Uma Musume: Become a Legendary Trainer

Chapter 216: Race in the Rain
The weather forecast mentioned by Maruzenski quickly attracted the attention of the team members, but it did not affect the relaxed atmosphere during dinner.

The arrangements for training and competitions have always been handled by trainers like Beiyuan, and they have also paid attention to tomorrow's weather conditions.

More importantly, as Maruzenski said, in order to be able to respond promptly to situations such as weather that cannot be predicted long in advance, the response is to have multiple competition plans.

It is easy to prepare for contingency plans. The major competition venues are there, and the track conditions under various circumstances can be measured in advance.

As a technician of the team, Xin Xin Guang Hui has been doing this kind of thing.

Runway conditions are also called ground conditions, and the most important parameter is ground hardness.

Generally speaking, when there is soft grass growing on a grass track, it will provide a landing cushion for the horse girl when she is running, which is conducive to running at high speed and starting quickly after landing.

In comparison, mud is easier to run at high speed than grass only when it is dry.

And because most of these tracks are a mixture of sand, soil and a certain amount of asphalt or cement foundation, the conditions will not change much unless it rains.

Once it rains, the conditions of both grass and mud will change dramatically. The grass and mud that absorb moisture will make running for a long time very difficult.

Especially in the final sprint on the straight, just the rise and fall of your steps requires a lot of effort.

Moreover, different levels of water content will result in completely different amounts of energy consumption, and the corresponding competition plan will also have to change significantly.

This is why special attention needs to be paid to ground conditions.

Normally, as long as there is no need in training, Xinxin Guanghui will bring various professional "geometers" to various venues to measure their indicators, such as penetration, viscosity, friction coefficient, etc.

As the event approaches, the measurement and analysis work will become more arduous, and the work will be focused on the venue of the target event.

Ever since Inari started preparing for the Takamatsunomiya Cup, Shin Shinku has been in charge of measuring and analyzing various parameters at the Chukyo venue.

Thanks to her efforts, the team can fully prepare competition plans in advance for various track conditions such as bad, poor, and heavy.

However, even with sufficient preparation, weather changes did not completely affect the itinerary.

As planned, I can enjoy my trip to Kasamatsu leisurely until tomorrow, and even wait until the morning or noon to take the bus back to Nagoya.

Now the situation has changed, and so have the plans.

The atmosphere during dinner was still relaxed and cheerful, and when it was over, both the trainers and the horse ladies returned to their rooms and packed their luggage.

After making preparations in advance, the group said goodbye to Bai Baozhi early the next morning, took the bus they took, and went straight to the Zhongjing stadium.

"It's raining really hard. It looks like today's venue is much worse than expected..."

After entering the venue in a wet raincoat, Komiya couldn't help but complain, "Really? The weather forecast is totally inaccurate. It said heavy rain, but it was obviously a torrential rain, right?"

"That can't be helped. This is the weather in July."

Shaking his head helplessly, Beiyuan looked at the continuous flow of water on the floor-to-ceiling window from afar, and his expression gradually became solemn.

"However, judging from past experience, such heavy rain will not last too long, and the rainfall should soon decrease. If we calculate the average rainfall, it should be considered as heavy rain..."

"Hey! Brother, why are you still speaking for the weather department? It's obviously a wrong forecast, right?!"

Before Kitahara could finish, the direction of Komiyayama's complaints suddenly changed.

"Uh... that's not what I meant. I meant that if the rain really gets much lighter, then the weather will have less impact on Oguruma and the others."

After explaining, Beiyuan continued in a deep voice:
"And in terms of preparation, we must assume that this rainfall will continue, even if there is no typhoon approaching the coast."

"Although this kind of weather has a great impact on the contestants, according to the association's previous arrangements, the event will generally not be cancelled."

Racing on rainy days is not uncommon for horse girls, and any trainer will even make various rainy day exercises a regular arrangement.

When it comes to racing on rainy days, it’s inevitable to think of the Big Tree Express.

As the best short-distance horse of Japan's JRA, the best stallion aged 5 and above, the representative horse of the year, the best old horse of the French Hermès Award, and the Japanese Hall of Fame horse, Daiki Express has naturally performed well in every game in his 13 career races, with 11 championships and 1 season.

When it comes to the most classic one, it is undoubtedly the Yasuda Memorial in 1998.

That game was played on a rainy day, and it was a rare heavy rain.

The runway condition at that time was no longer bad, it was basically one of the worst runways in Japan.

When running on it, every step would splash up mud as high as a person.

