The special training for the Eisei Team's horse girls had been planned a long time in advance. Oguri Cap, Creek, and Ardan each had their own assigned routines, and naturally, Tamamo Cross and Inari One had theirs as well.
Once he'd finished arranging them all, it was time for warm-ups and basic exercises.
The training ground this time wasn't the usual grassy field they were familiar with—it was the beach.
Training camps often choose seaside locations, and a very important reason for that is the need for "beach training."
In general, the softer the ground surface, the more energy the body expends.
Depending on the exercise, training on sand consumes 20% to 50% more energy than the exact same routine on hard ground.
On soft, shifting ground, the body has to apply more force just to push itself forward, since part of the force is absorbed by the terrain.
Wanting to run just as fast as usual meant they had to put out even more power, so naturally their energy consumption skyrocketed.
On top of that, compared to the dirt tracks they sometimes practiced on, a natural beach has a far more unstable surface.
To maintain balance, the small muscle groups in their lower body had to work harder, and some muscles rarely used in normal running were also activated—especially around the foot and ankle.
This effectively strengthened power, stability, and required tight cooperation between joints like the ankle, knee, hip, and waist—improving joint flexibility and cardiovascular function.
Beach training not only improved training efficiency; the soft surface also provided better cushioning.
Running on it put less impact on joints and muscles, giving their bodies more protection.
However—while they had run on dirt and sand tracks before, they had never run on pure natural beach sand.
And in just the first round of training, all the horse girls showed clear discomfort.
"Alright, that's enough. Take a break."
As the main trainer for this round, Kitahara checked the stopwatch, announced the rest period, and watched the horse girls slowly recovering their breath. He then asked in a low voice:
"How's the standard beach training for the camp feel?"
"H–Nani?! T-This is just standard training?!"
Before he even finished speaking, Tamamo Cross shrieked.
"This intensity is already several times worse than usual, isn't it?!"
"This kind of training is still only standard?!"
"Oy, old man, are you sure you didn't screw up?!"
The girls of Team Eisei were all the type who could endure hardship. Outside of their normal routines, they regularly performed high-intensity special training.
For example, since the Kasamatsu days they'd developed weighted gear, parachute sprint training, and later the wind-tunnel training. All of these could be scaled by increasing load or repetitions.
No matter how intense the training usually was, they never complained.
Yet after just one round of beach training, even Tamamo Cross couldn't hold it in.
Not only her—Oguri and the others were also staring in shock, clearly agreeing with everything she said.
"It is kind of tiring, Kitahara…"
Even Oguri Cap frowned slightly. She lowered her head to look at the sand, grinding her foot into it and flicking some of it up lightly.
"At first I thought running on the beach would feel similar to the sandy tracks."
"But once we started, I realized you can't get proper footing at all. It feels like my legs won't obey me."
"This practice is way harder than I imagined…"
"Exactly! Even muddy tracks on racecourses aren't this soft. This marshmallow ground is absurd!"
Inari One—who also had experience with dirt racing—nodded deeply.
"It feels much softer than the dirt at Epsom. I can't use my full strength at all."
"I agree with Tama and Oguri—this isn't standard training."
"This has to be special high-intensity training already, right?"
With the three of them saying this, even the usually gentle Creek and Ardan exchanged glances. Creek hesitated before saying:
"It's true… And I saw a lot of beach training scheduled on the plan. If this intensity keeps up every day, will we even have energy left for the rest of the training…?"
The horse girls were all expressing how difficult and unfamiliar this was.
But Kitahara—the main trainer—didn't look the least bit surprised.
Their discomfort had already been discussed thoroughly among the staff before coming to Nagoya. They expected this reaction—and had already prepared the explanation.
This explanation wasn't just meant to encourage them to endure or to say that this training was necessary.
More importantly, it would teach them the techniques behind beach training.
"Sorry to disappoint, but this really is just standard camp-period training. What you did just now was only one round. You'll be doing several rounds like that every day from now on."
The moment he said this, Oguri and the others froze. Their long ears all drooped at once.
Seeing this, Kitahara chuckled before continuing:
"And the reason you're exhausted is simply because you haven't mastered the key points of force application yet. You aren't used to it."
He raised a hand and touched the fleshy part under the thumb—the base of the big toe.
"When you were running just now, did this part of your foot feel different?"
