"I'll teach you about the theory of cornering. This might be basic, but it's better if I start from here, so we are on the same page."
In their training room, Igo Heita had pulled a whiteboard in front of his 2 trainees and drawn a map of a corner.
"I assume you girls already learned about the forces that happen when you corner."
Both of his Umas nod their heads.
"What is that, McQueen?"
"Centripetal and Centrifugal forces."
"Good. What's the difference between them, Teio?"
"Uuhh… Centripetal pulls you in while the other pushes you out."
"That's the best explanation I can get from someone like you."
"HEY!! What does that supposed to mean?!?!"
"It means what it means, now listen. I have observed how you both corner during your training, and I admit that it would be no problem to leave it how it is, but I wouldn't be here if that's my way of thinking."
The young man uncapped his blue marker and drew a path line that hugs the inner side of the turn.
"Your cornering follows this path. It's the best path to take if you want to keep your position from being taken from anyone behind you, but the worst if you want to get into the position in front. Since both of you are chasers, this part is the part that I want to focus on."
"Of course, you both can overtake during the last straight, but what if someone with faster acceleration thought of that first and takes the initiative? You will block in, unable to move forward, and lose the race."
Igo Heita then turned his laptop for his 2 trainees to see. He played several clips of races that focus on the moment just after the last turn and into the last straight. Over and over again, the chasers are blocked by surgers that come from behind them and have a better finishing kick.
"These kinds of situations usually happen after one important factor, the chasers couldn't close the distance between them and the runners fast enough."
For a chaser to overtake the runner in front of them, they would need to first close the gap produced during the race and then build up enough momentum to outspeed the runner. What if the chaser can close the gap 1 length in a second, and what if the distance between the runner and chaser is 3 lengths? That would leave 3 precious seconds for surgers and closers with much more powerful finishing kicks and top speed to close the distance and block the chasers.
"Positioning is key. Moving sideways during a race might only shave a millisecond from your time, but that millisecond is still crucial for winning."
A millisecond can determine the winner of a race. So much can be determined in the time between breaths.
"So the best course of action is to take the position during the last corner. Not only will you get a prime overtaking position, but you will also accelerate during moments where everyone is slowing down."
"That's true…"
*DING*
[Corner Adept] 1 level hint gained.
[Corner Acceleration] 1 level hint gained.
Nice. Take that, Kitasan Black's SSR card!! I will become the best SSR speed card from now on!
XxX-XxX
"McQueen stands beside the railing, and Teio stands beside McQueen."
"Ookay…?"
"Alright, McQueen, now get on the other side of Teio."
"What is this for again?"
Even though they don't understand their trainer's intent, the 2 Umas still do it anyway.
"I want to make a mark."
In the young man's hands is a pole with a pointed tip at one of its ends. He stands beside McQueen and then stabs the pole right into the ground.
"Mhh!! Mmhhh!! That should do it."
"What is this mark for, Trainer Igo?"
"When entering the final straight, there are three important lanes that we should keep in mind. The first line, the closest to The Railing, is the lane that the number one will be using, the second lane is the lane that people who want to overtake the number one will be using, and the third lane, the lane if you want to overtake everyone in front of you."
"If you watch the clips that I showed you earlier, you'll notice that people, except for the number one, immediately enter the second lane after the final turn. It's a prime position to overtake the first if you are the number two, as for the rest, you'll be stuck behind her."
"Then wouldn't that just be the chicken and the egg? Everyone behind would keep using the farthest lane until there's none."
"Indeed, but you girls are chasers. The most likely case is that there will only be two or three people in front of you. Psychologically, the third runner wouldn't try to get behind the second and instead, try to look for a chance to squeeze through the gap, while still running behind the first, and then burst forth. There is rarely anyone who wants to use the third lane, let alone the other."
"I see… That makes sense. The third are already desperate to gain an advantage, they wouldn't try to waste time by moving sideways toward the third lane and instead, focus on squeezing through."
"That's how it normally goes, but if we ever want to be above normal, then we need to act like one. We can't expect to be above others when we do as they do."
"I don't understand all this fancy talk, but I know what I need to do. By the way, why do you have three footballs with you, Trainer?"
"I'll use them to train you."
"How?"
"You'll see. Stay here and do your warm-up. I will go to the start of the turn."
The 2 Umas watch their trainer dribble three balls like it was normal for him.
"Hey McQueen, do people play football using three balls?"
"No. Absolutely not. That man is a weirdo. Come on, let's warm up or he'll get mad at you."
The 2 Umas start by stretching their bodies and making sure their muscles are ready for today's training.
"Uuh!! Mh!"
*Bam*
"Eh?"
The loud noise startled the 2 Umas, and they immediately knew it came from their trainer kicking a ball. They turn their heads to look at where their trainer is, and their vision stops turning when they see a ball curving in the air toward them.
*Whooosh*
The ball just whizzes around the pole on the outer side.
*Bam*
Another shot by the young man, and now the girls have a good view of the trajectory that the ball takes. The ball's curve follows the turn almost to a T. It starts where the young man is standing, which is the beginning of the turn, and then curves midair following the turn curvature, achieving a 180 turn around before diving toward the pole.
*Whooosh*
Another miss by the ball to hit the pole, but this time, it's on the inner side.
*Bam*
Another ball was sent by the young man, following the same trajectory, curving perfectly, and this time,
*BANG*
Hitting the pole perfectly.
"Why… Why is he a trainer?"
"Been wondering that for some time now."
"Hey girls, kick the balls here!"
"Okay!!"
Teio runs toward one of the balls and then kicks it with all her might. But the result was different from when the young man kicked it. The ball's trajectory is more vertical than horizontal, and it fails to reach its intended target.
"Uuuh… I'll try again."
Teio kicks the 2 balls back-to-back, but each kick only increases the travel of each ball by mere centimeters.
"Uuuhh…"
"Calm down. That is to be expected when babies kick a ball."
"I'm not a baby!!!"
"Of course."
The young man had come to get the balls after Teio's wild kicks.
"Do me a favor, and dribble the next balls instead of kicking them. At the very least, you'll train your speed that way."
The young man returned to the start of the curve with his 3 balls.
"What is he planning now? Didn't he already hit the pole earlier?"
McQueen couldn't understand why her trainer was about to repeat a task that he had already completed. Is he doing this to impress the girls? If he is, then he should fix his attitude first. He has the looks, just not the heart.
Eek!! Wait!! What am I saying?!?
*Bam*
"Eh? It doesn't go up?"
Like Teio exclaims, this kick doesn't follow a similar pattern of rising before falling as it curves around. This kick starts low and horizontal as it curves with the turn. The ball seemed like it was supported by an invisible string as its distance from the ground remained almost unchanged throughout its flight, except for the last moment of its flight.
*Thud*
As it falls to the ground several centimeters before hitting the pole.
Seriously, why is he a trainer?