Washed up runner comparing how XC/track in anime compare to the real thing. Currently reviewing: Run with the Wind/Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru. Come run with me! Mobile navigation
Can you recommend some blogs dedicated to kaze and it's boys? Thank you.
Hi! Well, I do not know many blogs but there are people very dedicated to this great anime. This blog @dailykazetsuyo , @kiiiyosehaiji or @kiycse (dedicated to Haiji) Or there is also one very interesting @runwiththeweeb that collects routines to run since the anime puts very real training data and surely many runners would be interested. As for other blogs that make very nice editions in gif are for example @kurozero | @nico-chansenpai | @kanamesengoku sengoku but keep in mind that they also follow other fandoms apart from Kazetsuyo. Sure there are many more but for now I only remember these.
Hope I helped you, cheers! (and sorry for my bad english)
sorry i’ve been a bit MIA! between traveling across the country for a week over the holiday, getting sick somewhere along the way, and returning to work, i have been a bit behind on posting. but don’t worry because i’m still keeping up with the show and i’m writing more posts as we speak! thanks for staying :)
Run with the Wind week 2 and 3 training plans (with calendar!)
If you liked the week two training plan breakdown by character that I translated, here’s the training we’ve seen our Run with the Wind athletes complete so far. I approximated a bit and changed adjusted for race day a little, too, since we don’t have those concrete details anyways.
Daily breakdown and more details under the cut!
As a reminder, I made a glossary that I’ll be adding to over the weeks to level the playing field on terminology and introduce beginners to different aspects of running. New glossary terms will be bolded but if you don’t understand a term and haven’t read all of my posts, that term is probably in the glossary, too.
Week 2:
Day 1/Bonus Day 8 from Week 1
Timed 5k around a track, if one is available to you. Track running can improve your time, especially if you are wearing spikes, so this is important to note. Some teammates go jogging at night again but I recommend cross training instead.
Day 2
5k tempo at tempo pace. To refresh, my tempo pace recommendation is approximated from peoples’ race pace vs tempo pace. This is obviously a work of fiction and might not be the perfect pace for you, but again this is approximate. To get your tempo pace, subtract 30 seconds from your race pace (per km) as a tempo pace. I put 4:30/km for the calendar’s tempo because it was what the slower group in the show is running at in their workouts.
Day 3
8k progression run starting at tempo pace and increasing speed by 40 sec/km by the end of the run.
Day 4
Cross country 4 x 2.5k intervals. It doesn’t specify a pace for the XC runs, but I would suggest a bit faster than your tempo because it is a shorter distance (~20 sec/km faster, for example).
Day 5
Free jog. It’s unclear whether this is supposed to be the equivalent of a rest/recovery day or not. The training schedule doesn’t cover the weekend so I assumed those days would be for rest/recovery, but this could be one, too. It does seem like the intention is for them to run rather than rest even if they really need it, so I suggest going for a recovery run today.
Day 6
Same as Day 3!
Day 7
Rest/recovery day
As mentioned last week, episode six covers up to day eight of training so it will be included in both last week’s training plan (as a bonus) and this week’s. The week two training plan Haiji presents also only covers five days, so you can use the first and/or seventh days as rest/recovery days.
Week 3:
We aren’t privy to any of the training that goes on in between the end of what we see scheduled for week two and race day. However, we can assume that the week three training (week of the race) was pretty similar.
Based on this background in episode seven in a preview of episode eight, we can kind of make out the schedule in the background.
It's similar to what we saw laid out for week two (free jog on Thursdays, tempo on Mondays), so we can continue with the same training. The two exceptions are 1) there is a 5k track race on Week 3 Saturday/Day 7 and 2) there is race prep on Week 3 Friday/Day 6. Race prep is helpful because your body is already in a habit of running and it can allow your body and mind to prepare for the big day.
On both race day and for each of your workouts, make sure to warm up and cool down to prevent injury.
There wasn’t a ton of training content in this week’s episode so I’m hoping to compile some of my commentary on how the show compares to real life track for my next post within the next week.
Here’s the Google Sheet version of the training so far.
Week 2 training plan based on Haiji’s M-F training schedule broken down by character.
The only caveat to this is that we never get an entirely clear shot of what Kakeru’s training is, so I had to do some guesswork on his training and pacing based on some fuzzy stills. The ones that I couldn’t get a clear view of are marked (approximated).
Here’s the Google Sheet version if anyone is interested.
