Results follow when you enjoy what you do.

RRC member interview
text:Shun Sato

　
15th Term A2 Team (Goal: Sub 3:10 Marathon) MVP Yuko Kobayashi

A Big Decision

I started thinking about the Osaka International Women's Marathon after participating in the Nagoya Women's Marathon last year. The result, a 3:15 finish, was better than I expected, and a member of the training group I belonged to, led by Saatan (Yuki Uozumi), asked me, "Aren't you going to run Osaka International?" At that time, the qualifying standard (under 3 hours and 7 minutes) seemed so far off that I completely denied it, saying, "There's no way I can run that" (laughs). However, after several people kept asking me, I thought, "It might be too big a goal, but there's no harm in aiming for it," and I started to consider the Osaka International from April.

My Running Mentor

I started running six or seven years ago to lose weight. Since then, I've continued casually. What really got me into marathon running was joining Saatan's beginner training group as a first-term member in May 2024. Now, it's less about dieting and more about running so I can eat what I like. Saatan herself takes on various challenges like running and Hyrox while eating a lot, and she remains a running mentor to me even now.

The Appeal of RETO

I joined RETO because I wanted to incorporate speed training and improve. Before Nagoya, I hadn't really followed a specific training plan, focusing mainly on LSD (long slow distance) and jogging without much concern for pace. I'd never done interval training or tempo runs, so my initial goal in the training group was just to keep up. RETO's training is tough, but not unbearable. Of course, I had to drop out many times, but the atmosphere of determination and the sense of intensity helped me improve my mental strength and running ability. Even now, I feel pressure every time I go to a training session. On the other hand, the sense of accomplishment after a successful training session is huge, and it's great to share that with everyone. Thanks to RETO and everyone, I was able to achieve a sub-Osaka International time (3 hours 6 minutes 51 seconds) in a challenge race in November.

Sudden Slump

At the Osaka International Women's Marathon in January of this year, my main feeling was to finish the race without getting caught by the cutoff, rather than aiming for a personal best. The reason was that I wasn't feeling well at the time. During the training camp at the beginning of the year, while everyone else was pushing through, I kept stopping many times, and even during regular training, I would struggle soon after starting to run. It felt like oxygen wasn't reaching my body, and my body wouldn't move as I wanted.

Unshakeable Anxiety

I was in a state of confusion, not knowing what was wrong or how to fix it. Although I had never been diagnosed with anemia, I wondered if that might be the case and tried taking iron supplements, but I don't know if that helped or not. In my last self-practice before the race, I tried running a slightly modified version of the official training group menu by myself, which I had been too afraid to attempt. I ran 7 km at 4’05/km, increasing the pace to 3’55/km for the last 1 km. Although the distance was shorter, I felt a little relieved that I managed to complete it alone, but my anxiety didn't disappear until race day.

Rushing through Osaka International

During the race, I had no idea I was running at a sub-3 pace. When I heard someone on the roadside say, "You can go sub-3!" after 30 kilometers, I thought, "Wait, I've been running at that pace all this time?" and I couldn't relax anymore (laughs). When I entered the stadium, it was almost 2 hours and 59 minutes, and running 300 meters on the track in just over a minute was the limit of my physical and mental capabilities. Nevertheless, I pushed myself to finish as close to 3 hours as possible. Since I had been in a slump, I was surprised that I ran better than expected (3 hours 00 minutes 13 seconds) and relieved to have finished, leaving me with a sense of satisfaction from giving it my all.

The Challenge of Cutting 14 Seconds

I'm 14 seconds short of a sub-3, but first, I need to see if I can replicate my performance at Osaka International. Last year in Nagoya, I also ran better than expected, but the joy I felt in the latter half of the race truly contributed the most to my time, I believe. I hadn't felt that sensation in recent races, but at Osaka International, I managed to get a similar feeling. Even when I would usually start to feel the pain, my legs were still moving, and I was enjoying it. I realized once again that "the race is won by those who enjoy it." So, I want to continue running and enjoying myself without setting limits.

Why do you run?

I run so I can eat delicious food. That's pretty much it now. When I was dieting, I used to restrict my eating a lot, but I can't imagine doing that anymore (laughs). Plus, when I run, I get a boost of self-esteem, feeling like, "I'm really trying hard." Even if I have a bad day at work or in my private life, running helps me forget about it and feel motivated again. I run to boost my self-esteem and to eat.