Thank you for your support at Iron Bound 48H in Malaysia.

Start time: 0:50 on the 23rd

The first section is 123km for MTB. After about 80km of road section, it splits into about 40km of trail section over the mountains.

We took the lead at the start gate and started off with force at the signal. As we were moving forward in the lead pack, we stopped at a red light. Soon, we heard the voices of a local team (?) from behind us, and we all started GOGO GOGO. The pack grew bigger, and we all moved forward at incredible speed, creating a sense of tension. Even with the heaviest gear, we were spinning at a sluggish pace. We called out to each other to make sure the members didn't get separated, and proceeded along the road with small ups and downs to CP1 as a group.

The group gradually split up, and I probably stayed behind the second group. We split up even more as we crossed a narrow bridge next to the railroad tracks. We reached CP2 and continued on the long road.

We could see the light of the team ahead of us, so Daz and Shunpei took turns leading the pack, trying to catch up somehow. Hiroki pulled Fukiko and made a train to increase speed, but we couldn't catch up. The small ups and downs and the headwinds were draining our stamina. In the end, we arrived at CP3 without catching up. There seemed to be about 5-10 teams ahead of us.

This is where we decided to make a move. While the previous team all headed towards the mountain path leading to the next CP, we chose to take the shortest route from the main road to the mountain. The road was not on the map, but Hiroki checked the satellite photos on Google Maps during the time between distributing the map and the start, and we headed towards the road he had written on the map. There were countless roads running along the road, like a maintenance road through a palm tree field.

I was nervous, wondering if it was really okay to go through here and what to do if an elephant or tiger appeared, but I carefully chose the path while looking at the terrain and proceeded. When I reached the expected place and the path ended, I left my bike and went into the bush. After going a little further, I came across a large ditch. It was probably made to keep elephants away. I had confirmed this on Google Maps. I somehow managed to get over it and continue on. After crossing two ditches, I pushed my way through the thick bush. It was dark, the bush was thick, and it was farther than I thought, so I started to worry about what I would do if I couldn't get back to where I left my bike. Daz was marking the way behind me by breaking down trees.

Somehow we made it out onto the forest road and ran to CP4, measuring our pace so that we could return safely. When Shunpei punched the ball, a staff member said "First" and we got excited!

I returned safely to the place where I had left my bike and headed for CP5. While everyone else was heading up the mountain path, I took the road, which was a considerable shortcut and allowed me to extend my lead.

When I arrived at CP6 after a long road trip, the course director came up to me and praised me, saying, "Nice move!", which got me excited.

There was a fuss about sealant leaking from Fukiko's bike, but after the finish, we realized it was just oil that we had brought with us. Thank goodness it didn't get on the brake discs... Each person had brought a bottle of oil to apply to the chain as a measure against mud. When we checked in, the Malaysian team said that they had brought a liter of cooking oil with them to the previous tournament, so we had bought it in a hurry.

It's only been about 4 and a half hours since we started, but we're running out of water. We'll probably be able to get water from the river later, but we were lucky to get some here. By this point, Fukiko and Shunpei's legs were starting to cramp. We managed to deal with it by replenishing minerals, applying Magbalm, and doing some light massages and stretching.

Immediately after leaving CP6, the road turns into a forest, and we climb about 800m in altitude to CP7. I was glad that I could go without stopping on the muddy road because I had changed to thin mud tires to deal with the mud.

Gradually, we came across more and more landslides, fallen trees, and steep slopes that were too steep to ride on, and we had to carry our bikes. Daz was having difficulty breathing.

As I walked along in silence, listening to various sounds I had never heard before, dawn broke. On the forest path, I noticed what looked like large droppings and footprints. Could it be an elephant? At that moment, I heard a rustling sound of an animal moving in the forest, and my heart started beating fast. I became scared of what I would do if an elephant appeared. However, the source of the sound was monkeys jumping from tree to tree.

