Sunamachi-Kasai-Mizue History and Culture course: L'Abricotier

Took today off and got up early (before dawn) to run the Sunamachi-Kasai-Mizue History and Culture course. Still having knee trouble, or rather I think the tendon or something under and on the outside of the knee, so I have to be careful turning with the left leg, but no problem running fast straight or running up hills and stairs, which is weird. Not the normal knee problem. If necessary, I'll rest days or weeks until it is better, but in any case, I should not consider myself ready for longer distances until I can run in the 40 to 50 km range without getting this kind of problem.

First leg of the course is the Sunamachi Saltspray Walk from Minami Suanamchi Station. Doesn't seem to be any reason for this leg (although it was sort of on my way). I mean, there is sort of a park at the beginning, but I've been there before and it's just some place for people to pass through going north from the station (toward the residential section). The walk ends where the course branches, north of Nishi ("West") Kasai Station.

The south branch goes down past the station, by a big baseball stadium, and from there goes through a park course down to Kasirinkaikoen Station, which is named for the big park south of it, Kasai Seaside Park. The course weaves along a cycling road, park, bridges over main roads, and paths along artificial streams with lots of little bridges, so it's hard to be quick and it's well separated from the street. The final park, which I didn't get deeply into, is big and was recommended to me once by a birder as the best place to see birds in Tokyo. On the other side of a channel that connects up to Edo River is Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea. This walk is the Kasai Wave Walk.

I traced the Kasai Wave Walk back to the branch point and headed northeast long the Sound of Old River Walk, which has a long stretch along a narrow stone path weaving along an artificial stream toward the end. The course changes name when you get to the same channel as I mentioned below (only, this is a different branch than the one going to Edo River). The final part is the Ichinoe Nanushi Estate Walk and ends at Mizue Station. It's okay, but again, I'm not that interested in this flat, below sea level (?) part of Tokyo, which is very car centered.

I came back mostly along Route 50. At Nihonbashi, I went in Mitsukoshi to visit the Dalloyau and got a Pain ("bread") d'Orange 324 yen. It's a danish made with their croissant dough and cream, orange, and sugar. Like their croissant, it was great.

Then I continued home running until the Lawson 100. I was very slow all day, but not terribly. Going was 13.0 km, then 20.15 km on the H&C course, and 17.7 km running back, which is about 51 km, perhaps farther than I should have run, although on the way back, I had figured out how to run so that my left leg didn't cause problems. It's not a good long-term solution, but later when I had to walk a little after going out again for cake (which I'll get to next), I didn't feel any problems. I don't expect that to last, but I hope I can recover without having to completely stop for a few weeks again, by which time it will be the rainy season and then full summer. Still two more about 50 km H&C course runs that I can do, which just leaves two 100 km course runs that I won't be surprised if I'm never able to do as preferred (without a train or cycle assist).

For cake, I cycled to L'Abricotier, where I ate in. I had to buy tea, but it wasn't that expensive (only 350 yen more), and I got a little pot with about three cups worth, not like French Pound House. I actually needed the fluids (although I had eaten and drunk water before coming out again after running) and the winds were very strong, so even if I had been running rather than cycling (which doesn't agree with cake), it was better to eat in. I plan to do that on my next visit too.

The cake was Le Piemont for 450 yen. It's a mousse cake with milk chocolate outside, along with three kinds of nuts (the almond on top is hidden in the picture) and some biscuits that I also approve off. Inside is nut cream and chocolate cream, with chopped nuts within the nut cream, which is a good choice. The cake bottom has hazelnut in it. I'm choosing the cakes that appeal to me, so having two great cakes (as this was) is not enough evidence to be confident that this is a great shop, but it certainly seems to be at least another excellent one and I hope to go back next weekend, whether cycling or running (if I'm up for a long run, I want to do the Shibamata H&C course and visit La Rose des Japanais, which is my top priority after L'Abricotier).