Quad-Busting Hill Climbs to Consecutive Workouts in 90% Humidity — Inside the Japanese Summer Grind That Consistently Produces Sub-2:10 Marathoners

High heat, relentless hills, and some of the fittest runners on the planet — Jake from Ran To Japan is living through a summer training camp like no other.

For most runners in the West, summer means sharpening speed on the track.

But in Japan’s sauna-like summer, Jake discovered a completely different approach — brutal strength-building sessions at altitude, relentless hill climbs, and a revolutionary training concept known as set training.

The goal isn’t speed right now — it’s pure grind. And the philosophy? Train your legs to take a beating, and they’ll thank you come marathon season.

Here’s what Jake’s learning from the Suzuki pro team — and why it might be time to rethink the “hard day, easy day” rule of thumb.

Why Japan Flips the Summer Script on Distance Training

In Europe, America, and Australia, summer training often means speed work: track reps, race sharpening, and anaerobic efficiency. But in Japan, athletes go in the opposite direction.

With cities regularly hitting 35°C and 90% humidity, traditional track work becomes almost unmanageable. “You literally cannot do the track,” Jake says. “It’s just fatal.”

Instead, Japanese runners spend summers at altitude in the mountains, stacking massive mileage and focusing on building endurance and muscular strength through slower, grindier efforts.

Altitude Training in Nagano: A Quad-Busting Start

Jake’s camp began in Fujimi, Nagano Prefecture, where the thin air and mountainous terrain served up the perfect environment for some punishing early sessions. The loop? A brutal, undulating 1K cross-country course.

In just four days, he knocked out three demanding workouts: intervals, a long steady tempo, and a final session that hit the legs like a freight train. “All of them just absolute quad busters,” Jake notes.

But for Jake, this mountain grind served a bigger purpose. “Such good strength training, like that building phase,” he says. “Slow the paces down, crank the volume up — boom, strength block complete.”

Set Training: Japan’s Secret Weapon for Marathon Endurance

The biggest surprise? An entirely new training concept: set training.

“It’s the first time I’d heard about this,” Jake admits. “In the West, we always think you do your hard day, then have an easy day. Almost always.”

But in Japan, not during summer camp. Here, they stack efforts. 1K intervals one day. A 22K hilly tempo the next. Then a recovery day, before repeating. Four workouts in five days. It’s a war of attrition.

The philosophy behind set training? Simulate race fatigue, and build an engine tough enough to keep running when everything screams stop.

“It’s almost anti everything we’re told in the West,” Jake says. “But the logic kind of makes sense. You’re trying to beat your body up in training, so race day feels easier.”

Climbing With the Mountain God: Brutal Long Hill Sessions

From Fujimi, the team moved to Shirakabako, where Jake took on a legendary hill session: 14K up, 700 meters of vertical gain, all at effort.

“One hour of non-stop elevation gain … climbing up a bloody mountain,” he recalled. His training partner Kiriyama — fittingly nicknamed ‘The Mountain God’ — broke him in the final stretch. Still, Jake reached the summit with thunder thighs intact.

The payoff? Massive strength and aerobic adaptation. “It simulates a marathon so well,” he says.

From Lonely Miles to the Power of Training Teams

Solo training had been Jake’s norm — slogging loops around Yoyogi Park in Tokyo. But camp with the Suzuki team revealed how transformative a training squad can be.

“Going from endless solo sessions to 2:10 marathoners to grind with? Absolute game changer,” he says.

He points out the same transformation occurred when he joined Team MK in Tokyo. “In two months, I went from 2:25 shape to 2:15 — just from being one of the slowest and working up.”

The Recovery Side: Eat, Sleep, Run, Repeat

While Jake balances his YouTube work between workouts, the Suzuki runners switch into full pro mode — training and recovering full-time.

Naps, eating, and stretching fill the hours between sessions. “That’s why set training works here,” Jake explains. “You couldn’t do it if you were trying to work a job in between.”

Fartleks, Forest Trails, and Old School Throwbacks

Despite Japan’s usual structure, the Suzuki squad mixed things up with some Western-inspired variants, including fartleks — 20×1 minute, followed by 10×30 seconds at Shirakabako.

“No runner in Tokyo would ever dream of fartleks,” Jake laughs. “It’s like a throwback to under-13s back in the UK — but man, I love it.”

Fatigue Intervals: A Hidden Form of Set Training

Interestingly, Jake realized he’d been doing his own mini-version of set training without noticing.

His Wednesday intervals at race pace were commonly followed by Thursday medium-long runs with 1K sprints at the end — “fatigue intervals” meant to tap into top-end speed while tired.

“Turns out, that’s set training too,” he says, “and I’ve been seeing big results from it.”

Live-In Lessons: Diets, Recovery, and Future Stories

Back at the team house in Fujimi (after the next stint), Jake plans to explore topics viewers keep asking for: dietary habits, caloric intake, and even quirky items like compression boots.

He’s been chatting with teammates off-camera and hopes to capture more soon. “I’ll feed back what I learn naturally. But I’m also trying not to be too intrusive with the filming.”

The Takeaway: Rethinking Smart Training

After Tokyo Marathon, Jake copied a classic plan from Japanese legend Takeshi Soh — except for the weeks with back-to-back sessions. “I thought it must be a mistake,” he recalls.

But now, in the mountains of Nagano, he’s seeing the reason behind it — and maybe where he went wrong in Tokyo. “I’d clearly been training too smart,” he jokes. “Needed to train harder.”

The Road Ahead: More Teams, More Trials

Jake isn’t a full Suzuki team member (yet) — just a guest for this summer block. But his ability to hang with their top runners is impressive.

“That level is perfect — and I respond so well to it,” he says, hoping to try with other corporate teams this summer to push closer to his Olympic goals.

“Any Jitsugodan teams watching — get me involved,” he says. “Think of it as an investment. Olympic potential. LA 2028, baby.”

Final Thoughts: Train Smarter… Or Maybe Just Harder

As Jake wraps up this leg of his altitude training, he’s left with battered quads, sunburnt shoulders, and a newfound respect for the Japanese endurance grind.

Smart training is science-based, sure. But sometimes, the only way to the next level might be to stop thinking… and start climbing.

“That’s five days on camp and four sessions,” he reflects. “It’s madness. But maybe it’s the key.”