Visiting Japan (東京マラソンを走る)

For years, I had wanted to visit Japan, but cycling trips in Europe always seemed more tempting and kept winning out. Then, the day before the Tokyo Marathon lottery closed, a friend convinced me to apply. I didn’t expect much, but a few months later I received the email: I was selected. In case you can’t read Japanese, 東京マラソンを走る translates to “running the Tokyo Marathon.” What followed was a…