"Different? Oh! That part—yeah, it felt like I was using it more than usual."
Oguri reacted immediately. She lifted one foot to gesture.
"Usually this spot also applies force when I run, but running on the beach made it work even harder."
Hearing this, the other horse girls all looked down at their feet—some lifting a leg, some turning their ankle to glance at their soles.
They were still wearing shoes, but judging from the subtle movements of their forefeet, they were clearly checking the condition around the base of the big toe.
"That's right. Beach running—or rather, any stable running—relies on concentrating power at this point."
Kitahara explained:
"I've said this many times—running is instinctive for all creatures.But racing is not."
"Quite the opposite—racing often requires actions that go against instinct."
"For example, concentrating power at the base of the big toe."
"In theory, if you can concentrate most of your body's force there, each step becomes more stable, and your forward drive becomes stronger."
"And with the same exertion, concentrating the force increases the efficiency of turning that force into speed."
Then he looked at Oguri specifically.
"I told you before training began—what you currently lack is precise control of your stamina."
"Control is complicated. So you must improve every small detail to raise your overall control ability."
"I understand now… Thank you, Kitahara," Oguri replied.
Kitahara continued:
"Back to force concentration—although it's beneficial, this level of force is actually beyond what our bodies consider 'necessary.'"
"In other words, your body thinks that a normal racetrack doesn't require that much power concentration."
"That's why the force disperses naturally as you run."
"There are many ways to train concentrated force application in the foot, but the most comprehensive method is still using a natural environment."
"So in the upcoming training, all you need to do is consciously control your feet and use the concentrated force techniques you've already learned."
"You're not incapable—you just didn't realize it yet."
This was one of the most important roles of a trainer.
If we compare natural talent, not a single human could match the innate running ability of a horse girl. They were literally born to run.
Even without special training, as long as they thought about "concentrating force," given some time and trial runs, they would naturally figure out the correct method.
Especially top-tier talents like Oguri Cap.
This was both the advantage of their race—and their genius.
But even with such talent, discovering technique takes time, adjusting technique takes time, and using the wrong method due to inexperience could easily lead to injury.
This is why trainers guide them toward the correct direction.
Once they have the right direction, their natural talent ensures rapid growth without straying off path.
Put simply, trainers often handle the "from zero to one," while the horse girls excel at everything beyond that.
Though sometimes due to lack of practice, they regress from "1 back to 0.7," and trainers must remind them.
"And speaking of not realizing—Oguri, I have two criticisms for you," Kitahara said teasingly.
"Eh? Me?"
Oguri pointed at herself blankly.
"Yes. Did you forget? The very first thing I taught you was foot force application."
Kitahara crouched, bringing his fingers together, forming a scoop-like hollow in his palm. He pressed his hand against the sand.
He looked up at Oguri's confused expression, then glanced toward Creek and the others, explaining:
"Besides concentrating force at the big toe, curling your toes tightly is also essential for better force application."
"Think of your foot like a shovel."
"The sand, dirt, or turf is like water—like swimming. You scoop backward with force…"
He forcefully clenched his hand, flinging up a huge spray of sand behind him.
"…and the scattered force gathers, giving you a stronger push."
"Remember, Oguri? Back at Kasamatsu, this was the first specialized lesson I gave you."
He looked toward her again.
"Oh… I remember now. Sorry, Kitahara…"
She lowered her head apologetically.
"I didn't understand anything back then—no technique, no sense of force. I just ran on instinct."
"And I'm slow at learning."
"So actually, I remember this lesson very clearly. The moment you mentioned it, I recalled everything."
"But I don't know why…"
She scratched her head again.
"When I was running on the beach just now, I didn't think about it at all…"
"Sorry…"
"Don't apologize so much. I said I was criticizing you, but it was just a joke. Actually, the reason you forgot is because you've already internalized it."
Kitahara smiled, then stood and brushed sand from his hands. His expression gradually turned serious.
"When I discussed with Yuzuhars earlier, he mentioned Inari did similar training at Ooi."
"That's why you and Inari have noticeably stronger power—not only due to physique and talent, but also technique."
"But this technique requires specific terrain. We've been preparing for turf races, so there wasn't enough time."
"Now that we're at the training camp, we'll use the beach properly to improve."
"The purpose of camp is to strengthen your weaknesses and patch up shortcomings—but you can't ignore other aspects either."
