and wearing tights..., fireworks, and I've already forgotten what else. I wish I'd had my camera with me. I ran part of the way with a friend (an AEON student with whom I'd decided to run the race a few months ago), and I also saw a few other students after the race. The course went through our city, up a lot of hilly roads, and through little neighborhoods and wooded areas. I am sunburned and will most likely be sore tomorrow, but that might have been one of the best experiences of my life.