...
The night passed without further words.
Because he had already reminded them they needed to get up early the next day, the Uma Musume were all soundly asleep before ten.
The next morning at six o'clock.
"Get up, get up! Training camp officially begins!" Lucian's whistle cut through the air and the still-dreaming Uma Musume snapped awake at once. "Make your beds, hurry and wash up, then put on your training gear and bring warm water."
"But Trainer... it's only six o'clock," Twin Turbo answered like she was reciting from a book, her head swaying unsteadily.
"Next door Tokai Teio is already washing up."
"What!?" Twin Turbo's eyes flew open. "Then I can't lose either!"
She had just pinched the hem of her clothes and was about to strip when Nice Nature beside her quickly grabbed Twin Turbo's sleep robe. "Turbo, Trainer is still here!"
"Oh right—Trainer, get out already, I need to change!"
"Alright~ You're not allowed to go back to sleep, and I won't wait for latecomers." Lucian finished speaking and pulled the door shut.
...
Ten minutes later the Uma Musume were fully dressed and lined up at the entrance of the lodging.
They had done an excellent job of assembling and forming ranks quickly, saving quite a bit of time.
"Everyone stand in the same groups as your daily training."
At Lucian's order the Uma Musume immediately finished grouping.
Group One: Silence Suzuka, Seiun Sky, Twin Turbo.
Group Two: Special Week, Meisho Doto, Matikane Tannhauser, Haru Urara.
Group Three: Mejiro McQueen, Tokai Teio, Rice Shower, Nice Nature.
"Very good. Next we will do twenty minutes of full-body dynamic stretching."
Full-body dynamic stretching was an extremely important part of the morning before training began. It was not only part of physical preparation, but also the foundation for preventing sports injuries and improving training results.
They had done it last time as well, but overall it had not been given enough importance.
As Trainers they could not keep using the same unchanging training charts from the past; they always had to improve them to become more suitable and scientific.
"Everyone sense the state of your own bodies and wake up the muscle groups that have been sleeping all night." Lucian held a stopwatch and observed the Uma Musume's stretching postures, making necessary adjustments and corrections.
Twenty minutes later...
"Beep—"
Lucian blew the whistle again.
The Uma Musume stood up and finished forming ranks.
"Just now we divided into groups. The one standing at the front of each column is now the captain. Suzuka, Spe-chan, and McQueen."
The moment Lucian's words fell, doubt appeared in Special Week and the others' eyes—captain? How is this different from last year? We're not training together with the other two teams this time?
"Calm down for a moment." Lucian read their confusion and explained, "Each team's Trainer has a different training style, so for this first week we will not mix training together. We will each follow our own methods."
"Is that so?" Seiun Sky interjected.
"Uh... alright." Lucian rubbed his nose. He hadn't expected Seiun Sky to be so sharp. "Actually I just feel my training methods are more scientific and couldn't see eye-to-eye with the other two Trainers~ But after this week it will still be mixed training, or rather competitive training."
"Okay, okay." Lucian took a sip of water and continued, "This mountain of ours still has a lot of usable space resources. The school has developed another portion in the past two years, so we can also expand more training."
"Then next I will assign the training tasks for 6:30–7:30."
"First, Group One will do a 5 km tempo run on grass, pace controlled at around 4 minutes 30 seconds per kilometer. Every 500 m adjust your breathing rhythm once. For the final 500 m gradually slow down and switch to a slow walk for recovery."
"Group Two is the same as Group One."
"Group Three will do a 5 km easy jog, pace controlled at around 5 minutes 30 seconds. After running, do five minutes of slow walking for recovery."
"Little Ai will also come later. The two of us will watch from the side. No one is allowed to slack off, or you'll be served 'Jue Juice'." Lucian threatened nakedly. "Alright, begin."
...
The main purpose of the morning run was to let the Uma Musume transition from a resting state into a training state, raise heart rate and body temperature, and activate the muscles and nervous system.
Under these circumstances the pace did not need to be too fast; it should be the intensity of an easy run or recovery run.
Therefore the Uma Musume only broke a light sweat and completed the task fairly easily. Afterward Lucian led them back to the lodging to eat breakfast.
"Thank you, Ines-senpai~"
"Thank you, little Ai-senpai."
...
Ines Fujin set everyone's meals on the table. "Actually you should be thanking the Trainer. Regarding the arrangement of the three meals, he spent several nights thinking it over."
All the Uma Musume's gazes gathered on Lucian, which instead made him a little embarrassed.
"Training camp is about letting everyone gain insights and improve in a short time, so the three meals also have to be stricter. But you Uma Musume have physiques different from us humans, so I had to put in a bit more brainpower."
"Trainer, Urara will train hard!" Haru Urara opened her mouth wide and stuffed the egg she had just peeled into it whole. "This way... ish... my tanks (thanks) to Trainer."
"Slow down and swallow first. Egg yolk flew onto me." Lucian patted his clothes and smiled helplessly.
Twin Turbo looked at Tokai Teio. "Teio, how many eggs are you eating!?"
"Two."
"Then I'll eat three!"
Lucian: "You can't eat too many either..."
Twin Turbo paid no attention to any of that. With one big sweep of her hand the eggs Nice Nature and Matikane Tannhauser had just peeled disappeared.
Matikane Tannhauser didn't notice at first and was happily looking down until she bit into nothing but air. "Ehh—where's my egg?! Turbo, give me back my egg!"
Nice Nature pursed her lips. "Turbo, just eat it. I heard if you eat too many eggs you'll fart stinky... maybe even get the runs. Whatever, you're not in my group anyway, so no one will have to smell Turbo's exhaust."
"Wh… what, it can even do that?" Twin Turbo's face flushed red. Her unclean hand swept again and two smooth white eggs returned to Nice Nature and Matikane Tannhauser's hands. "Then let Teio be the only one who farts stinky. Turbo will just eat one."
Nice Nature: "Honestly..."
Matikane Tannhauser's smile bloomed. "(๑´∀`๑) Ah~ the egg is back!"
...