According to Yasui Makoto's training plan, the primary objective for the first week of camp was testing and adaptation.
In terms of conventional training methods for the Classic Triple Crown races, the races in the first half of the year typically focused on middle-distance events, with speed and skill as the primary targets, balancing the comprehensive demands of speed, power, and stamina.
But if considering only the Kikuka Sho in the latter half of the year, endurance training naturally takes precedence.
Historically, the average finishing time for this race was about three minutes.
When converted to speed, the pace throughout wasn't much lower than middle-distance races.
As Yasui had previously warned Kitasan Black, without sufficient stamina and corresponding skills, the fatigue near the finish line could muddle judgment, causing one to miss the chance at victory.
Thus, the initial training tasks would either be reduced or adjusted, placing greater emphasis on endurance first, then strength.
Such adjustments naturally required time to adapt.
But to Yasui's relief, Kitasan Black's physical conditioning was already exceptional, so she only needed half the scheduled time to complete the first week's objectives.
This undoubtedly sped up the special training significantly.
In just half a month, many of her test results already fell within the ideal range.
The Unkaisou Inn frequently hosted various training camps, equipped with a fairly comprehensive medical room.
With the equipment they had brought along for data testing, Yasui Makoto emerged from the medical room today with a clear idea of how well Kitasan Black had adapted after the initial phase of training.
Walking next to Yasui, fresh out of her physical check-up, Kitasan asked curiously:
"Trainer, I should be able to move on to the next training stage now, right?"
Flipping through the medical report in his hand, Yasui didn't directly respond.
"How do you feel yourself? I mean, training in a new location these past few days, have you felt uncomfortable anywhere, or how's your overall physical condition?"
"My body feels… great!"
After pondering for a moment, Kitasan grinned, patting her chest and flexing her arm muscles in a playful, muscle-man pose.
"I feel like the muscles in my chest and arms have grown bigger!"
Yasui unconsciously glanced sideways.
They certainly have gotten bigger… Wait, weren't they always this size?
No, what am I thinking…?
Quickly turning back to the medical report, Yasui cleared his throat and remarked casually:
"After half a month's training, there should indeed be some muscle growth."
"Compared to when you first arrived, all your indicators have improved significantly."
Muscle metrics were key indicators for endurance and strength, more intuitively understood when translated into exercise weights.
For instance, standard strength exercises like squats and leg presses.
Typically, professionally trained human athletes could squat about 150 kilograms, and leg press around 500 kilograms on average.
Although numbers varied by sport, even strength-focused athletes like weightlifters or endurance athletes like marathon runners couldn't match an Uma Musume's standards.
Even among Uma Musume, Kitasan's strength was remarkably above average.
On the second day at Mount Mitou, they'd performed strength tests.
At the time, Kitasan's squat max was slightly over 400 kilograms, with leg presses over 1,300 kilograms, nearly 20% above average among Uma Musume.
Numbers that were already far beyond human limits had further increased.
Now her squat was nearly half a ton, and her leg press exceeded 1,500 kilograms.
Undoubtedly, these results again surpassed the average by a considerable margin.
It confirmed Yasui's conviction that this particular Uma Musume truly had extraordinary talent in this regard.
"Oh, by the way, Trainer."
As Yasui Makoto was lost in thought, Kitasan suddenly asked:
"Do I still need to keep eating those special nutritional meals? Can't I add just a little fried chicken or something?"
As she spoke, the girl's little face scrunched dramatically—her eyebrows and eyes drooped, but her nose and mouth were slightly upturned, as if recalling something terribly unpleasant. It was a pitiful look indeed.
"No way."
Yasui rejected her without hesitation. "If you want to improve stamina and strength, dietary control is essential. It's vital to maintain a specific ratio of muscle to fat."
"The ideal benchmark… For instance, body fat percentage is best maintained below 10%. Currently, you're slightly over 12%."
Body fat percentage was an important metric across many sports.
During most activities, the body mainly consumed carbohydrates, with a slight fat burn only occurring at final fatigue stages.
Unless competing in sports like boxing or wrestling that required impact resistance, too much body fat would hinder overall performance.
Interestingly, perhaps due to similar body structures, Uma Musume's ideal body-fat percentage was roughly the same as humans—under 10% being optimal.
To reach this standard, diet was crucial, though it inevitably tasted bland or even unpleasant.
Although previous training meals were nutritional, they usually still retained some flavor, with occasional treats from the Academy's cafeteria to break the monotony.
But for endurance and strength special training, fatty foods were almost entirely removed.
Meals consisting purely of protein and carbohydrates would understandably feel unsatisfying, no wonder Kitasan was complaining.
"Actually, compared to two or three months ago, your body fat percentage has decreased significantly," Yasui continued. "But your actual weight has consistently increased. If your fat percentage isn't controlled, that effectively means you've gained weight."
"Speaking of your current weight, right now your weight is—"
As Yasui flipped through the medical report and was just about to speak, his mouth was suddenly covered.
"T-Trainer!"
With an expression filled with embarrassment and indignation, Kitasan glared at Yasui, covering his mouth firmly. Her rare gaze showed clear embarrassment mixed with mild annoyance.
Biting her lower lip, she quickly glanced around nervously.
Seeing that there weren't many people nearby, and no one was paying attention, she finally relaxed, giving Yasui another fierce glare.
"Honestly, you can't just say a girl's weight out loud like that…"
She muttered in complaint, slightly lifting her hand away from his mouth. Seeing Yasui had no intention of continuing, she withdrew her hand completely.
"D-Don't ever say it again, or…or I'll get mad."
"…Okay, okay, no problem, no problem…"
Repeatedly agreeing, Yasui secretly found this amusing.
In his opinion, while Kitasan Black indeed weighed much more than most Uma Musume, her body fat and overall physique were actually very good.
Especially considering her bone structure and overall heavier build, maintaining around 12% body fat was already impressive.
With such a foundation, lowering it below 10% wouldn't be difficult if she continued working hard.
Yet, on second thought, he realized somewhat belatedly that openly mentioning a girl's weight was indeed quite rude.
Besides, there was even a peculiar rule in the Trainer's evaluation criteria and Academy regulations explicitly prohibiting trainers from disclosing Uma Musume's weight.
After quickly agreeing, Yasui swiftly changed the topic.
"Anyway, the current training regimen needs to be continued."
"But today we've arranged a paired run first."
"Let's hurry up. Don't keep your two senpai waiting."