而就是在如此天气和场地状况，大树快车在最终200米的直线上，以3浪37秒的末脚一口气超越了5名对手，以1分37秒5、领先第二名2又1/2马身的绝对优势取得胜利。

This race has also become the most representative Yasuda Memorial and one of the most classic off-season events in the history of Japanese horse racing.

The Dashu Express therefore earned the title of “Invincible in Heavy Rain”.

If you want to obtain this title in the game, you must also outrun Yasuda Kinen on a rainy day.

Such a classic event has not happened yet. In a parallel world, Dashu Express was born in the United States, then trained in Ireland, and then went to Japan to participate in the competition.

Judging from the time, she may still be in the United States, or has arrived in Ireland. In any case, the Japanese URA Association has no registration record of the player.

However, even if this event does not exist in the timeline, Kitahara will not ignore it.

Putting aside the bloodline, adaptability and other factors, the most important thing for the audience and fans of the Daishu Express's Yasuda Memorial is naturally the viewing experience.

For trainers, whether it is the rare rainy days and poor track conditions in Japan, or the starting, cruising, cornering and sprinting of that race, they are all very valuable reference materials.

The horse racing in another world is certainly different from the horse racing girls competition here, but the physical fitness of the latter is almost the same as the former. Combined with the instruments and equipment the team has, it is entirely possible to simulate them in daily training.

After so much training, Oguruma and the others have become very adaptable to rainy days and adverse conditions, and have acquired good skills.

All that needs to be done is to make some detailed arrangements for the event.

The team arrived relatively early at this time. Apart from Kitahara and his team, there were only staff members and a handful of trainers and horse girls in the venue. This made it very convenient to check the venue and adjust the competition status.

"As for the shoes and clothes, Guanghui, please check them more carefully."

While leading the team towards the track, Kitahara arranged the tasks, "I'm not sure about the rain conditions during Oguruma's three games, so it's better to prepare for everything."

"I remember you've adjusted the running shoes to be more permeable, and also the ones with waterproof fabrics. You should have prepared both, right?"

"Well, that's no problem!"

Shining Glory followed Kitahara a little closer, and nodded quickly upon hearing what he said, "If the rain is too heavy, then choose water-permeable running shoes."

"This way, even if your feet are still wet, you can shake the water out when you step, which can reduce some of the discomfort and weight."

“I deliberately reduced the weight of the waterproof model by using a very light composite material.”

"Generally, waterproof running shoes are heavier than regular running shoes to ensure that they are waterproof and dry inside."

"But if you use the one I adjusted, there won't be any problem."

After quickly ensuring the condition of the running shoes, she thought about it and took the initiative to say:
"The clothes are ready, too. They are made of waterproof and non-absorbent fabrics, and the styles are smaller than usual."

"This can only be worn on rainy days. After all, it is not as comfortable as the pure cotton sportswear we usually wear."

"Oh, it would be great if I could wear the winning suits for the three matches today. Then I wouldn't have to worry about water seepage or water absorption."

"How is that possible? All three matches today were OP-level. How could the URA Association allow this?"

Hearing the new glory's sigh, Kitahara couldn't help but smile and shook his head.

In terms of regulations, both in Japan and the world, only G1-level events are allowed to wear deciding suits, and for the rest of the events only regular sportswear can be worn.

This is not because the various associations do not want to allow the wearing of winning suits in all competitions. After all, with the blessing of the three goddesses, the winning suits can avoid many undesirable conditions and the performance of the horse racing girls will be even better.

For the entire idol industry, the better the performance in the competition, the better.

But also because of the three goddesses, the winning server can only work in G1 events.

In ordinary competitions, you can actually wear the winning suit, but if you do so, not only will the special effects of the clothes disappear, but they will also have a counterproductive effect.

After all, every single one of the horse racing girls’ winning outfits is absolutely unsuitable for competition from a scientific point of view.

Take Oguruma for example. A considerable portion of her winning running shoes are made of metal, which makes a clanging sound when she walks on concrete or indoor floors.

And the style of the shoes is the kind of boots that are only worn in winter.

If there were no G1 event, wearing such running shoes would make it impossible to win the race. It is even harder to say whether the feet and legs would be affected after finishing a race with the horse girl's leg strength.

Similarly, Super Xiaohaiwan's dress with a cross-body bag, Mejiro Altan's dress, and Inariichi's kimono, these winning outfits are not enough to win the game no matter how you look at them without the G1 event.

If I have to say something, it's that Tamamo Cross's victory suit is originally a sportswear style, and even the running shoes are parkour sneakers that can be used for competitions. This outfit can still be used for competitions other than G1.

But if you really want to participate, this kind of clothes is definitely not as good as the shorter and lighter regular sportswear.