This is the most challenging part of the race! I pushed myself to the top and CP7 was waiting for me. I saw some older men from the staff climbing up from the other side on off-road bikes. It seemed they had taken about two and a half hours to get to this point. We enjoyed a short chat and were looking at the next road when a team finally came up behind me. It was a woman from the young Australian team Thought Sports who appeared with a refreshing look on her face.

I knew I would be overtaken at some point, and even if I was overtaken, there was no need to panic! But I was somehow nervous. I was feeling good as I was descending, when I came to a fork in the road. I hid from the team behind me and checked other roads that were not on the map that I had checked in advance on Google Maps, and chose the road on the map and proceeded. However, the traces of the off-road bike where the staff should have come lead to a different road... I was worried, but I trusted the map and proceeded. I went while checking the terrain, but the road became rough and I became more and more anxious. I wondered whether I should go or go back to the fork. I could hear the sound of the river below, and if I had to cross it, it would be risky to be with the bike. After a difficult decision, I decided to go back to the fork. It was a mistake that cost me about an hour.

I wonder how many teams we were overtaken by...but just then a strong Malaysian team came up from behind.

We pulled ourselves together and headed down the muddy, rough road with lots of rocks. Daz fell and hit his knee hard, causing him to bleed. After a while, Shunpei fell too. He was at the back and it seemed like he was taking a while to catch up, when suddenly he fell without anyone noticing, and came staggering along, twisting all over the place. The road continued to be technical, and even though it was downhill, we were getting tired. Just when we were about to reach CP8, Hiroki had a major fall. His bike was flying through the air. Both of them were damaged, but it was good that they weren't injured badly enough to have to stop the race.

We got onto the road and the end of the long bike section was in sight, but everyone was running out of water. The sun was rising and the heat was getting more and more intense... Daz couldn't pick up the pace. Everyone shared what little water they had left, and Hiroki pulled Daz forward. They tried to get some water from the river, but it was a bit far away so they gave up. There were only 4km left so Fukiko and Shunpei tried to make it somehow and hurried to the TA, pulling in front of us.

At that moment, Fukiko found a water source on the side of the road. She poured water over herself, gulped it down, and recovered a little. At times like this, the Be Free water purifier was a reliable presence. (We also fetched stream water on the way, and it's scary to think what would have happened if we hadn't.)

At the TA, my daughter, the Akamine family, and Niseko Expeditions director Ueno-san were waiting for us, and although we were exhausted, their support gave us energy. We refueled with delicious food and juice, changed our shoes, and got ready. At the TA, Malaysia's Skomad KAMIKAZE, who had arrived a little ahead of us, and KAMIKAZE Silva/Caros, who had arrived just behind us, quickly got ready and set off a little ahead of us, while Australia's Tiger Adventure seemed to be resting at the aid station. Two Australian teams, Thought Sports and Alpaine Avengers (members who had participated in ARJ), were further ahead, and we left the TA in 5th place and set off on a 7km trek.

We started climbing a steep slope just after leaving TA. The ground was slippery and we couldn't climb without holding on to something. I was worried that Daz wasn't able to increase his pace. Maybe I should have rested more. Tiger Adventure came from behind and overtook us.

I arrived at the foot of the mountain at CP11 but couldn't find the starting point. I started to climb but was blocked by a high rock wall and couldn't go any further. I went out onto the road to try to approach from the other side and went around, when two teams from Malaysia KAMIKAZE came down. They gave me advice that I should ask someone in a house. Next came the Alpine Avengers from Australia, who I thought were further ahead. They seemed to have a lot of trouble here.

As expected, we couldn't find them even when we got close to the trailhead, so we called out to someone in the house, and Daz found some markings. We climbed up using the markings and reached CP11. It didn't look like Tiger Adventure had arrived yet.

CP12 was a mystery challenge. We were asked to peel coconuts with an axe. It was quite a physical job. Hiroki and Shunpei did it for us. After peeling it, we said we wanted to drink coconut juice! So we gave them a drink.

We returned to the TA, and, refueled by some cheer and food, we rode 11km on our bikes to the kayak section.