"Especially power—Creek, Ardan, that's your primary target, so you need to work harder."
"Now that I've explained everything, you should have rested enough, which means…"
His tone suddenly shifted as he raised the whistle hanging from his neck.
"Fweeeet—!"
"Round two! Maintain the same pace as before! Follow this coastline and run back to the starting point!"
"Everyone! Ready!"
"Fweeeet—!"
Using breaks for interspersed explanations is a long-standing Eisei tradition. After years of training, the moment the first whistle sounded, Oguri Cap and the others were practically conditioned to be ready instantly.
By the time the second whistle blew, they hadn't even consciously reacted yet—their bodies had already dashed out on their own.
"...Waaah, even though Ossan explained it like that, mastering this force-application technique in such a short time is still kind of hard…"
After a few strides, once again feeling the soft, strange texture of the sand underfoot, Tamamo Cross—running second in line—couldn't stop herself from muttering.
"If we don't get used to this and just keep running like this… by the time we're done, won't we be too exhausted to move? We probably won't even want to eat…"
"That's impossible. Even if only my mouth still works, I'll persist and eat."
Separated from Tamamo Cross by Mejiro Ardan, Oguri Cap immediately replied, "And if I don't eat properly, I won't have energy for the rest of training."
"If it's Kitahara, this level of training definitely isn't the peak. He's definitely prepared something after this."
"That's true. If this kind of running is only 'regular level,' then knowing Kitahara-san's personality, he absolutely has more things lined up…"
Running last, Super Creek chimed in, then added, "Hey, Oguri—do you have any tips for applying force through the balls of the feet?"
Before the Takarazuka Kinen, Eisei's racehorses often chatted about their running methods.
After that special exchange during the Takarazuka preparations, these discussions became more frequent—and more effective. With a few experiences under their belts, they had improved how they communicated, making it much easier to understand one another.
"If you want a tip… I guess I'd describe it like this: it feels like the soles of your feet are 'scritch-scritch' scratching an itch on the ground."
Oguri thought for a moment, then gave an answer very much in her own style."Or like your toes are trying to pinch and lift the sand."
"Something like that."
Compared to her companions, Oguri Cap rarely used technical racing terms; she preferred onomatopoeia or metaphors to describe sensation.
At first, Super Creek and the others found it difficult to understand her way of describing things.
But after hearing her more often, they were surprised to find that Oguri actually grasped theory far better than most people assumed.
And, strangely enough, once they got used to her metaphors, they became extremely vivid and easy to understand.
"'Scritch-scritch scratching'…? What a fun way to put it. Okay, I'll try…"
After responding, Super Creek's expression grew much more focused—clearly trying to verify Oguri's description herself.
The other three did the same.
In an instant, the entire running group grew silent.
In the distance, the sound of waves splashing against rocks could be heard—shrrraaa, shrrraaa—occasionally mixed with a seagull's faint cry.
Under the bright morning sun, five horse girls stepped one after another across the golden sand, leaving a neat line of footprints.
Kitahara joined them a bit later; after announcing the start, he had run back to start up the beach buggy.
The soft sand certainly reduced running speed. Even after dropping from 50–60 km/h to around 30–40 km/h, it was still much faster than humans could ever manage.
Using the buggy to follow them allowed him to monitor their safety, keep track of their condition, and record data.
With assistance and special approval from the Academy Board and the Student Council, plus funding from Kawawan Corporation, Everlast had leased the entire beach and villa estate for three months.
Three months was more than they technically needed, but time shortages were far more dangerous than overspending—maximizing training effect mattered most.
With no outsiders to interrupt, the beach and estate grounds were modified to the team's needs.
For example, along most of the coastline, various data-collection devices had been installed.
With the continuous efforts of Belno Light, the equipment was constantly upgraded.
Before, all data had to be collected after training, but now data could be sent to terminals in real time and analyzed on the spot.
The only inconvenience was that the return signal used Bluetooth, which had limited range—he had to drive close for it to transmit.
Thus Kitahara could only keep driving back and forth.
While collecting data and observing their technique, he also gauged the timing for the next training steps.
Of course, this wasn't anywhere near the full program. To fully exploit the benefits of training on sand, the best way was barefoot training.
The beach sand had been washed for years by waves and cleaned daily by the estate staff, so they didn't have to worry about injuries.
