I wanted the MVP when I achieved my goal (laughs).

RRC member interview

Team B (Goal: Full marathon sub 3 hours 30 minutes) Kazumi Kaneko was selected as the 5th round MVP.

During the fifth season of the RETO RUNNING CLUB (May-July 2023), Kazumi Kaneko was competing for the top spot on the team on Strava. Last year, she had concerns about her physical condition, collapsing after training due to anemia. However, during this season, her physical condition improved, her anemia symptoms lessened, and she was able to train more effectively, achieving a monthly distance of over 350 kilometers.

Dietary improvements that led to recovery

Since this training period, my physical condition has improved so much that I've been able to complete not only the RETO training but also my regular training menu, and I think that's showing in my running.

What started it all was an IV drip for anemia and the dietary advice of Nakano (James Shuichi). I'd been anemic for a while, and I'd get sick in the middle of training and miss practice, but those two experiences completely changed my life. Nakano's dietary advice came when I talked to him about my previous diet, and he told me, "You're malnourished and always running with no savings, so you need to make sure you get plenty of protein." For the next three weeks, I took photos of my three meals and sent them to Nakano for review. Given my weight and daily training volume, I need about 80g of protein a day, but he looked at my meals and gave me advice like, "One boiled egg would be good today," or, "You should improve the balance between animal and plant protein," and so on. He built a foundation for me to eat a certain way to get enough protein.

Kaneko is often consulted by members

Everything is geared towards the races from autumn onwards

By continuing to do this, I've seen a clear difference from before. In practice, I've become more tenacious in the second half, and I don't feel as tired at the end. Also, I was aiming for 300km in June and 350km in July, and I've been focusing on distance training, but I feel like it's going really well, including recovery. I set myself the goal of 350km this month so that when I stand at the starting line of the Hokkaido Marathon, I'll have the confidence to know that I've run this much. I also believe that summer training will determine the results of races starting in the fall, so I'd like to carry all my training so far, including the Hokkaido Marathon, into Kanazawa in the fall, Katsuta next year, and Tokyo.

Fujimi training camp

After completing five courses, the atmosphere in the team has changed.
I've been a member since the first season (when RRC was founded), and in the beginning, Team B had three girls, so we were more laid back than motivating each other (laughs). But gradually, the number of girls increased, and as more girls started pushing themselves to achieve their goals, I was able to get into that flow, and my attitude towards racing changed.

Inspired by the achievement of members' goals

One turning point for me was when Yukorin (Hasebe Yuko) achieved a sub-3.5 time at the Nagano Marathon. I thought it was cool that she had achieved her goal, and I think it created a really good momentum. At the time, I didn't think I'd be next (wry smile), but when I see people practicing and improving, I think they're in a good environment, and that gives me hope.

The standard will be set for the autumn races

Last year, I felt like I wasn't on the team's roll yet, but now I feel like I'm on the ball and finally at the starting line. Given that, I was honestly surprised to receive the MVP award this season, and I thought I'd wait until I'd achieved my goal (wry smile). But, with high expectations, I'd like to use this as encouragement and aim for a sub-3:05 time.