We maintained fifth place and there was no sign of anyone ahead or behind us, so we started our 40km kayak journey. Navigation was difficult on the complex lake. It was just before 4pm and we wanted to make as much progress as possible in the four hours or so before dark. Shunpei & Daz, and Hiroki & Fukiko got into a tandem sit-on kayak. However, the boat was not stable enough to go in a straight line, with Fukiko unable to steer well from the back. Hiroki wanted to sit in the front if possible and see the map and terrain, so we switched to two other pairs: Shunpei & Fukiko, and Hiroki & Daz.

We made good progress and made CP15 and 16. After that, we took the wrong inlet and ended up at a dead end, but we didn't lose much. There was still a long way to go, so we just kept paddling mindlessly. We paddled forward, checking the gaps between the narrow waterways and islands. We could see the KAMIKAZE2 team and the Alpine Avengers, who had taken CP19 on the long leg from CP18 to CP19. The battle for 2nd to 4th place was fierce. The four members of the Alpine Avengers were paddling in perfect sync, and it was so beautiful that it seemed as if they were towing even though they weren't, and they were making an incredible comeback. The gap between us was about 40 minutes. We regret the mistake on the bike.

When I was heading back from 19, I saw a team that looked like Tiger Adventure in the distance, but it looked like they were more than 30 minutes behind.

It started to get dark as we headed towards CP20. Shunpei started to feel sick and was refusing to eat, so I was worried. When we arrived at CP20, it started to rain heavily, and everyone got cold and put on their raincoats.

If we could portage from CP20 to 21, it would be a great shortcut, but considering the height difference and the weight of the kayak, it seemed better to paddle, so we paddled. At CP20, it became dark and pouring rain, and visibility was almost impossible, but Hiroki's concentration seemed to have increased and he continued without making any mistakes.

I passed the start and finish area and headed towards the remaining two CPs. There were many lights around here, so I felt safe and the end was gradually coming into view.

After a long 6-hour kayak, we arrived at TA. Shunpei was feeling sick and about to vomit, but he had nothing to vomit and was in pain. I wanted to rest a little longer, but since there was only 19km left of trekking, we decided to continue slowly and wait for him to recover.

The trekking starts with the zip line. From what I could see while paddling the kayak, it looked like we had landed on the water halfway. Hiroki and Fukiko started first. Fukiko didn't land on the water, but she stopped about halfway, probably because she's light. From there, we tried to go to the shore on the monkey bars, but we couldn't move forward at all because we didn't have enough abdominal and arm strength. There was still a long way to go, but we couldn't let go, so we started screaming. Tiger Wildflow (a member who had come to Niseko) who happened to be passing by in a kayak called out to us, asking if we were OK, and helped us out. He pushed us with his kayak and delivered the rope that Hiroki had thrown from the shore to us, and we somehow managed to reach the shore. I thought the zip line was just fun, but it was a real adventure, and this was probably the hardest part.

We head towards the mountain at a light jog. Shunpei still looks like he's having a hard time, so he doesn't pick up the pace. Hiroki wants to carry his backpack for me, but says he doesn't have the space to do so, and so he puts on a double backpack and heads forward. Fukiko is getting sleepy, and she starts singing and shouting as she goes along.

As I was climbing the steep, sloping slope, Skomad KAMIKAZE came down from the front with vigor. I could feel the spirit of the previous champion. A little while later, the Alpine Avengers also turned back. After reaching CP25, they had planned to continue on the road without turning back, so I asked them why they were turning back. They told me that they had looked for the road but couldn't find it, and that even if they had continued on, the slope seemed too steep, so they turned back. A little later, I passed KAMIKAZE Silva/caros again.

In other words, if we find a path, it's shorter, so we might be able to overtake the team in front! This gets us excited. Fukiko, completely awake and eager to find the path, takes the lead. After CP25, Hiroki carefully read the map and found the path. Yes! The team was excited and followed the markings. However, the path was forcibly made on a very steep slope, and we couldn't climb without holding on to something, but there was not much to hold on to. Fukiko, who is light on her feet, climbed hard. Hiroki slipped and grabbed a thorny plant, then fell on the thorns on his butt. He tried to remove the thorns with tweezers, but couldn't get them all out. Daz was having a hard time getting a grip, and Shunpei seemed to have recovered from the nausea, but he was starting to feel sleepy.

