Fuji Hill 2026 1:01:25

1 hour 6 minutes 28 seconds

Last year, I swallowed my tears at the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station.
The result left me with a strong sense of regret, as that little bit extra felt so far away.
Since then, I have spent the past year using that regret as my sole motivation to build myself up.

"What you have built up will never betray you."

Those are the words of a certain magician.
Regret is the greatest magic to make a person stronger.
It was a day where what I had built up finally returned to me in the form of numbers. This is the race report for that day.

Last year's note ↓
https://note.com/solusian/n/n7eccc07b5206

Results

First, the results

• Category: Men's 25-29 Age Group

• Time: 1 hour 1 minute 25 seconds

• Improvement from last year: 5 minutes 03 seconds

• Result: 3rd place in Men's 25-29 Age Group

• Ring earned: Gold Ring

• Goals: Earn Gold Ring, place in age group

I improved by 5 minutes and 03 seconds from last year's 1 hour 6 minutes 28 seconds, successfully achieving my goal of earning the Gold Ring.
Furthermore, I placed 3rd in the Men's 25-29 age group, achieving my other goal of placing in my age group and making it onto the podium.

In particular, shaving 5 minutes off last year's time was a major achievement that served as a validation of my efforts over the past year.

Annual Training

Since I spent a year preparing for Fuji Hill, I will briefly look back at my training.
I have summarized the details month by month, so here I will just organize the annual flow and key points.
This year, I was very conscious of periodization, dividing my training into three phases: Base, Build, and Specialty.

Base Phase

In the base phase, I focused on polarized training and putting in the miles. I kept my CTL near 120. The structure consisted of building volume with Z2 long rides and incorporating high intensity with the Black League. I barely did any moderate intensity, focusing entirely on low and high intensity.
For strength training, I continued with heavy weight training at the gym, performing squats up to about 120kg.

Although I was temporarily sidelined by a traffic accident at the end of February, I was able to build a solid foundation as a base period.

Build Period

During the build period, I introduced medium-intensity workouts while slightly reducing the volume accumulated during the base period.
The menu content was adjusted while consulting with AI, taking into account my fatigue and condition at the time.
I shifted from the base period's approach of just riding as much as possible to content focused on the sustained power output required for the actual Fuji Hill race.
I also started heat acclimatization during this period. Looking back, this might have been the most effective factor for this year's results.
On the other hand, my CTL dropped from nearly 120 in the base period to around 110. Looking only at the numbers, I felt some anxiety, but it was a period where I organized the volume slightly to improve the quality of training.

Then, at the end of April, I did my first test run of Fuji Hill this year.
As for the results.

"Gold? Don't make me laugh."

It was a time that made me think that, and honestly, it was a first attempt where I thought it might be a failure.

Specialty Period

During the specialty period, I focused on climbing above all else. Every weekend, I incorporated real-world hill climbs such as mountain time trials and Haruna Hill Climb to get used to the intensity and duration close to the actual Fuji Hill race. My CTL dropped to around 105.
Compared to the base period, the numerical volume decreased, but in return, I prioritized the practical stimuli necessary for climbing.

I was able to update my PRs on various mountain passes, and since I placed 4th in my age group at Haruna Hill Climb, it didn't seem like my condition was bad.
On the other hand, I was in despair over the content of my second and third Fuji Hill test runs, which were completely out of the question.

However, I told myself that I had rarely been fast in test runs, and I organized the issues based on the results of the test runs.

The thing I lacked the most was concentration.

In my case, I had a tendency to lose the ability to endure suffering all at once when my concentration broke. Especially around the 3rd station, my concentration would break every time, and I would often lose speed from there. I felt that whether I could maintain a state of concentration, not just my legs and cardiopulmonary function, would be an important factor in the actual Fuji Hill race. Can I get into the zone during the actual race?

For me, that is the point that greatly influences my time. In fact, I was able to get into the zone well at Haruna Hill Climb, and I was able to have a very good run. Reproducing that feeling in the actual Fuji Hill race was the major theme of the latter half of the specialty period.

One week before

This is the tapering period.
This time, I decided to taper for only one week instead of two.
Since I am still in my 20s, I adjusted with a policy of leaving some stimulus while removing fatigue, rather than dropping it for too long.

• Monday: Full rest

• Tuesday: 4 Gorby hill repeats, 2-minute run at Oizumi

• Wednesday: Heat acclimatization 1 hour

• Thursday: Tapering run at TGW, started salt depletion

• Friday: Full rest

As of Friday: CTL 98, weight 59kg

Also, in my case, I don't do caffeine withdrawal because my performance on the day drops, so I continued having one cup of coffee every morning. I prioritize keeping my usual rhythm rather than changing my daily habits too much just because it's before a race.
I continued the salt-free diet since I had no problems with it at all last year.

