Chapter 9 chapter eight

Chapter 8 August 26, 2006 In a certain city on the coast of Kanagawa Prefecture, he was eighteen years old until his death I'm practicing hard for a triathlon.Focus on cycling for a while.On the coast of Oiso, there is a route called "Pacific Coast Bicycle Path" (although the name is high-sounding, it is actually divided into many small sections, which is not easy to ride), one to two hours a day, along the coast with strong crosswinds, Pedal bicycle.Now from the thigh to the waist, the muscles are stiff, sore and painful. For racing bicycles, it must be pulled upwards while depressing the pedals.Step on, pull up, so as to increase the speed, and try to maintain this circulation of the feet as smoothly as possible.Especially when climbing long slopes, "lifting up" becomes the key. The muscles necessary for "lifting up" are hardly used in daily life. Therefore, after formally practicing cycling, this part of the muscles will be exhausted and extremely stiff.Bike in the morning and run in the evening.In this way, you can run with your feet with swollen muscles.It's certainly not a joyous exercise, but it's not a whining exercise.Because in the official game, these will be repeated intact.

I got serious about cycling, limited to the few months leading up to the triathlon.I didn't hate running and swimming. Even if there were no competitions, I would naturally integrate them into my life, but only cycling practice could not do the same.I feel very worried because the bicycle is a "prop" and requires accessories such as a helmet and cycling shoes, and the maintenance of parts is also indispensable.I'm not good at "maintenance of props" by nature.In addition, there must be a relatively safe route that can accelerate freely, and rush there to practice.After going back and forth, I feel bored.

And fear.To get to a place with a decent practice route, you have to ride a bicycle through a busy city.Fix the shoes on the pedals, ride a sports car with thin tires and high sensitivity, even if there are tiny bumps on the road, it will be bumpy. People who have never experienced the horror of walking in a car like this will have no way of knowing.The more experience you have accumulated, the more you will get used to it and master some tricks.However, he also encountered thrilling scenes many times, and was frightened into a cold sweat. The same is true in practice.Every time I sprint into a sharp turn without slowing down, my chest jumps.If you can't draw a nice arc and lean smartly through a corner, you'll fall over or hit the wall.You can only rely on yourself, looking for the critical value based on experience like a side ball.The speed is fast when going downhill, and it is even more terrifying if it rains and wets the road.And in a game where everyone is huddled together, if you make a wrong step, you will fall together.

I am not a person who is as light as a swallow, nor a person who likes speed competitions. I am not good at these requirements of bicycle competitions.Among the three events of swimming, cycling and running in the triathlon, the practice of cycling is always put off until the end.Naturally, cycling became my worst subject.Although I wanted to recover the loss through the subsequent running, only ten kilometers of running could not recover the situation.So I had a sudden idea and practiced cycling diligently.Today is August 1st, and the game is October 1st, exactly two months away.After just starting to practice, it is still doubtful whether the dedicated muscles can be developed as expected on the day of the competition.But it is necessary to let the body get used to the bike.

The bicycle I ride is a Panasonic titanium alloy sports bicycle, which is light and convenient.I have been using the same thing for more than seven years, and operating the gear shifting device is like using a part of the bodily functions, and it is handy.It's a great machine, at least compared to the rider.Although I rode savagely, I never had a single decent trouble.I've done four triathlons with this bike."l8 Til I Die" is written on the body.This is a reference to the title of Brian Adams' hit song "Till I Die Eighteen".Of course it was a joke.I really want to die at the age of eighteen, only to die at the age of eighteen.

Japan has an unusual climate this summer.The rainy season, which was supposed to end in early July, lasted until the end of July.It was raining and it was tiresome.Torrential rains continued to fall in various places, and many people died.All of this has been recorded on the account of global warming.Maybe that's the case, maybe not.Some scholars say yes, and some scholars say no; there are parts that can be proved, and parts that cannot be proved.Yet the troubles facing the world today are more or less blamed on global warming.The decline in sales of the clothing industry, the flooding of driftwood on the beach, the occurrence of water shortages, and even the rise in the price of consumer goods are largely borne by global warming.This world needs a specific villain that people can name and name, and everyone will point out: "It's all your fault!"

Due to some formidable villain, the rain fell on and off without end, and I was barely able to do any bike practice all month of July.The responsibility does not lie with me, it is that villain who is not good.However, the weather has finally cleared these days, and the bicycle can be moved outside.Wear a streamlined helmet, put on sports-specific sunglasses, fill the water bottle with water, set the speedometer, and ride with all your heart.When riding a competitive bicycle, you must first make up your mind: in order to avoid wind pressure, lean your body forward as much as possible, lift your face up, and face the front.Either way, you have to master this pose.However, if you try it, you will know that if you are not used to it, it is very difficult to maintain this posture with your head raised like a praying mantis for more than an hour.Before long, there was a loud whine from the back and neck.Tired, unconsciously, the face is bent down, and in this way, the danger will strike suddenly without waiting.

