[First Trail Run] A new employee's struggle diary to beat his boss who has been a trail runner for 5 years②

February 12, 2025

[Summary of the previous episode]

The proud new employee, who thinks he's no good at work, decides to beat his boss up during a trail run.

While the boss has 5 years of experience, the new employee has no experience at all. Believing in his "room for growth" to make up for his lack of experience, he first gathers his running equipment and finally goes on his first trail run...

[Main Story]

After getting the minimum equipment at Sotoaso, I was excited and decided to run on a trail course close to Sotoaso where a competition is also held.

Here too, the Sotoaso staff member kindly showed me the location and spent over an hour with me. I just said thank you as I left, and then headed to the starting point by car.

By the way, the course we were going to run on was set in Katanoyama, where the annual Katano Big Rock Trail competition is held . I didn't pay any attention to it at the time, but it seems that the cumulative elevation gain is about 1,380m, and the ups and downs are quite intense. I wish the staff had told me that (lol).

It was around November and the temperature was relatively warm, so we only had to bring minimal equipment and clothing.

T-shirt: ELDORESO (I fell in love with the big silhouette at first sight. It is very absorbent and quick-drying, but thin)
Pants: Nike Dri-FIT (the only running gear I had at home)
Calf supporter : OLENO Calf Protection (It doesn't tighten at all, so it can be used just to protect from the cold, dirt, and scratches)
Socks: OLENO ULTIMATE SHR Round (they have a very strong grip, so your feet won't slip out of your shoes)
Shoes: Columbia Montrai (I inherited these from my dad, but they were too big...)
Headband: Unknown brand (I bought it just for the fashion, but it's actually pretty good at keeping sweat out)
Bag: PAAGO WORKS RUSH11R (a little large because I wanted to use it for trekking)

This was my first time trail running, so I had no idea about pacing or how to run, so I decided to just enjoy it at a leisurely pace, roughly about walking.

It's quite different from paved roads or fields, you have to constantly keep an eye on your step and the climbs are really tough .

When I was running, I ran the 400m and 400mH, which are relatively tough distances (the limit of what a human can run at full speed), so I should have had some stamina, but running uphill quickly breaks my spirit and I end up walking. Is there anyone who can keep running that long?

However, as I was experiencing new sights and sensations for the first time, I was in relatively good spirits and enjoyed taking lots of photos.

I was super excited to be running on a road that felt like "the trail" for the first time.

A very mysterious building.

After about 30-40 minutes of driving,

I realized something important.

Where am I???

So I got lost.

That's because I didn't bring a map with me and thought I could find the location by looking at my treasured Google Maps, but I couldn't get a signal in the first place. Even if I wanted to go back the same way, there were too many branches and I couldn't find the way back.

The thought of leaving a suicide note on my cell phone crossed my mind, but I just wanted to get around and get down to ground level where I could get a signal.

As a result, by some miracle, they managed to reach the starting point and return home safely, but if they had made one wrong move, it would have been in danger. (The number of people lost in the mountains in 2023 was 3,568, of which 10% were dead or missing.)

On my first trail run, I learned the importance of bringing a map with me.

The Apple Watch Ultra model that I use apparently has a feature that allows me to track my movements, so I decided to take advantage of this modern convenience.

When I got home, I thought about my future plans. Unlike road running, trail running requires a lot of experience and knowledge before you can even be good at running.