The day before

Woke up at 5:00.
Weight upon waking was 58.5kg. Good water loss.
My Garmin is dead, but I vowed that if I get a good result with this, I'll quit using Garmin.

In the morning, I did some light stimulation on the rollers.

And then breakfast.

Left at 8:00 and had a cup of coffee at a convenience store on the way.
Had lunch at Dangan-zaka around 11:30.
Also had one manju bun for fuel.

Arrived at the venue around 12:00.
After finishing the pre-race registration, I wandered around the expo. First, I went straight to the Actibike booth.

After that, I met up with my teammates.
By the time I bought consumables and looked around the various booths, I realized I had been at the expo until around 15:00. It was fun, but I was genuinely tired.

After that, I moved to the hotel.
I'm staying with Kinnikuman-san again this time!

After checking in, I went to the hot spring as part of my pre-race routine. One set of sauna and a carbonated bath.
Finished shopping for dinner and had dinner at 18:30.
Finished massages and such, and went to bed after 20:00.

As for my condition the day before, my weight had dropped as planned, and water loss was good.
However, I walked longer than expected at the expo and felt a bit of fatigue, so I want to cut it shorter next time.

Race day - Before the start

Woke up at 2:30.
There was no scale, so I estimate my weight was in the high 58kg range. I slept well.

Had breakfast immediately after waking up.
After breakfast, I did a hot half-body bath as my usual routine.

After that, I finished changing and preparing, and left for the venue a little after 4:30. I warmed up on the way and arrived at the venue around 5:00. I thought it might be too early, but they had already started guiding people to the assembly area. (Wait, isn't the assembly supposed to start at 6:00? (lol))

Since I was planning to ride with someone, I waited near the entrance for a while, but a staff member urged me to move to the waiting line. As a result, I ended up lining up at the back of the 3rd wave, 1st group.

Ta-shi, I'm really sorry.
Let's ride together next year.

I was able to chat with teammates and acquaintances before the race, so I wasn't overly nervous. I think I was waiting for the start in a relatively relaxed state.

Race start

At 6:40, the parade run started.
This year's parade run was unusually slow. Perhaps because of that, a crash occurred along the way.

Why is it so slow this year?

While feeling a bit shaken, I checked my surroundings and looked for the riders I was marking.

There were two main race plans for this year.

The first was to ride with the group formed this year, the 'Age-Group Platinum Train,' as much as possible to save time.

The second was to aim for a podium finish in my age group while keeping the gold ring as a minimum goal, so I would react to the moves of strong riders as much as possible.

This year, as a way to get into the zone, I set my cycle computer screen to display only time and heart rate.
My policy was not to look at power or detailed numbers. In fact, I don't think I looked at the cycle computer for even a total of one minute during the race.

Therefore, the passing times at each point are quite vague, and this might not be useful as a detailed pacing reference for those aiming for gold. I will post the segment times just in case, but please forgive me.

Back to the race.

Fortunately, I confirmed that both the age-group Platinum Train and the riders I was marking were nearby. We entered the timed section without any major confusion. The intense surge I expected right after the start didn't happen, and the race started relatively calmly. At this point, I was relieved.

During the warm-up, my legs felt fine, but because the waiting time before the start was long, I was a little worried that my legs, which are slow to warm up, might have fallen asleep.
When I actually entered the timed section, my legs turned well, so I was relieved about that.

In the early stages, I positioned myself at the back of the large group led by the Platinum Train. The pace was fast, but not too painful, and it was well within my acceptable range, so I decided to think that my condition wasn't bad.

The Aeroad S rider I was marking moved to the front, but I didn't force myself to go forward and prioritized staying with the flow of the group. I didn't use unnecessary energy in the early stages and just endured calmly for now.

I survived until the parking lot below the 1st station, which I considered the first hurdle. I believe the passing time was just under 10 minutes.
Up to this point, it was a start very close to my ideal.

After passing the parking lot below the 1st station, the gradient eases slightly from here, making it a section where speed increases. The pack begins to stretch out vertically, and the risk of gaps forming in the middle increases sharply. Therefore, I focused on gradually moving up my position.
While clinging to the back of the large Platinum Train pack, I managed to move up to the rear of the main Platinum Train group by the time I reached the Jukaidai parking lot.

Passing Jukaidai took about 28 minutes.
Up to this point, the race had progressed in a way close to what I had planned.

The section from Jukaidai parking lot to the 3rd station is where I usually lose focus and slow down during test runs, but I was able to pass through here without losing concentration.

However, Fuji Hill doesn't end that easily.
The trial begins.

The pace increases at the front of the Platinum Train.

Honestly, the fact that I was able to keep up until this point meant the Platinum Train's pace shouldn't have been that fast, so I knew a pace increase was bound to happen somewhere.

As if he sensed that move early, the weight-loss prince Mr. K, who is in my age group and whom I had been marking, moved to the front. I tried to react immediately, but my acceleration was sluggish and I couldn't respond fully, causing me to get dropped from the Platinum Train here.