As I said in my previous posts, I planned to try out the training plans and report back. Well, let’s just say that they’re HARD. The times they’re trying for in the long run are borderline Olympic qualifying times and most of the team is beginner-level. I figured that because my current physical condition was probably about the same as the beginners (I’ve been slacking on training and they still run extremely fast for being in the shape they’re in), this would be challenging but doable.
However, I was mistaken. After I tried to run two 10k’s in two days and being extremely underprepared for running in cold weather, I my quads and hip flexors were hurting. So I took a break!
When you get running pains, it’s a good idea to take 2-4 days off and do some cross training or rest instead of pushing through the pain. Of course, mental and physical tenacity are key to improving your times but taking even a day or two off when you get running pains can save you from major injury in the long run. This is especially true if you’re new to running and don’t know when too much is too much for your body. On my days off, I went on long walks and did lots of static stretches to ease the pain. My next run was much less painful.
Because of this I won’t be posting training feedback in line with the training plan posts. I’ll still be giving feedback eventually, but it will be delayed.
Take care of your body, friends, and thanks for sticking around <3 Week two training plan will be posted tomorrow!
Here we are! The first week featuring a lot of 10k’s, tempo runs, and progression runs. Although we see Kakeru and Haiji running in episodes 1 and 2, the first day of training with all ten team members in episode 3 will be considered "Day 1".
Let’s go!
I’ve created a glossary that I’ll build upon as more terms are introduced. Terms you can find in the glossary are bolded. Also, before we get started, we don't always see the characters doing warm ups, cool downs, or stretches, but please consider incorporating those things into your routine if you are considering running this much. More info and examples can be found in the glossary.
Day 1
10km at recovery pace. Allow yourself a bit of time to relax at the halfway/turnaround point by slowing your pace for a few minutes or doing some dynamic stretches like lunges or marches. For beginners, you can also split the workout into two 5km segments at different times of the day. You can also rest as the characters are seen doing, not continuing to run or stretch to keep muscles warm, but I wouldn’t recommend it. If you want to stay exactly in line with the anime, run on sidewalks or streets around your neighborhood instead of trails or treadmills.
Day 2
Repeat day one. Stick with the same route as yesterday because tomorrow you will be running it timed.
Day 3
Run the first half of your 10km route timed as if you were trying to win a race (also known as running at race pace). If you are a beginner, keep in mind how fast you start, as this is 5km. This time will set your 5k PR (personal record) and give you an idea of how to pace yourself for future workouts. Running at race pace for an extended period of time affects your body differently than running at a slower pace so, to keep things consistent, please run this as a race even if you have a PR from a past 5k. Give yourself some time to recover at the finish, but make sure to do a cool down run of at least 1-2k.
Day 4:
Repeat day one. At this point, feel free to change routes if you want as we will be starting expanding workouts to the track and to cross country routes (or “running in nature” as they refer to it later).
Day 5:
Timed 5k at race pace. Cool down after.
Day 6:
10km at recovery pace. Note: This run is referred to as a “warm up” but there’s no way a run in the morning will warm you up for an evening workout. If you want, try the evening workout shortly after (aka not giving yourself enough time to cool down) the 10km run.
“Fixed pace runs” aka tempo runs. Here’s where we are reminded that this is a work of fiction. As I tried to calculate what a good tempo should be based on the schedule in episode six, I noticed that the times recorded on day five did not match the training plan. For example, Musa and Shindo finished only ten seconds apart in the middle of the pack but their tempo paces on the plan differ by 1:10/km. Plus, Musa beat Shindo in the race but his is the faster tempo. Because of this inconsistency, it’s difficult to give a good recommendation for this. After doing a few more calculations and referencing the schedule for what this kind of workout might look like, I’m going to give an approximate recommendation of subtracting 30 seconds from your race pace (per km) as a tempo pace.
However, this usually this is done interval style. Additionally, it seems like an unrealistic expectation even for a seasoned runner who knows their race pace to run two races back to back _plus _after running 10km earlier in the day and to expect that the second one be faster than the first. For this reason, I’m going to recommend an interval style workout of 2 x 2.5km at two minutes faster than race pace. Another option is 5 x 1km, which I personally prefer for short tempo intervals.
Some of the team goes jogging after this, but this honestly seems like a bad idea to me. If you have time for more training after doing both a long run and a track workout in a day, look for other kinds of training. Cross training like yoga or cycling can improve lung capacity, flexibility, and give your joints a break from the road. **Strength training **is also helpful to incorporate into your training plan because it improves your power as a runner and helps prevent injuries among other benefits.
