Episode 36: Tell Me! Milestone "What Stays the Same and What Changes"

This series is a fictional podcast show in which writer Hagiwara (who met three people, Nishioka, Yoshida, and Haruka, on #WednesdayBudouzakaRen) delves into various topics related to milestones.

2026 is just around the corner. This time, I would like to look back on the past year.

Hagiwara (hereinafter, Hagi): Well then, I look forward to working with you this month.

Yoshida (hereinafter Yoshi): This is the last "Tell Me! Milestone" of the year. It's already the 36th.

Nishioka (hereinafter, Nishi): It's been three years.

Omori (hereinafter, Haruka): They say that anything will last if it passes the third turning point.

Yoshi: So you think cheating after three years is something you should overlook?

Hagiwara: We've been running this as a fictional podcast program up until now, but I never thought we'd start a real podcast program in the third year. Which one is your favorite? (laughs)

Haruka: It's a broad but shallow experience over there (laughs).

Nishi: This is how it is. Deep and narrow. Persistence is power. Let's take a quick look back.

・No. 25 "What makes the rain cheer you up"

Yoshi: In January, we released the UP-SWING Rain Hoody and Rain Pants. We really had no idea what the sales would be, so we produced the smallest possible quantity at first. We immediately received a lot of orders from stores , so we quickly decided to start producing them again in January.

Hagi: In that episode of "Oshi! Mai," we dug quite deep into the subject, including the three layers of fabric and the membrane. Please read episode 25 for more details.

Yoshi: You can't have such a deep conversation through video or audio. It has to be a text that people can read carefully.

・No. 26 "What to wear when competing"

Yoshi: In February, new colors were released for the Doo-Bop T-shirt and Sleeveless T-shirt. Natty Shorts 5_inch

PLUS too.

Nishi: I think the Natty Shorts 5_inch PLUS is my personal best gear this year. Even though my outerwear changes depending on the weather, my bottoms are always the same. I wear them at every race, including the Osaka Marathon, Mt. FUJI 100, and Oku-Shinano 100. I think the socks and shorts are a set.

Haruka: It's also water-repellent. What's your favorite color?

Nishi: I like light green, but maybe mustard. I think a playful, bright color is good. I think the shape is also complete.

Yoshi: Considering its purpose of running, I think the current design is probably the best.

Haruka: Once you get used to the side pockets, you won't be able to let them go.

Nishi: Are you wearing haggis too?

Hagi: The 1.0 and 2.0 are so durable that I can't even afford the PLUS (laughs). I'm running two of them. I think I'll buy the PLUS for next year's marathon.

Nishi: It's the largest range of colors available at milestone, with six, so please choose your favorite color.

・Episode 27: "Does anyone know?"

Nishi: In March, the updated milestone × paagoworks MS-i1 + RUSH Light 2.0 was released.

Yoshi: We've already reproduced it. I used it in an ultra marathon , and what's great about it is that it has a larger storage space and can hold a bottle.

Haruka: I used it as "Koshihikari" at Mt.FUJI100, and it was useful because it was easy to see when there was fog.

Hagi: Double light on the head and waist.

Nishi: You also released a canvas T-shirt with the "casablanca records" motif .

Yoshi: This was a COVER design, but I'd like to continue collaborating with various people. I've already decided to collaborate with two artists next year. Maybe around spring.

Haruka: Stay tuned! So that's it.

・No. 28 "When you realize it, it's right there next to you"

Yoshi: And then in April, we had the second round of collaboration items with Jerry Ukai. There were T-shirts, caps, patches, lantern shades, and more.

Nishi: Jerry will be having a solo exhibition in 2026, so he will be coming to milestone TERACACHO again.

Yoshi: This is the first official information that I'll be holding a solo exhibition!

Haruka: And the Doo-Bop Hoody was released a little later, in May.

Nishi: Haruka is still wearing it, but the hoodie is really good. I wore it all the time in the Northern Alps in the summer.

Haruka: I could wear it when hiking in the mountains in the summer, and I always wore it when fishing. I also really appreciated the hood.

Yoshi: The hoodie was the item I was most worried about releasing, but it turned out to be better than I expected, and it's personally my best gear of the year. It's great for fishing in the summer, as expected, but it's also perfect for running in the winter now. The thumb holes and long sleeves are also great for when your hands get cold. The fabric is thin, so you won't overheat even during high-intensity speed training.

Hagi: A wind shell is necessary when starting out or on windy riverbanks, but if you don't wear one, you'll get hot quickly. It depends on the temperature, though.

Yoshi: I'm wearing it because I thought it would be so useful for road running in the winter. I'll do it again next year.

Nishi: New colors too!

Hagi: Oh! I thought today would just be a recap of this year, but it looks like we'll also be getting a sneak peek at next year's events!

Nishi: And then Haruka appeared in April. Eight months have already passed. It's been a pretty intense time, hasn't it?

Haruka: That's right. It went by so quickly.

Nishi: Because I'm always active. It's very dynamic.

Yoshi: You were literally constantly moving around (laughs).