On my first long bike outing of nearly a hundred kilometers in preparation for a triathlon, I hit a metal stake head-on hard.Those are piles erected on the pedestrian and bicycle lanes along the river to prevent the entry of cars and motorcycles.Because of being extremely tired and dizzy, I slightly neglected the principle of "raising your head and facing forward".As a result, the front wheel of the bike limply deformed and I fell headfirst.When I came back to my senses, I was already flying into the air.The head is protected by a helmet, so there is no serious problem, otherwise it must be a serious injury.My arm was skinned on the concrete, and it hurt beyond words, but it was a blessing among misfortunes that it was only a minor injury.There are many people around me who fell much worse than this.

Encountering such a terrible thing, even just once, people will learn an unforgettable lesson.In order to really grasp something, many times, physical pain is necessary.Since then, no matter how tired I was when I was riding, my eyelids were always raised, and I never missed anything on the road ahead.To do so, of course, is to torment my muscles. don't sweat.No, I probably sweated, but the wind my body was exposed to was too strong, and the sweat dried up as soon as it came out.Dry mouth.If left alone, dehydration symptoms will appear immediately, and the head will become confused.You can't ride a bike without a water bottle.While riding a bicycle, take off the water bottle installed on the bicycle, drink water quickly, and then put it back on the bottle clip. This series of movements should be trained to complete the movement smoothly and freely.

Bike training alone can be quite painful.In the beginning, knowing nothing about racing bikes, I hired an expert for personal training.Together with him, I packed the bicycle into the station wagon and came to Oi Wharf on the day off.There are no delivery trucks at Oi Wharf on rest days, and the wide roads surrounding the warehouse area make for excellent cycling tracks.Many cyclists flock here.Set a good time and set a good number of laps, and everyone rides based on this. There was also a long-distance cycling trip together, that is, the accident happened.Although the time-consuming long-distance running training in preparation for the full marathon is also lonely, but one person hugs the handlebars tightly and keeps stepping on the pedals, but the loneliness becomes worse, because it is endlessly repeating the same movement.There are uphills, flats, downhills, tailwinds, and headwinds.According to different situations, change the speed change gear, shift gears; check the number of rotations, increase the load, decrease the load;In his book, triathlete Defoe Scott said of his first bicycle practice: "I think this is the most unpleasant thing in the sport invented by man." I think so too .

