Grand Ekinoks is a umamusume with a strong work discipline. It seems she doesn't possess a pure natural talent as much as, which is why, despite her complaints, she followed my instructions for a week.
In the last week before the maiden race, I told her not to train during daytime.
I know that too much of anything is harmful and training is included in that. Waiting for dusk for the other special training method made more sense.
I had given Grand Ekinoks the necessary instructions in advance. She would come to the swimming pool in her swimsuit. Since it had grown dark, there was neither a trainer nor an umamusume at the pool.
We were completely alone. Grand Ekinoks, entering in her swimsuit, seemed to wonder what we would do. This time she hadn't worn her hooded cape, which she normally wouldn't wear even at the swimming pool.
"Do you know what kind of torture I'm about to inflict on you right now, right?"
"..."
"I'll take your silence as a yes."
To be honest, I wasn't planning to push Grand Ekinoks this time. She had already been pushed to her limits the previous week.
Still, I would make sure this training would be as productive as possible.
"What I'm asking of you is simple. Jump into the pool and swim to the middle."
Grand Ekinoks complied and after she swam to the middle of the pool, I pulled out the stopwatch in my pocket.
"What I'm asking of you is fairly simple. Dive into the pool and stay there as long as you can hold your breath. When you start to struggle, surface again."
"Is that all I have to do?"
"If you want, you can push yourself further."
"I can hold my breath for 3 minutes."
As soon as she said that, she took a deep breath and plunged quickly into the depths of the pool.
I expected this training to contribute to three different areas.
First, of course, to increase the air-filling capacity in her lungs. No matter how strong you are, if your lungs aren't strong enough, you'll be left gasping for air.
Second, I wanted to use the pressure of the water on her body to my advantage. The pressure of water is more dangerous than you think. Only with special submarines can you descend to thousands of depths.
I was curious how long her body could withstand this pressure for a few meters of water. I truly wanted her to be a umamusume who could cover long distances.
Third and finally, this maiden race was about. I would confirm how focused she could stay and how determined she was.
Even the most talented will lose their luster if they don't train enough. I started to think about how much Bold Pilot, the last Triple Crown winner, might have trained.
I wanted to fuel Grand Ekinoks's determination to win. I wanted all of her attention to come together to win. Just as she said, I wanted her to have the mindset to stay in the water for 3 minutes.
In short, I wanted to strengthen her resistance.
About 2 minutes later, Grand Ekinoks lifted her head from the water and took a deep breath.
"Did I succeed, trainer?"
She looked at me with a hopeful expression. Unfortunately, it is my job to break that hope and reshape it.
"If you really want to succeed, stay under for three and a half minutes and let's see."