Almost Infinitely Transparent Blue

10 January 2026

Aside from the sheer joy of being on a bike, today also provided added delights. I rode amid unseasonal warmth. And the skies were so azure I stole the title of a Ryu Murakami novel for the blog headline.

Mrs. Kangaeroo worked a night shift and was knackered. I left her to sleep, went to physio and then a gentle ride under the pristine skies.

Despite being deeply into winter and what is traditionally the coldest part of the year, I could wear shorts and was sweating by the time I finished the ride, aided in part by fierce headwinds and lack of fitness and strength after months out of the shadow.

There’s a dryness to the Tokyo winter that sometimes makes the landscape look almost like Australia, and the Tama River bank showed that to full effect today.

Unfortunately, I got to see my right leg in a reflection of a store window I rode past and the muscle atrophy was all too clear. One good aspect of that, though, is the fun it will be to build back up, which I am guessing I will do largely on bikes.