"Your steps are too heavy. You can't run fast with such force. Lighten your feet and slow your stride."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Hearing Musaka Ginjirou's words, Oguri Cap nodded and adjusted her pace.
Nearby, Belno Light was recording Oguri Cap's lap times. Watching the girl pick up more and more speed, she couldn't help but voice her concern:
"Has Oguri been training a bit too much these past few days... Is it really okay to keep up this intensity until the [Tenno Sho]?"
Ever since seeing that black Uma Musume's formal notice to the central association, Oguri Cap had dropped all her previously scheduled activities and thrown herself entirely into training.
Her daily training load kept increasing.
She woke up early each morning for her dawn run, and in the evenings, she'd always find the time to jog a few more laps around the training field.
At this rate, Belno Light was afraid Oguri Cap's body would give out before the [Tenno Sho] even began.
Balance was key; rest was just as important as training. Right now, Oguri Cap's rest time had been whittled down to just a few hours for sleep and meals.
"She's right. While it's good to be motivated, overtraining can indeed backfire."
Musaka Ginjirou knew this principle well, but he didn't want to dampen Oguri Cap's fierce drive.
So he made some adjustments to the training regimen. After high-intensity stamina workouts, Trainer Musaka would schedule exercises that helped Oguri Cap recover and relax her muscles.
Things like leg stretches and flexibility drills—which Oguri Cap could handle with ease given her natural suppleness.
Following the current training rhythm, despite the seemingly grueling schedule, Oguri Cap's body wasn't accumulating too much stress.
Not only that, but Musaka Ginjirou had noticed something different about Oguri Cap lately.
"If we were to measure strength by phased benchmarks, the current Oguri Cap should be nearing her peak."
"Huh?"
But Belno Light couldn't really see any major difference between now and before.
Whether in class or at meals, she still had that same spaced-out look on her face.
"The point of training isn't just physical. The mind is a part of it too."
In fact, the mental aspect might have an even greater impact than the physical training.
"Zone."
Musaka Ginjirou said the word.
"Every groundbreaking Uma Musume is bound to encounter it."
"In psychological terms, you could call it 'flow' or a 'peak experience.' It means fully immersing your mental focus into an activity."
Those who enter this flow state experience intense excitement and a sense of absolute self-awareness.
For example, their perception of time changes subjectively, making them completely lose track of its passage.
There was another point.
Musaka Ginjirou raised a finger and asked Belno Light, "Can you, without using any external help, curl your pinky finger into your palm while keeping your ring finger fully extended?"
Belno Light tried a few times.
"I can't..."
"See." Musaka Ginjirou already knew. "The human body can't be controlled one hundred percent. Often, their movements are constrained."
The more complex the movement, the more constraints there are.
This is especially evident during a race.
Often, in the final stretch, an Uma Musume will feel her arm swings getting smaller, her leg strides slowing down.
It's like invisible shackles layering onto them.
These are the limitations the body imposes when stamina is nearing its limit.
And the flow state can break these limitations.
Letting you stride out again, reclaiming control over your body.
"Simply put—surpassing your limits."
"Surpassing limits..."
"Exactly."
The so-called 'Zone' is a state born from surpassing your own limits and reaching another level.
"So, Trainer Musaka, are you saying Oguri Cap already has this Zone?"
"I can't be sure of that yet."
After all, even those who experience it can't easily describe what it truly feels like.
In that state, their minds can't process complex thoughts anymore; only a single goal remains.
Losing memory, or perhaps casting aside all unnecessary clutter, leaving only the purest objective—that's the general idea.
"Can't be sure... huh." Belno Light clenched her fist.
"But she's getting close."
Musaka Ginjirou tapped his cane.
Because right now, except for the moment she crosses the finish line, when Oguri Cap is running, her consciousness is entirely fixed on the track.
She becomes completely unaware of anything around her.
"There are less than two weeks until the [Tenno Sho]. Time is very tight."
Whether it's helping Oguri Cap fully achieve the Zone, or simply helping her grow stronger, both require tremendous effort.
And it's not just us; all the competitors entering the [Tenno Sho] are pushing themselves to the limit.
"A torrent rages ahead, and the tasks before us are piled mountain high."
"Yes, sir!" Belno Light responded firmly.
No matter what, she would help Oguri Cap, her best friend, climb that peak whose summit couldn't be seen.
--+--
"Sirius, do you have a moment?"
In the hallway, Symboli Rudolf called out to Sirius Symboli, who was on her way to the training field.
"I do have time, but I don't plan on wasting it. Unless you can offer me value equivalent to that time, then I might not mind spending it on you."
Long accustomed to her childhood friend's attitude, Symboli Rudolf handled her words with ease.
"Then this should interest you."
Symboli Rudolf said, "We've found a trainer suitable for you."
Several months had passed, and Sirius Symboli had gradually adapted to the training environment back home.
The trainer originally assigned to help her transition between domestic and international training methods had submitted a report stating that Sirius Symboli was now fully ready to train at a regular pace.
So, upon receiving that trainer's transfer request, Symboli Rudolf began searching for a new trainer suited to Sirius.
Finally, after some negotiation and discussion, a team was found with an open spot, and the trainer was highly capable.
Symboli Rudolf believed that with that trainer's assistance, Sirius Symboli's abilities could reach the next level.
"A trainer..." Sirius's rose-red eyes glinted with thought.
"Don't tell me it's some rigid, inflexible type."
"You needn't worry about that. This trainer is known for her unexpected tactics."
"Oh?" Sirius Symboli's interest was piqued.
"Do tell. Who is it?"
"She's been at a press conference. She'll be returning to Tracen soon. If you head to the gate now, you should be able to meet her."
Symboli Rudolf said.
The trainer known as the youngest genius, Nase Fumino.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.