Somehow, we managed to reach the top, and the rest was downhill, so everyone came back and hurried on, searching for markings. As we were relying on markings to navigate the winding jungle roads, it became difficult to figure out where we were on the map, and suddenly the markings disappeared... What were the markings for? We suddenly became suspicious. We had no choice but to go back? Just as we were feeling hopeless, we found human footprints and a machete mark on a tree. Could it be that the tape had disappeared and the machete had been used to mark it? Although we were skeptical, we followed the machete trail that continued ahead.

It feels like a lot of time has passed, but there is still no sign of leaving the jungle. We are completely lost, and the only thing we can rely on is the machete marks. Or rather, maybe the person who marked the area has gotten lost... Hiroki begins to get annoyed, and we decide to have a meeting to sort out the situation. Not knowing where they are, Hiroki complains, but Daz calmly says, "It's probably around here, so it's okay. Let's go," and he agrees and decides to go ahead.

After a while, the markings came back, ropes appeared, and it started to look like a road, and I came out onto a road. But I didn't know where I was.

Contrary to the enthusiasm I had felt a few hours earlier, thinking, "I'm going to turn it around!", I realized that I might have ended up in a completely unexpected place... I must have dropped significantly in the rankings, and I had to somehow get back safely. I was feeling disheartened.

We hear voices. It's 4am, are they awake already?! We go towards the voices and find some young people hanging out at the back of a house. We're saved! "Hello! Where are we?" we ask, but they don't really know. We show them the map, but they don't know. When we tell them the name of the campsite where the CP is and the resort where the goal is, they say, "That's so far away! Are you going that far?" We despair, thinking that they must have gone down to the other side of the mountain and missed the map, but we manage to keep communicating and discover that they're not in a strange place. They were overwhelmed by our spirit, but they really saved us. Thank you, young people.

However, the group's motivation was low and they didn't have the energy to run hard on the road for the last 5-6km. There was a feeling that we should just walk slowly to the finish line, but we managed to run somehow, determined to finish quickly since it was the last one. We reached CP26 and there were only 4km left until the last CP (rappel from a bridge, swim about 100m to the finish line). Soon we met Tiger Adventure and a two-girl team who we thought had passed us. Hmm? They weren't as far behind as we thought? Every team has their own problems. Anyway, we decided to try our best again so that they wouldn't be overtaken until the end! This fired us up and we mustered all our strength.

When I reached the bridge at the last CP, I could see the finish line. All I had to do was enjoy rappelling, swim to wash off the mud, and reach the finish line. Ueno-san also came and live-streamed the whole thing, which made me smile.

All four of us rappelled down from the bridge, and at the end, we ran out of rope higher than we expected, which made us nervous. We all jumped in together. We did our best, but we swam to the finish line with a sense of regret. At the finish line, Ueno and the organizers welcomed us. When we checked our ranking, we found out that we had been overtaken by one team in the jungle and were in sixth place.

When I went to the award ceremony, there were trophies lined up for the top 5. I knew there was a prize up to the top 3, but I didn't know that the prize was only for the top 5! I could have kept my 5th place and aimed for the finish line without attacking at the end, so I feel even more frustrated. But I feel like I attacked and did my best... I'm still feeling a bit frustrated.

While there was no chance of winning by just relying on power, we took the lead by choosing a route that other teams didn't take, and we got lost. We also devised some gears. I think it was good that we were able to race in a way that was unique to us.

The Malaysian team was young, strong and had great teamwork! Their level was high and it was very inspiring. It was also fun to race against the strong Australian team!

This race allowed me to make use of all my past experiences and gain a lot of new experience. I want to continue to have more adventures and live an adventurous life.

Thank you so much for supporting our epic game!

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