PokeEarn Interview Ryo Doi | PokeEarn Official Site | PokeEarn

Alongside his athletic activities, Doi says, "I want to spread the enjoyment I've experienced." One expression of this is the 100-mile event BAMBI100, which he runs on a volunteer basis with friends. Many trail runners dream of completing a 100-mile race, but for most, the barriers to entry are high, with strict qualification requirements and the like.

"BAMBI100 has the concept of 'a 100-miler that anyone can easily take on.' The stage is Mount Ikoma, a familiar local satoyama, and the goal is simply to run the full 100 miles, with no rankings. The eligibility is set to 'people who have never run 100 miles' or 'people for whom more than five years have passed since their last finish.'"

One unique feature is that applicants are asked to submit an essay about their motivation for entering the event and their feelings about taking part.

"If possible, I'd like everyone to finish, so we keep the number of entrants to just under 40 in order to support each person deeply. The reason we ask them to submit an essay is that by sharing the participants' backgrounds and feelings, we felt we could cheer them on with more heart."

From training to racing, outreach activities, and his work as a firefighter, Doi is always required to be in good condition. What does he keep in mind for his health?

"For meals, I make sure to include a staple, a main dish, and side dishes, and I'm conscious of nutritional balance too. I also eat fermented foods for my gut."

In races he sometimes runs for long stretches, but in daily life he places importance on sleep.

"Rest for recovery is just as important as training, so I make sure to get a good amount of sleep every day too."

Doi often runs at high altitudes where oxygen is scarce in mountain races. What kind of awareness does he have when it comes to oxygen?

"When I run out of breath during training or a race and feel lactic acid building up, I think, ah, the oxygen isn't keeping up, and I become conscious of trying to breathe more deeply."

Learning of the existence of PokeEarn, a product for making use of that oxygen, Doi decided to take it, thinking, "There's an amazing product out there."

"For runners like us who compete at high altitudes, oxygen is important. When I heard the explanation, I thought it made sense."

Every morning, before heading out to train, Doi takes PokeEarn.

"I hope I can use my body well. It would be wonderful if it not only made for good training but also carried over into my conditioning afterward."

Doi says that when taking health foods and the like, he is also particular about how easy they are to take.

"If something doesn't taste good or is hard to take, you won't keep it up. PokeEarn tastes good and is easy to take, so it's easy to keep up."

When we asked Doi about his current state, the keyword that came from his mouth was "maintaining performance."

"It's not that something changed dramatically or anything like that. It's just that, at my age, I'm still consistently producing results, and I have the sense that I'm able to maintain my performance."

Doi is 44 this year. He says he wants to keep taking PokeEarn in order to maintain his performance going forward.

"I want to maintain my performance for as long as possible, and at as high a level as I can. Hoping it plays a role in my day-to-day conditioning support, I'll keep taking PokeEarn going forward."

When we asked again about the appeal of running in the mountains, the answer that came back was "the connections between people."

"Getting to see great scenery, having great experiences, and above all, the connections between people, that's the greatest appeal. The biggest treasure I've gained from trail running is friends. We live in a digital society now where relationships between people have grown thin, but when you run together on the trails or head into the mountains with others, you become close in a way that goes beyond barriers."

When running in the mountains under extreme conditions, Doi says, "Maybe my antenna for sensing bonds between people becomes more sensitive."

"When people cheer for me in a race, I get unbelievably energized. I wonder what that is. (laughs)"

In order to spread such hard-to-come-by experiences, Doi has begun putting effort into outreach activities like BAMBI100. We asked him for a message to those who are thinking of taking up trail running.

"If you take just one step out from your usual place, you might encounter an amazing world. For anyone who hesitates to take that step, I'd recommend joining a community that has friends to support you, like our BAMBI100. Please, go out and encounter wonderful scenery, experiences, and people!"