A Training Road That Excites Your Eyes and Mind

When I lived in Kyoto, this is the route I ran everyday as part of my training. From the Ueno Bridge, which was close to my dormitory, I would run along the Katsura River to Matsuo Taisha. Before running, I also recommend stretching and loosening your body by the riverbank. Although I sometimes run through the residential area near Matsuo Taisha, the path through Arayashiyama Higashi Park is a cycling road and has fewer cars so it is great for running. From there, you go past the Togetsu Bridge and head to Seiryo Temple. Facing the temple, turn to the right to arrive at our goal, the Hirosawa Pond. Along the way, there is a famous tofu shop, and the pastoral countryside scenery is quite calming.
I like running courses that radically change in scenery—a route where one can enjoy a variety of landscapes such as rivers, shrines, parks, ponds and so on. Encountering rickshaws or tourists on their way to the old shrines and temples makes this a very typical Kyoto street. Also, you can feel the four seasons very closely. Atagoyama, the highest mountain in Kyoto, shows you magnificent cherry blossoms in the spring, gorgeous foliage in the fall, and is beautifully snow-capped in the winter.
When I’m running, I tend to play music in my head while I’m looking at the view. I use this route in my training to relax my muscles which allows me to enjoy the scenery and switch my mindset to the next training course. It is necessary, of course, to train the body, but it is equally important to have a route that you can enjoy with your eyes and mind. During races, people cheering on the roadside come into your eyes. You can hear their voices, and sometimes I even run closer to them on purpose. When I ran in Arashiyama, everybody, from children to seniors, rooted for me. I like to be observant and remember how beautiful the sky was, or how cute the walking dogs looked. Perhaps when I’m running, I get support not only from the audience, but also from the city and the scenery.