Nationals Runner-Up Rakunan H.S. Training in Kochi With Support From Medical Science University Students
17 members of Kyoto's Rakunan H.S. boys' ekiden team are currently on a training camp at Kochi's Haruno Sports Park. At the Dec. 26 National High School Ekiden Rakunan became the first all-Japanese team to break 2:02 for the 42.195 km course, finishing 2nd overall. After training in Kochi last year, this camp is the team's second time there. "It's warmer here than in Kyoto so it seems easier to move, even when we're doing hard workouts," said 2nd-year Yuichiro Kojima . In addition to their regular training workouts, on this camp the runners are also working with students from Kochi Professional University of Rehabilitation . The university students are providing medical science support across a range of areas such as measurements of lactic acid, an indication of physical fatigue levels. "In school we're learning a lot of highly specialized information," commented one of the students, Shogo Nakayama . "I expected it to be difficul...