As for the result, Rice Shower was completely blown out.
By the time she reached the 2000m finish line, Oguri Cap had already stopped and was waiting for her.
“Good work.
Are you feeling unwell?” “Haa…
haa…
No, I’m fine, haa…” Rice Shower was panting heavily, her body radiating heat.
Her tracksuit was completely soaked through, clinging to the pink skin beneath.
She had her hands propped on her knees, too exhausted to stand up straight, as large drops of sweat fell from her face.
She hadn’t been in this state since her first day of training with Kaito, when she had thrown up.
In contrast, Oguri Cap stood perfectly straight.
Only a few drops of sweat trickled down her neck, and her breathing was completely unaffected, remaining as steady and smooth as it was before the run.
The gap is just too huge.
That was the only thought in Rice Shower’s buzzing, exhausted brain.
Speed, power, and even her greatest advantage, stamina.
The gap between her and Oguri Cap-san in all of these was simply too large.
Is this the strength of a G1 Uma Musume?
Compared to her, am I really ready to stand on the stage of the Classic circuit?
From the starting point of the joint training, Kaito blew a clear whistle, signaling them to return.
Oguri Cap headed back first, and seeing this, Rice Shower forced herself to move her legs and follow.
Passing by the track they had just run on, Rice Shower’s gaze was drawn to a series of footprints.
They were the marks left by Oguri Cap as she ran, leaving deep indentations in the green grass as if an iron stake had been forcefully hammered into the ground.
In stark contrast, Rice Shower’s own footprints were shallow.
“…” Rice Shower drooped her long ears and returned to Kaito’s side.
“Thank you, Oguri Cap-san.
Let’s call it a day for the joint training.” Once the two Uma Musume returned to the starting point, Kaito said.
“Are we not going to train anymore?” “Yeah.
We could see a lot of problems from just one joint run, and there are many things that need improvement.” As Kaito spoke, he noticed Rice Shower looking dejected nearby and apologizing to him.
“I’m sorry, Onii-san.
Rice Shower didn’t run well.” “You doesn’t need to apologize.
It’s precisely because there are things to improve that we asked Oguri Cap-san for her help, right?” “Yes…” Rice Shower nodded, but she was still very bothered by her poor performance.
Seeing this, Kaito turned to Oguri Cap and asked.
“Oguri Cap-san, what do you think of Rice Shower’s performance this time?” Hearing this, Oguri Cap thought for a moment before answering.
“Her speed, power, and the timing of her acceleration were all terrible…” “Uu.” Rice Shower’s ears drooped even lower.
“Oguri!” Belno Light helplessly nudged Oguri Cap with her elbow.
She seemed used to Oguri Cap’s straightforward remarks, but then Oguri Cap continued.
“But her break from the gate was very clean, which shows her fundamentals are solid.” After saying that, Oguri Cap smiled at Rice Shower.
“I think Rice Shower-san has a lot of potential.” Hearing this, Rice Shower widened her eyes.
Kaito shrugged and said to Rice Shower.
“See, Rice Shower?
Oguri Cap-san thinks very highly of you.” “This joint run highlighted three issues.
One is a lack of speed, and the other is insufficient power.
Both of these are crucial in the high-level competition of Graded Races, so we need to focus on them.” “But the most important issue is your mentality.
Because Oguri Cap-san overtook you right at the start, you panicked, didn’t you?” “In order to snatch back the lead, you accelerated during the phase where you should have been maintaining a cruising pace.
This caused your stamina and rhythm to fall into complete disarray.
Your muscles also couldn’t exert force due to excessive lactic acid buildup, leading to an early loss of speed and ultimately losing the run.
Is that right?” “Yes.
After Rice Shower failed to secure the lead, she didn’t know what to do…” (I was thinking of changing the third person, but she does talk like that) Rice Shower nodded.
She hadn’t expected Kaito to have simulated her psychological state so accurately.
“If you encounter this situation in a race, what should Rice Shower do?” Kaito didn’t answer directly but instead looked at Oguri Cap.
“Oguri Cap-san, what would you do if you failed to secure an advantageous position in a race?” Oguri Cap tilted her head, seemingly not quite understanding Kaito’s question.