The competitions that Oguruma, Kobayashi, and Aldan are participating in today are all OP level, so if they want to wear winning suits or something, they can only think that New Glory is a joke.

After casually responding to Shin Shinkyou's joke, Kitahara was about to continue giving instructions when he suddenly changed his mind and looked at Oguri Roman and the others who were following behind him.

Although this group of younger horse girls have been training with the team for a while, they have not yet made their debut and have no actual competition experience.

Every time they come to the competition venue, they would walk and look around like they are doing now, with vague longing and expectation on their little faces.

It was as if I was seeing myself stepping onto the competition field after my debut as a formal contestant.

"Xiao Xiaoli, as well as Emperor, McQueen, and Bai Ren, you should also be more responsible in the preparations before this race."

As soon as he opened his mouth, several little guys were stunned at the same time. Beiyuan then smiled and said, "Go and follow your glorious predecessor. Prepare your running shoes and clothes. Make some cola ginger soup and prepare some Vaseline."

"Guanghui, you take them with you to prepare."

"As for the rest, let's go to the runway and take a look. Maruzen, you can come with us."

After giving the order, Kitahara did not explain too much. Amid the stunned looks of Oguri Roman and the others, he sorted out his raincoat and umbrella and took the lead to walk towards the runway in the rain.

"Uh... well, Senior Guanghui..." After being stunned for a while, the Emperor of the East China Sea first scratched his head in confusion, "I can still understand running shoes, clothes and so on."

"But what is that cola ginger soup? Is it ginger soaked in cola?"

"And what the hell is Vaseline? It's so weird..."

Not only her, but also Oguri Roman and the others were confused, and all the younger horse girls looked at the senior, Shin Shinki.

At the beginning, Xin Xin Guang Hui was not quite used to it. She was an introvert by nature and liked to quietly help her friends in the team prepare various competition equipment. She seldom went to various external press conferences.

For a moment, she didn't even react when Beiyuan and the Emperor of Donghai called her senior.

“Ah…ah! No need to call me senior, I am…eh? No, I think I was once a horse girl, too?”

She belatedly remembered that before becoming a trainee, she had also competed in competitions, and even had a pretty good record of 2 wins out of 2 games, so she smiled awkwardly.

"Well, it seems that I am indeed a senior..."

After struggling for a moment, she finally thought of responding to the question raised by the Emperor of the East China Sea. This question happened to be the one she was usually responsible for, which cheered her up.

"Coke ginger soup is an important way to keep warm. Didn't you learn that in class?"

She asked a question in return, then waved her hand and said in a very senior manner, "Come with me to the contestant preparation area first."

"There are all kinds of equipment ready-made there, including pots."

"Let's go over and get ready."

"Coke ginger soup... I heard from my sisters that ginger soup is very useful for keeping warm."

As they followed the New Glory to the contestant preparation area, Mebiro McQueen pondered, "I think I've heard of Coke. It's similar to chocolate and bananas. It can provide a good amount of sugar as energy."

"But the coke ginger soup..."

"In fact, when Coca-Cola was first invented, it was used to refresh people, relieve fatigue, and treat colds."

Seeing that the juniors were a little puzzled, Brand New Glory smiled and said, "So in addition to the effects you just mentioned, McQueen, if Coke is used properly, it can also provide great help for rainy day races."

"For example, the trace amount of caffeine in it can improve spirits and concentration. If it is boiled into a soup with ginger, the possibility of Oguri and others catching a cold due to being caught in the rain during the subsequent warm-up or competition will be greatly reduced."

"Of course, after the game, it is also necessary to change wet clothes, take a hot shower, and blow dry your hair."

"So that's it, then I understand."

This time it was the Emperor of the East China Sea who asked the question at the beginning. After she nodded, she continued to ask in confusion: "But what the hell is Vaseline?"

"Does that kind of stuff help with the game, too?"

"Of course."

He smiled and nodded. Xin Xin Guang Hui really acted like a senior at this moment, explaining patiently.

"With our physical constitution, even if we run normally, there will be a lot of friction and abrasions on many parts of our body, right?"

Subconsciously, he glanced at his good friend Mebai McQueen, then touched his arm and rubbed his thigh, and the Emperor of the East China Sea nodded involuntarily.

"That's true..."

On the other side, Oguri Roman and Narita Shirahito were also doing similar movements with thoughtful expressions.

"That's it. The abrasions I just mentioned are actually more serious on rainy days."

As he spoke, the new radiance began to point at various parts of his body.

"Like elbows, armpits, inner thighs, toes, and... breasts."

"If it gets soaked in rain, your skin will become wrinkled, right?"