Yet in the months leading up to a triathlon, there is no reason to get this practice done.I hummed the refrain from Brian Adams's "Eighteen Until I Die", and cursed the world from time to time. I stepped on the pedal and pulled it up again, so that my legs remembered Hold the speed of this rotation.The hot wind blowing across the Pacific Ocean unceremoniously flew past my cheeks spicy. My tenure at Harvard was until the end of June, and at the same time my life at Cambridge would come to an end. (Sam Adams draft beer and donuts!) Packed up and headed back to Japan in early July.What was the main thing I did while living in Cambridge? Let me make a confession.I buy a lot of LPs.There are still plenty of good old record stores around Boston, and whenever I get the chance I go to the ones in New York and Maine.About 70% of what I buy is jazz, and the rest is mostly classical music and some rock.I'm quite, no, very keen on collecting LPs from the past.It was very difficult to transport so many records back to Japan. I don't even know how many LPs I have in my house now.I have never counted, and have no intention of doing anything that horrible.From the age of fifteen until now, I have bought and disposed of a huge number of records.In and out are too frequent, the actual number is really difficult to grasp.They come and go, but the total number is indisputably increasing.How many records I own is not a big deal.Number is not a big factor.Whenever people ask me how many records I own, I can only answer: "It seems to be a lot, but there are not enough." Scott' Fitzgerald's debut Tom.Buchanan, a polo player and rich man, said: "There are as many people in the world who have converted stables into garages, and I am afraid that I am the only one who has converted garages into stables." It's about the same thing.Even if I have the C0 of a certain piece of music, once I find a high-quality LP (vinyl) compact record, I will not hesitate to sell the CD and keep the LP.The same is LP, if I find one with good sound quality and close to the original, I will buy it without hesitation.This is time-consuming and costly.I am afraid that many people in the world will call people who do this kind of thing "record freaks". In November of last year (2005), I participated in the New York City Marathon as planned.It was a clear and comfortable autumn day, so beautiful it almost seemed as if the dead Mel Tomei would float up, leaning on the grand piano, singing the verses of "Autumn in New York" .Together with tens of thousands of runners from all over the world, I set off from the Berenzano Bridge in Stanton in the morning, through Brooklyn (the writer Mary Morris is always there to support me), and through Queens District, ran across several bridges, crossed the Harlem area, and arrived at the end near the "Green Bistro" in Central Park, 42 ​​kilometers ahead, after a few hours.How is the result? To be honest, not as good as it should be.At least, not as satisfying as I secretly expected.I also hope that "Kung fu pays off, and such a good result in the New York City Marathon is the result of hard training on weekdays. When I crossed the finish line, I was very touched" as a concluding remark , placed at the end of the book.Then, accompanied by the majestic "Rocky" theme song, under the gorgeous sunset, he walked away coolly.To be honest, before I started running, I did have such expectations.How wonderful it would be to develop like this! This is my plan A, what a perfect plan! In life, however, things don't go so well.When I hope for a clear conclusion, the knock on the door of El's door often comes from the messenger with bad news.I don't say "always", but as a rule of thumb, there is far more bad news than good.The messenger touched his hat a little, seemingly apologetically, but the notice he delivered did not improve at all.This is not the responsibility of the messenger, we cannot blame him, we cannot grab him by the collar and push him.The poor messenger is just faithfully carrying out the work assigned to him by his superiors.And the person who handed over the work, yes, is our old acquaintance, the reality is also.For us, an 8-plan is necessary. Before the game, I thought my state was infallible.The rest is also sufficient, and the awkward feeling on the inner side of the knee has disappeared.The legs, especially the calves, although there is still a sense of fatigue, but it is far from the level that needs to be taken care of.The practice plan was also carried out smoothly.It has never happened before to accumulate the amount of practice so smoothly before participating in the competition.So I have hope (or moderate confidence), thinking that maybe I can leave a good result that I haven't seen in recent years.Next, simply convert the accumulated chips into cash. At the starting line, I stood behind the leader holding a sign that said "3 hours and 45 minutes".I thought that this kind of achievement could be achieved completely, but I may have made a mistake.In retrospect, it might have been better if I had followed the leader of "three hours and fifty-five minutes" in the first 30 kilometers, waited until I had a reaction—I seemed to be able to run a little better today—and then accelerate naturally.This steady attitude is necessary.But then, something else pushed me from behind. "Didn't you practice desperately in the hottest season? What's the point of not running such a result. Aren't you a man? Fight it." It whispered to me, like on the way to school The cunning cat who tempted Pinocchio was the same as the fox.And three hours and forty-five minutes was an extremely common achievement for me not so long ago. I was still able to keep up with the leader until about 25 kilometers, but then I couldn't.It's frustrating to admit it, but my legs are starting to give up and my cadence is plummeting bit by bit.First, it was overtaken by the leader of "three hours and fifty minutes", and then by the leader of "-three lJ, hour and fifty-five minutes".This is the worst mode.In any case, the "four-hour" leader cannot be surpassed.After running across the three-district bridge and running into the straight road leading to the Central Park in the upper city (residential area), my physical strength recovered a little, and there was a glimmer of expectation in my heart: the situation can be saved now.However, the turning point was fleeting.I ran into the park, came to the long ramp, and suddenly, a spasm hit my right calf.Although it wasn't strong enough to have to stop, but due to muscle pain, he could only run at walking speed.The audience around me yelled "Go! Go!" to cheer me on, and I was eager to keep running, but I couldn't move my legs. Due to the circumstances, it took just under four hours this time.Anyway, he ran to the end, and the record of running the full marathon in a row was maintained—the twenty-fourth time.The lowest