After a long while, she finally organized her words.
“Then I just wouldn’t fight for it.” “If I accelerate along with the others fighting for position, I’ll run out of stamina early.
In that case, it’s better to just run at my own pace.
Once we reach the final straight, I can rely on my late kick to figure something out.” Oguri Cap’s way of thinking was very simple and straightforward.
Don’t get dragged into their pace, conserve stamina, and run in a way that feels comfortable.
Rice Shower still didn’t quite get it.
“But if Rice Shower is running as a Runner and gets overtaken, then she’s no longer a Runner, right?” Oguri Cap blinked.
“Does it matter?
As long as you conserve stamina, you can just accelerate and pass them on the final straight.” “Exactly.” Kaito nodded and smiled at Rice Shower.
“Rice Shower couldn’t utilize the advantages of the Runner tactic and her own stamina because she was doing a joint run with Oguri Cap-san.” “But on the Classic circuit, Rice Shower’s stamina is absolutely the most advantageous among Runner Uma Musume.
If anyone tries to stay in the lead ahead of you, they will definitely lose speed in the late stages of a 2000m race, and Rice Shower can easily overtake them.” “So there’s no need to worry.
What needs to be honed right now is your mentality.” “As long as Rice Shower doesn’t panic because others are fighting for position and disrupt the race’s rhythm, there won’t be any problems.
Being a Runner isn’t about competing against other Runner Uma Musume, but competing against the Uma Musume behind you.” “How much distance you can put between yourself and them, how much stamina you have left, and whether you can still burst with speed at the end.
These are what determine if a Runner can win.” Rice Shower seemed to have realized something and nodded earnestly.
“Rice Shower thinks she understands now.
Thank you, Onii-san, and thank you too, Oguri Cap-san!” “You’re welcome.” Watching Rice Shower and Oguri Cap interact, Hana sighed with a hint of envy.
“Having an Uma Musume like this for joint training is far more effective than training alone, not just by a little bit.” “Yeah.” Kaito nodded.
A single joint run could reveal the problems in previous training and simultaneously determine the direction for future improvements.
There was no more efficient method than this.
Kaito decided to schedule future joint runs for Saturday mornings as a weekly training check, while Saturday afternoons would be dedicated to special training on the uphill slope at the end of the Nakayama Racecourse track to adapt to the race rhythm in advance.
As for the issues of speed and stamina, Kaito was already making a plan.
There were still two months left, so there was no need to rush.
“Alright, do two more sets of training and then we’ll have lunch.
I’ve prepared portions for Oguri Cap and Belno Light too.” “Okay!” “Mhm, I’ve been looking forward to it for a while.” “Eh, there’s a portion for me too?
Thank you!” “Hana-senpai, why don’t you join us too?” “Me?
Well, I guess that’s not a bad idea…” …
At the midday training grounds, the five of them sat under a large tree, eating lunch amidst cheers and laughter.
The appetites of Rice Shower and Oguri Cap were incredibly astonishing, leaving passersby dumbfounded.
On the other side of the training grounds, a blonde Uma Musume also witnessed this scene.
Her face balanced maturity and cuteness, and her figure was like that of a model.
But the most striking feature was her hair and tail, where a delicate white was interspersed within the golden luster.
The two colors complemented each other, making her look like a work of art.
“Gold City, what’s wrong?” “No, it’s nothing.” The Uma Musume Gold City shook her head and looked at her manager.
“Didn’t we agree that there was no photoshoot today, so I could spend the whole day training?
Why did you follow me here?” “Of course I’m worried you’ll overtrain.
If you get tanned or build too much muscle in your thighs, it will affect the photoshoot.” “That same talk again…” Gold City furrowed her pretty brows and said in a bad mood.
“Fine, fine, I get it.
I, your important money-making doll, will take good care of myself and not cause you any trouble.” With that, she walked dejectedly toward the training grounds.
“Gold City!” Her manager sighed, her expression full of helplessness.
“She’s clearly a once-in-a-million genius in the modeling world, yet she insists on wasting her time and energy on races that yield no results at all.
When will this child ever figure it out…” Looking out, the beautiful young Uma Musume with four white stockings and a dappled bay coat stubbornly started running, going further and further away.