As it turned out, he won the age-group title, so whether or not I can stick with him will likely be a benchmark for my future improvement. He was strong.

The pack was about 50 meters ahead. From here, the race became a matter of trying to keep the gap under control while hopping between riders who were exhausted and falling back. It seemed like a few people were behind me, but there was no sign of them wanting to take a pull. I had no choice but to push on my own.

After a while, familiar backs started to drop back.

First was Mr. YKK. He looked quite exhausted, and his pace had dropped significantly. I passed him, hoping he would latch onto the back of this group.

Next was Mr. I-kawa of the Blue Madone. Seriously? How fast is this Platinum Train? Even though he had been dropped, he was still pedaling powerfully. I touched his back to encourage him, and since I felt a presence behind me, he was following. We can still do this.

And then, a back I have seen many times. But it was a back I didn't want to see here.
My teammate, Mr. SK.

Does the Platinum Train have no heart?

I touched his back to encourage him.
I felt strongly that he is not the kind of person who should be getting dropped here, and I absolutely wanted to go to the finish line together. With his characteristic raw strength, his pace hadn't dropped much, and he joined us right away.

Although we were increasing our numbers, the gap to the front was widening, but then our savior appeared—Mr. Fumiki, the key player of the Avengers that everyone knows.
Seeing him come up from the right at a high pace was, without exaggeration, like seeing Superman. Thanks to him pulling the front for a moment, my motivation was fully recharged. My teammates were gradually gathering in this time of crisis.

Fuji Hill is just too much fun.

From there, we passed the Osawa parking lot as a group led by Mr. SK, Mr. I-kawa, and a few others. We passed it in just under 46 minutes.

In the section with the steep gradient from Osawa parking lot to Okuniwa, the rotation was centered around Mr. I-kawa, Mr. SK, and myself. It looked exactly like a team training session.

Steep sections have always been a weak point for me, but I think the strong pulls from Mr. I-kawa and Mr. SK kept the pace drop to a minimum. Climbers are strong.

The race became an all-out battle, and although I barely looked behind me, it seemed we had formed a fairly large group. We gradually shed riders from that group until we reached Okuniwa. This was effectively the last climb. We encouraged each other within the group as we passed through. I believe it was just over 56 minutes.
From there, we headed to the final flat section.

The wind was good. The group size was good. My legs were gone.

At this point, I was certain of the Gold.
I switched my focus to how much time I could gain for the age-group ranking.

Mr. I-kawa was strong, and Fumiki-san, appearing for the third time, put in an explosive pull. Please let me call him the Immortal Fumiki from now on.
With that lineup, the group tackled the flat section toward the finish.

I also pushed myself to the limit in the rotation until we reached the third tunnel, but by then, I had no legs left. The final slope was so brutal that I don't remember much; all I recall is Mr. SK's back moving further away, and people passing me one after another.

It was only then that I realized we had been carrying a fairly large group. I crossed the finish line as if buried within that group.

I stopped my lap timer.

1 hour 1 minute 30 seconds.

I let out a roar and slapped my handlebars.
Sorry for slapping them, Coach Waso.

Before I could even receive my descent luggage, tears were streaming down my face, and I ended up breaking down in tears again after joining my teammates.
The snack party afterward was the most delicious thing I've ever tasted in my life.

After that, we descended and waited for the results.

Although I had achieved my primary goal of Gold, I still didn't know about my second goal, the age-group placement.
The preliminary result was confirmed at 1 hour 1 minute 25 seconds. In a typical year, that would definitely be a podium time, but because the pace was higher than usual, I couldn't predict it at all.

Then, the posted results showed I was 3rd in my age group.
And to my surprise, my teammate Mr. SK was 2nd in the age group.
We hugged each other and savored the joy.

Summary

And so, that was the race report for the 2026 Fuji Hill Climb, which had the perfect ending. I believe I was able to work this hard to achieve all my goals—earning Gold and placing in the age-group ranking—because of the support from my teammates, training partners, family, and everyone reading this.

Thank you all so much, as always.

The Asahi-toge Hill Climb is coming up next Sunday, but for now, I'm going to soak in this joy and enjoy some delicious food.

See you later.

Ride Data

1 hour 1 minute 25 seconds
NP 270W 4.54x
Average HR 180bpm

Equipment

S-works Tarmac SL8 6.9kg
Roval RAPIDE CLX3
Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed TLR 28C F4.1 R4.4
Goldix CNC 11-30T
SMUC SX12SL
Gotal 1915plus

Supplementation

Regular intake
Magnesium, normal beet powder, ashwagandha, beta-alanine, glutamine, vitamin D, protein

Race-specific
Mitolong V (3 weeks), Mitolong VP (1 week), Beet No.3-T (2 hours before race), Caffeine 200mg (1 hour before race), Mitolong Gel (30 minutes before race)