The soles of the feet are one of the body's most nerve-dense and blood-vessel-dense areas. Grainy sand provided unique stimulation.
Barefoot training could boost blood circulation, glandular activity, and overall sensory responsiveness.
But since they'd only just started, they needed time in shoes first—otherwise they risked twisting an ankle immediately.
Besides needing bare feet to take advantage of the sand, the upcoming body-collision training also required it.
For collisions, they would use not the sand—but the waves.
Ocean waves provided natural resistance. Training in water of a certain depth could effectively condition the body to withstand lateral impact.
This was preparation for international races, where physical contact—as already seen in the Epsom exchange races—was extremely common.
Since Oguri and the others lacked experience, specialized training had to start early.
They could have staged mock races, but those carried risk; using natural forces was safer.
And no matter how strong a horse girl was, she couldn't overpower the waves.
If Oguri and the others could maintain their speed while being hit by waves, they would be well prepared for physical clashes on international tracks.
Barefoot training and wave-impact training both required more adaptation time, so no need to rush.
After a few more rounds of sand-running, Kitahara brought the exhausted horse girls back to the estate.
At the same time, the wind-tunnel testing for Oguri Roman's group finished. All four were slumped in chairs in the warehouse, completely worn out.
"G-Ground! It's solid ground!"
The moment she stepped on the concrete floor, Tamamo Cross showed an expression mixing bliss and near-tears.
"Solid ground is truly divine, uwuuu—!"
"I never realized running on ground could feel this wonderful!"
Inari One felt the same excitement.
"Waaah! Running here feels so light!"
Exhausted as she looked, she still couldn't resist jogging a few steps inside the warehouse."I swear I'm twice as fast as usual right now!"
"Inari, that's a bit exaggerated…"
Tired as she also was, Ardan still retained her aristocratic poise.
"It's probably just the contrast between the beach and indoors."
"Ardan's right. Strength, stamina, speed… these things don't shoot up in half a day. And we didn't even train half a day."
Super Creek nodded, then thoughtfully looked at the floor and lifted her foot."But just speaking of sensation…"
"The feeling between my sole and the ground does seem slightly better than before."
"Isn't it time to eat yet…?"
Unlike the others, Oguri Cap's focus was entirely elsewhere. She touched her flat stomach with a discouraged look.
"My tummy feels empty… Do I need to keep fasting for a while longer, Kitahara…?"
She looked at him with pleading eyes.
But the one who responded wasn't Kitahara—it was Miyamura Kyoko, who had just finished the wind-tunnel tests with the other four.
"During the training camp, you don't need to 'fast' as long as usual, Oguri."
Everyone in Eisei was already used to Oguri calling the time between meals "fasting."Smiling as she approached, Kyoko continued:
"You girls don't really go that long without eating even during regular training—you snack on fruits and bananas between sessions, right?"
"Bananas and fruit don't count as eating."
Oguri perked up instantly at the mention of food, smiling reflexively, though she disagreed, "You can't get full from a little fruit."
"That's not the point."
Kyoko explained patiently:
"It's best to stick to regular three meals a day so your stomach digests on a stable schedule. That prevents your stomach from releasing digestive acids at the wrong times."
"But your daily training load is high, and the calories from your meals are burned up quickly."
"If you don't eat something during training breaks, about an hour before lunch or dinner, your blood glucose starts breaking down too quickly."
"If you don't replenish sugar in advance, you'll get 'transient hypoglycemia.'"
"That means dizziness, headaches, cold sweats, shaking—things like that."
"That's why during training or competitions, we always prepare bananas, soft drinks, chocolates, and other sweet snacks."
"And since training-camp intensity is even higher, we provide more snacks."
"So it's completely fine to treat those as extra meals, Oguri."
"Really? Mm… I don't fully understand, but getting to eat more sounds wonderful!"
Oguri brightened immediately.But then her expression shifted, and she pointed behind Kyoko.
"Kyoko-nee, behind you…"
Kyoko blinked, then felt someone approaching from behind and turned around instinctively.
"Huh? McQueen…?" she said in surprise.
"A-Ah… Ky-Kyoko-nee, h-hello, um…"
Behind her stood Mejiro McQueen.
No one knew when she had walked over, but her eyes sparkled bulingbuling, her lips were slightly parted, and—possibly—there was a faint trace of drool at the corner of her mouth.
"I—I…"
Seeing everyone looking her way, McQueen stuttered helplessly.
