Chiba is Cheaper

It started on a cold January morning in a dry snow flurry at the Oi Futo warf.
Derrek rolled up to me... I was freezing into a headwind, hands aching and numb,
nose snot water flowing, just trying to keep a 32kph pace. "Lets go", says Derrek in
knee warmers and vest. Soon we were attacking everyone in sight around and around
the 10k course. Now I was warm...but who is this dude we can't shell?
After taking hard turns he proved to hang tough. Eventually he rolled up to me and asked
"do you race?". I was about to snap back,"what do you think we were just doing?"
But thought better and a we began chatting going back in forth with English and Japanese.
He turned out to be a serious racer on a small team. I suggested we train together,
we shared emails and went our separate way. Luckly I did get an email from him, Numata San,
suggesting I come join him at the Keio University training camp out in the sticks of Chiba
for only 2000 yen (apprx 20.00bucks) a day. Being an odd jobs dude who often has weekdays
off I agreed. I prepaired myself for a couple of days of speaking Japanese and going for
epic rides with students of the most prestigious private college in Japan. I took the train out after work
on Tuesday night with the specter of Wendnesday rain approaching. I arrived at a
countryside stop in an area that reminded me of Gaviota along the 101 north of Santa Barbara.
It was so slow the station master wasn't in and instead a box to drop off the ticket.
Numata San came up as I was unpacking my bike and shortly escorted me back to a beautiful youth center
overlooking the beach. I met the group of colligate riders over a cafeteria meal that tasted
as cheap as it cost. I was introduced to Smooki san, a track guy who got second in the
collegate keirin (oval track) championships last year and Kitagawa san who was
looking to win the under 23 age road race championship. Numata san had already graduated and
is now racing the domestic pro calendar in Japan. He trains over 600k's a week and
has asperations to race in Spain for a division three squad, which begs the question...who
should have been kicking who's butt on that fridgid day in Oi? More on that later.
I got set up in a room straight out of Gomer Pile, with six of us bunking together in a room
for ten which should be for four. After a quiet evening sure enough we awoke to rain.
Kitagawa, Numata and I were ready for some crazy hours of wet riding.
But this camp had many young beginning riders who would get frazzled, so we cancelled.
For Japanese, it means everyone cancels together. So we settled for a boring morning
on the trainers and an amusing afternoon of indoor soccer and volleyball in the gym.
With an hour of Sunlight left; Kitagawa, Namuta and I snuck off in the dying
storm for a hilly ride in which we no holds barred attacked the heck out of each other,
all the pent up energy flushed out and left us in high spirits crusing back to center.
At night Smooki San couldn't go to sleep. He kept everyone awake chatting endlessly about equipment,
especially carbon wheels. I didn't think I liked this guy and It started to get to me,
so I tried to join the conversation. More uptight than I realized, I blurted that they
think of bikes like women, I thought after that comment that I would be sleeping outside that night.
But instead they broke out in laughter and agreed whole heartedly, then continued
their conversation. The next morning there was unexpected rain. We had a long ride
planned and went out at nine am. The rain stopped at almost the exact same time we left.
We headed up the highway through small towns and beachfront. Whenever Smooki hit the
front the speed would jump at least six kph. I matched his speed and after about
fifty kilometers there was moaning and swearing coming from behind. We managed
to get to our first rest stop and I few of the riders waited for a slower group behind
as we continued on to an inland hilly area. After 70k we got to a place that looped
around every 25k with 1to2k climbs, twisty decents and NO STOP LIGHTS. We were to do five
laps, but I was starting to get worried about the return trip and how much time we had.
Putting that out of my mind, Kitagawa, Namuta and I played king of the mountain over and over.
I started to get riled up because these sub 60 kilo dudes would keep gapping me by
about three meters at the top. I would keep going after the crest and hammer my way
down and along the flat roads, they would get dropped and I have to wait for them.
That's why I am now known among the Keio riders as the flat road race guy.
I had a bigger frustration which was getting back. I figured we had at least seventy
kilometer return trip in store to get back to the youth center and it was mid afternoon.
They kept trying to explain something to me but couldn't understand. I had heard from
Derrek that some Japanese racing club captains just can't get enough making their team
become totally fatigued, I was starting to panic. But Namuta San, who was just ripping on
everyone up the hills asked me to hang in there for one more lap since by this point I was
the only one who could match his pace. Then I saw that Smooki San had had enough and was
returning. I saw a great opportunity for a smooth two up back to the
center and joined him. We were riding along great and I was starting to think I really
like this guy. Smooki mentioned something about 3k. I thought, 3k to a convenience store?
I found out that actually we had done a complete loop and were right behind the Center!
Still I finished the day with 150k and sore satisfied legs. That night Smooki was at it
again until almost midnight, he must have said the word "Carbon Clincher", at least 100 times,
I didn't think I liked this guy. The last day, we went on a morning tear for about two hours.
Smooki was again the hero and we broke away into a tail wind trading pulls that topped out at
close to 60kph, I think I like this guy. In conclusion, I made some new friends and got
some real time Japanese practice in. I have genuine concerns over Namuta sans desire to race
pro in Spain. However, he's really motivated and has already learned a fair bit of Spanish;
I think he just has to go there and learn for himself. Maybe he can do it. Smooki san said he
could get me on the track if I join his club, which is a serious consideration with all the difficulties
trying to train road in Tokyo. Kitagawa san insists he must win the u23 this year, so I hope he gets in
the right move and pulls it off. By the way, my final bill for three days came out to sixty bucks.
Thanks for reading.

Namuta San's Diary of his racing in Spain. Mostly Japanese words written in English alphabet.
Namuta San's Diary