"This, combined with our strength, will easily cause blisters in the area I just mentioned."

"Maybe it will break directly during the game."

"Whether it's continued friction or irritation from the rain, it will be painful, and more importantly, it will affect your performance in the game."

"So, applying some Vaseline on these parts before the game will help avoid this situation. This method is still very important."

As he spoke, Xin Xin Guang Hui suddenly became a little proud.

"This detail is rarely noticed by general training teams. In most cases, they just treat the injury and rarely think of appropriate preventive measures."

"Besides, whether it's Coke or Vaseline, they are drugs that the URA Association does not prohibit... Oh no, these are not considered drugs, so there is no need to worry about any violations."

The last point mentioned by New Glory is also a very subtle but important detail in training and competition.

After all, if you want to prevent a cold, taking medicine is definitely the most effective way, but the ingredients in some medicines may be banned in competitions.

If you are not careful, problems may be found during pre-race and post-race inspections, resulting in cancellation of results or even suspension.

"It's really... an incredibly detailed arrangement..."

Shining Glory was still explaining to the Emperor of the East Sea and Mejiro McQueen, and the two horse girls were listening with great interest. Meanwhile, on the other side, Shirahito Narita suddenly started muttering to himself in a low voice.

"With a team like this, it's hard to imagine what they need to worry about..."

Her voice was very soft, and Zheng Huan didn't hear the conversation on the other end, but because they were close, Oguri Roman still heard a little bit.

"Ah? Bai Ren-san, what did you say?"

"Ah...nothing."

Facing Oguri Roman's confused look, Narita Bairen shook his head subconsciously, then pondered for a moment and changed his words:

"No, I'm saying that the training method of the Eternal Team is probably the most comprehensive and detailed in Japan."

"With this level of preparation, I don't think I need to worry too much about many games."

"Also, I listened to the three games today and felt that the opponents were not too strong to be defeated."

"In this case……"

She pursed her lips and frowned slightly, "Why do I feel that Chief Beiyuan seems a little worried..."

"You noticed it too... Maybe you're still thinking about your sister's request."

With a slightly surprised expression, Oguri Roman then laughed softly, "Uncle Kitahara just looks very old-fashioned, but I feel like he actually cares a lot about my sisters."

“Of course you care about us too.”

"It's just that he can't express it very well."

"I agree. Although we have only been together for less than a month, I can feel that Chief Kitahara is actually a very meticulous trainer, both in life and training."

After nodding his head in acknowledgment, Narita Shirahito pondered again, "If what Roman said is true, Chief Kitahara wants to help Senior Oguri perform better in this competition..."

After thinking for a while, she shook her head in distress.

"It seems there is no way."

"Even if the weather is bad today, we have rehearsed it in advance and are now analyzing the site on site. In a short period of time... it should be difficult to improve the plan, right?"

"This...I don't know either."

With a slightly wry smile, Roman Oguri slowly looked at the blurry runway in the rain through the window of the venue.

"But I always feel that if it were Uncle Kitahara, he might be able to come up with a better solution."

"Who knows, in today's three games, whether it's my sister, Xiao Haiwan senior, or Aldan senior, they may all perform better..."

Just as Roman Oguri and Shirahito Narita were talking, on the track outside the venue.

"Shall we just have a simple training match...?"

Wearing a raincoat and looking at the trainer whose face was a little blurry through the continuous rain, Oguruma shook his head to shake off some water droplets on the hood of the raincoat.

"Now, Kitahara?"

Kitahara did mention a training match, or a simple test.

Since last night, or to be more precise, since he had spoken to his uncle on the phone, he had been feeling as if there was something unfathomable in his heart.

He couldn't explain clearly what that thing was, but his intuition told him that it was probably related to what he heard from the Secretariat during the video call.

It seems that it's not just that. It seems that I have inexplicably neglected something during daily training and preparation for the game.

He knew that there would be no major problems with the three games to be played today according to the original plan.

But the strange feeling in his heart told him that there seemed to be something that could be changed.

The best way to confirm this, especially before a competition, is to have the horse racing ladies in the team conduct a training test.

"Not now."

After making some corrections, Kitahara looked at the runway that was covered in a white mist and said in a deep voice:
"With this amount of rain right now, we definitely can't have a training match, or we'll be in danger of catching a cold."

"But your three games are all in the afternoon. After the morning games, there will be a two-hour break at noon."

"Ideally, the rain should be much lighter by then, so we can conduct training tests, adapt to the venue, and conduct on-site analysis to confirm the conditions of the competition venue."

"I think I need to confirm some ideas through this test."

(End of this chapter)