line was passed, but the mood was not very comfortable: "It is clear that such a detailed plan has been made, and the training has been arduous!" It seems that fragments of dark clouds have been mixed into the stomach, and I can't figure it out.Why do you still suffer from convulsions when you try so hard? Now, I don't intend to say that all hard work should be rewarded, but if there is a God in heaven, it doesn't hurt to give a little evidence of that What's the harm in having such a little love? About half a year later, in April 2006, I participated in the Boston Marathon.I stipulated to run the full marathon once a year, but I couldn't figure out the results in New York, so I decided to run it again.This time I deliberately reduced the amount of training.I've been training so carefully, but I didn't run as well as I wanted in New York, maybe because I overtrained.So this time I will no longer formulate a special training plan, only slightly increase the weight than usual, and no longer consider too complicated, let him cross the river by feeling the stones.The posture might as well be cool: "Hey, isn't it just a marathon, what's the big deal!" See what happens. In this way, I went to Boston.This is the seventh time I have run the Boston Marathon, and the route is roughly in my mind.Whether it is the number of ramps or the scene around the corner, I remember each of them firmly, and I generally know how to run—of course, knowing how to run does not necessarily mean that I can run well.So what? The results are almost indistinguishable from the New York Marathon.This time I accepted the New York coach, and tried to control my strength in the first half.When running, pay attention to maintaining the rhythm and saving energy.While looking at the surrounding scenery, I ran along the route in a comfortable mood, waiting for the thought of "Okay, let's speed up" to emerge in my heart.However, such an idea never emerged.Running from 30 kilometers to 35 kilometers, until climbing the so-called "heart-piercing slope", it has been going smoothly without any problems.The friends who were waiting to cheer for me on the "Heartbreaking Slope" all said later, "You look very energetic." I also smiled and waved, and ran up the ramp. I even thought, if this continues, I will speed up at the end Sprint, maybe you can get a good result.However, when he ran across the Cleveland campus and entered the city center, his legs suddenly became heavy.The exhaustion came suddenly and violently.Although the spasm did not occur, the few kilometers from the Boston University Bridge to the finish line was at best trying not to be left too far by the runners around, and the acceleration of the sprint was out of the question. Of course, the whole process was run down.After running 42.195 kilometers under the thin haze, without stopping a step on the way, he safely crossed the finish line in front of the Prudential Center.I was wrapped in a thin silver blanket to keep out the cold, and the female volunteer hung the medal around my neck. "Ah, there's no need to run any longer!" The old-fashioned peace of mind surged into my heart as usual.Running a marathon is always a wonderful experience and a wonderful achievement.However, this result is still not satisfactory.It's always my pleasure to sip a Sam Adams draft beer after a game, but this time I wasn't in the mood.I feel as if even my internal organs are exhausted. "What's the matter?" The wife who was waiting at the finish line felt incomprehensible, "It doesn't look like your physical strength has declined, and you've done enough training." What happened, even I don't know why.Perhaps the reason is very simple, that is, getting old.Or other reasons can be found.Or some important factor has been overlooked.In any case, right now we can only respond with "maybe, or else", like a trickle of water disappearing silently in the desert. There is only one thing that I can assert with considerable confidence: until I regain the feeling of "good! I ran very well this time", I will continue to participate in the full marathon without being discouraged and tirelessly in the future.As long as my body allows me, even if I am old, even if people around me tell me, "Murakami-san, don't run anymore, you are getting old", I will continue to run without paying attention.Even if my performance drops drastically, I will continue to work toward my goal of running the marathon, as I have done before—and sometimes better than before.Yes, no matter what others say, this is my innate personality, just like scorpions are born to sting people, cicadas are born to sting trees; and like salmon are destined to return to the river where they were born, a pair of wild Ducks are destined to pursue the same with each other. For me, and for this book, that's about the conclusion.The theme song of "Rocky)) is not heard anywhere, and the sunset that is supposed to go towards it is nowhere to be seen.The conclusion is as unpretentious as sneakers for a rainy day, and one might call it anticlimactic.Even if someone took this project to a Hollywood producer to make a movie, they probably glanced at the last page and ignored it.However, I feel that such a conclusion suits me. Instead of someone coming up to me and telling me to "go for a run," I just start running down the road.No one came to me and said "You should be a novelist", so I started writing novels.Suddenly one day, I started writing novels out of love.Another day, I started running on the road out of love.No matter what, do what I like in the way I like, that's how I live.Even though I was blocked by others and criticized maliciously, I never changed.Who can such a person ask for? I look up to the sky.Can you see a tiny bit of love? No, you can't see it.Just the idle summer clouds floating leisurely over the Pacific Ocean.Yun Duo is always silent.They don't say anything to me.Maybe instead of looking up at the sky, I should look inside of me.I try to look inside myself, like peering into the bottom of a deep well.Can you see love there? No, no.All I see is my character.I am a person who is stubborn, uncoordinated, self-willed and self-doubting, and wants to find the ridiculousness in it even when it encounters pain.I carried it, like carrying an old travel bag, through a long journey.I don't carry it because I like it.It was too heavy for its contents, with an unremarkable appearance and ripped threads here and there.It's just that I have nothing else to carry, so I wandered around with it helplessly.However, there is a certain lingering feeling for it in my heart. Right now, I am practicing hard every day in order to face the triathlon held in the village of Xinba County on October 1st.In other words, I still carry the old bag, wandering towards the even more "anticlimactic" and the taciturn baroque sophistication - to express it more modestly, it is "the end of evolution".