Day 7:
10km at recovery pace. There is also an unknown night workout but on day six Haiji mentioned “build up runs” for day seven. Build up runs kind of come across as strides the way it is explained in the anime, but based on how they are incorporated into the training schedules in episode six, I think they are similar to progression runs. Based on the schedule I recommend starting at tempo speed and progressing to 40 seconds/km faster than that by the end of your run. Do this for 8km.
Bonus Day 8:
Training schedules are usually structured around weeks like many things in our lives, but because day eight fell in the same episode, I’ll include it in both week one and two of the training plan.
Timed 5k around a track, if one is available to you. Track running can improve your time, especially if you are wearing spikes, so this is important to note. Some teammates go jogging at night again but, again, I recommend cross training instead.
WOW that was a lot.
I’ve included a Google Sheet that I’ll continue to update each week with new training. I’ll actually post week two soon just because I already have it written out but there will still be a post about it lol.
I’m starting to run this plan today and I’ll compile my notes into a separate post each week before or at the same time I post the following week’s schedule.
Also I don’t plan to do many self-reblogs to put these posts on people’s dashes again so, if you want to be sure to stay updated, please turn on notifications for my posts. Also my inbox is open is you have any questions.
WOW I was not expecting there to be an entire training plan laid out in today’s episode NOR the work it took to incorporate that into the previous week’s pacing!!
I’ll be posting the first week’s training plan hopefully tomorrow with a *glossary* for beginners and follow up at some point with week two. I have to try out week one after all o.-
Comparative realism in sports anime - Run with the Wind and an introduction to this blog
Sports anime is primarily known in the community for its over-the-top tournament arcs, dramatization of the mundane, and for championing the power of friendship.
Shows like Haikyuu!!, Slam Dunk, and Hajime no Ippo, have wowed us with fierce rivalries, over-the-top tournament arcs, and by dramatizing intense training. It makes us feel cool, tough and invigorated as we watch empathetic characters fight tooth and nail to get to the top, and it keeps an audience interested with it’s fast pace.
But often times...
we don’t know shit about the sport they’re actually playing.
I’ve played plenty of sports in my life, as I’m sure many of us have (yes even weebs play sports thanks Mike Daniels for future inspo), but watching shows that assume you are familiar with the sport or only gradually explain how it works always leaves me with a strange disconnection from the story and characters because it just feels like something is missing, that I should know something I don’t.
Here’s where I (and this blog!) come in.
One of the few sports I am extremely familiar with is track/cross country. I’m a washed-up collegiate runner who has ran more miles than I ever bothered to count, won more ribbons and medals than I have space in my childhood bedroom for, and lived the struggles associated with the sport long enough to write a book (ok maybe just a blog).
I titled this post “comparative realism” because I will use this methodology to determine how ‘real’ running anime like the currently airing Run with the Wind is. According to Theo A.F. Kuipers, comparative realism is “realism guided by the comparative perspective on success and on truth approximation, that is, the notions of 'more successful' and 'closer to the (observational, referential, and theoretical) truth', and their mutual relations”. Success in this case will be determined on the results of the training plan I develop based on the show. In some way I will also draw upon my experience as a former athlete as ‘truth’ to compare to the experiences of the athletes in the show. Of course, I do advise this ‘truth’ be taken with a grain of salt, as my experiences do not speak for every runner or track athlete.
In short, I’ll be comparing the portrayal of the track & field sport/running lifestyle in anime as well as developing training plans based on what the characters are doing. I’ll be adhering to these training plans to the best of my ability, and report back on its success.
To start off, I’ll be blogging about Run with the Wind. I watch A LOT of anime every season, but Run with the Wind instantly caught my attention. I can count on one hand the number of runners I know who are into anime, and I figured my observations might carry over to the general anime community who is in the same sport-oblivious boat I’m usually in while watching this show. There are plenty of other series that involve track to a lesser extent, like Devilman: Crybaby or After the Rain, but this is one of the only shows I’ve heard of that center around the sport.
My posting schedule will be as regular as possible, but Run with the Wind is 5 episodes in and there have only been 6 days of training! Tomorrow’s episode will hopefully be enough to complete the 7th day of training and I will complete a training plan as soon as we have our first 7 days.
In the meantime, I would love if you followed this blog and turned on post notifications for updates!
I also think it would be super fun if anyone wanted to follow these training plans with me and post about their running journey, regardless of whether this is your 1000th run or your first run ever.