Then a teasing voice came from the side.
"She heard someone say 'snacks,' and suddenly revived from being half-dead on the chair!"
It was Tokai Teio, full of energy despite exhaustion from wind-tunnel testing. She still had enough strength to tease her friend mercilessly.
"I—I didn't come because of snacks! I—I was… right! I wanted to know what the test earlier was!"
Trying to cover herself, McQueen seized the excuse she made up and immediately turned to Kitahara.
"Chief Kitahara, could you explain what it was?"
While Oguri's group was finishing their first beach training, the warehouse group had also finished their tests.
Wind-tunnel testing required running on belts of different textures, with varied wind angles and wind speed to simulate race conditions.
Although it couldn't fully replicate real racing, the intensity was nearly the same.
Doing a full session left the Eisei girls tired—and even though the strength was reduced for Teio and McQueen's group, the newcomers still ended up exhausted.
But because it was their first time experiencing something so novel, they were all quite excited.
Narita Brian, who overheard the commotion, came over with Oguri Roman, also full of curiosity.
"To put it simply, we're collecting various physical indicators. Your senpais will explain the details shortly," Kitahara said.
Both groups were perfectly fatigued—ideal for mental training, which was exactly why Teio's group was invited.
Mental training wasn't complicated: just like before the Takarazuka Kinen, Oguri and the others would explain while the juniors asked questions.
The process would be recorded.
Kitahara and the staff still had to process data and analyze training and races. They didn't have time to guide everything themselves.
To avoid miscommunication about technical matters, reviewing recordings later was necessary.
All the horse girls knew the plan in advance. And to them, this "mental training" was practically the same as "hanging out," so they happily chatted and snacked together while resting.
Especially McQueen, who had genuinely sprung to her feet simply because she heard the word sweet and snacks.
When the rest-and-brain-training session ended, Oguri Roman's group joined the next round of beach training—though at a much lower intensity.
Then came lunch, followed by afternoon training.
Afternoon training wasn't on the beach, nor inside the estate or warehouse—it was held at Chukyo Racecourse.
Inari One's Takamatsunomiya Kinen was on July 10, only one week away, so she needed plenty of time to adapt to the track.
This also allowed Teio and the others to observe up close how Eisei prepared for races.
Chukyo Racecourse was located in Toyoake City in Nagoya, with part of it extending into Midori Ward.
Like the Tokyo and Hanshin tracks, it was a URA-controlled central racecourse, but smaller.
Tokyo Racecourse had five major track configurations, A through E.
Chukyo only had two: A and B, inner and outer.
The A turf track was 1705m around; the inner dirt track was 1530m.
Admission was also much cheaper.
Even regular races in Tokyo cost over 1000 yen to enter, while major events could reach over 3000 or even 4000 yen.
Chukyo, meanwhile, cost only 200 yen—very cheap.
But despite being so cheap, it lacked Tokyo-level crowds; aside from race days, its free-entry periods were quite empty.
Convenient for training.
"Compared to our usual parallel-running practice, this is much fewer people."
After the warm-up, Kitahara stood at the grass course starting line and remarked softly.
At the Central Tracen Academy, parallel-running sessions always attracted crowds of horse girls wanting to join in. Oguri's group never lacked sparring partners.
But now there were only five of them; the gate area felt almost empty.
"Old Man, Old man! If it feels too few, I can run alongside the senpais!"
Brave and energetic as ever, Tokai Teio perked up immediately.
Taking a starting pose, she said excitedly:
"I debuted only a year or two ago, but I'm already starting to reach my full form."
"I don't think I could beat the seniors if it's a real race."
"But if I try my hardest, I can definitely keep up for a stretch!"
"What do you think, Old Man? Want to give it a try?"
Hearing this, McQueen and Brian beside her also looked eager and turned toward Kitahara.
Kitahara understood she wasn't bragging.
For an ordinary horse girl, keeping pace with active elite racers like Oguri was nearly impossible, especially before reaching full maturity.
But Teio and the others were born with top-tier, generational-level talent. Even at their young age, they already surpassed typical standards.
In past parallel-running sessions, they had kept up—that alone was proof.
However, given the intel they had gathered, Kitahara and the others knew that Inari One's opponent for this Takamatsunomiya Kinen was special.
Which meant they couldn't use the usual training methods.
(End of chapter)