・29th "What Comes with RUN"

Nishi: RUN+MUSIC vol.2 was a huge success again this year. We also had guest interviews with Hiroki Ishikawa and Kei Kuwahara. We'll of course do it again next year for the third anniversary. We'll make it a big event for the fifth time.

Yoshi: Maybe Osaka Castle Hall (laughs)

Nishi: That's right (laughs). We also released canned wine at the time of the event. We're actually currently renovating our website, so we'll be making the wine available for purchase online, so I hope you'll look forward to it.

Haruka: People also buy it as a souvenir.

・No. 30 "What you can understand by looking back"

Yoshi: There were no new items in June, but we did a review of the first half of the year. Instead, the following month was packed with new items.

・No. 31 "Necessary or unnecessary?"

Nishi: Thankfully, the black canvas T-shirt "LIGHTING YOUR WAY" signature model sold out in an instant.

Haruka: The emerald color is currently on sale.

Yoshi: This is a design that I would like to continue using, changing the colors as I go.

Nishi: We also released the MSC-023 baseball-style mesh cap.

Haruka: I have the image of Nishioka-san often wearing this brick on his head.

Yoshi: We also released a smaller Haruka model cap, MSC-024, at the same time, and it's working better than I expected.

Haruka: I'm glad there's demand.

Yoshi: You've released the Soft Cup and Natty Long Pants PLUS.

Hagi: How about the PLUS long pants in winter? Aren't they super breathable?

Nishi: I think it's good for running because it doesn't trap heat. I don't think it's a problem once you start running.

Haruka: We also introduced the aloha shirts we collaborated with maunawear. I wore them at "OMM BIKE" in July.

Nishi: During the race, someone said, "I'm going home!" (laughs)

Yoshi: An employee who joined the company three months ago (laughs).

Haruka: Huh? (laughs) Who was it again? (laughs)

Hagi: I heard those words clearly on set. I'm really glad the team didn't just disband (laughs).

・No. 32 "Are clothes tools or not?"

N: In August, the Onion Hoody came out in new colors, ash gray and royal navy. They sold out immediately.

Yoshi: We're sorry that they sold out so quickly, so we're currently working on reproducing them. They should be back in stock around February.

Haruka: It was a nice color.

Yoshi: We also resold the UP-SWING Rain Hoody around this time, but it's now out of stock again. We're thinking about releasing it in new colors next.

Hagi: What!

Nishi: Thankfully, we're running out of sizes for rain pants. I thought it would take about two years for the pants to be available.

Yoshi: If there were three colors like a jacket, we would only need one-third of the quantity, but since the pants are only one color, we needed three times the sewing lot, so we had to make a decent number.

・No. 33 "Something that signals the end of summer"

Nishi: And then there's the Fast Trail Glove 2.0, which was updated in September. The gray color is no longer available.

Hagi: Gray is popular.

Nishi: Other manufacturers also make black.

Haruka: Brown was popular in stores and at events.

N: The Cloud Hoody also comes in new colors. Both Cardinal Red and Swallow Blue are nice colors.

Yoshi: It'll be interesting if we don't add next season's colors to Cloud.

Nishi: Cloud will also be releasing new products using the same fabric.

Hagi: What is that?

Haruka: Cloud is going to have a sibling.

Hagi: That's something to look forward to!

・No. 34 "Waves crashing on the mountain"

Nishi: The Heatwave Titanium Hoody and Pants have been released, and they're a gamble for the company. I guess it's going to get colder from now on.

Yoshi: There are some missing sizes.

Hagi: Out of the three colors, which one ended up being the most popular?

Yoshi: If we make the least amount of black, all the other colors will sell equally well, so we'll end up with no black in stock (laughs).

Nishi: It's really difficult to predict the number. Other manufacturers are also making black jackets, but I wonder if some people are choosing black because padded jackets can be worn everyday.

Hagi: You can wear black to work too.

Haruka: My best gear for 2025 is the Heatwave Titanium Hoody and Pants. During a summer employee training session in the Northern Alps, I slept in just this and a sleeping bag cover. During the OMM finals in the fall, I added an inner sleeping bag and used it instead of a sleeping bag. It helped me lighten my load and came in handy when it mattered.

Nishi: You wear it for mountain activities and for commuting to work.

Haruka: I wear it (laughs). I wear it on a daily basis and use it quite frequently.

Nishi: I'm glad I did it. I just realized the other day that it's warmer if you wear it inside out .

Haruka: You're kidding me! (laughs)

Hagi: I think it's because the reflected heat accumulates in the padding.

Yoshi: That's right. The titanium-sputtered fabric reflects the heat generated by the body, but it doesn't bounce back immediately; I think that's because there's a layer of air between the fabric and the heat. It's true that it's warm when you wear it inside out.

Nishi: Will we turn it over next year? (laughs)

Hagi: I guess the new color is silver (laughs).

Nishi: Let's consider that as well (laughs).

・No. 35 "Maps and Compasses and..."

Hagi: And we also did a review episode on headlamps.

Nishi: If you had to pick one race as the best this year, which one was Haruka?

Haruka: It was the "LAKE BIWA100." It was a huge challenge that took 44 hours. It was extremely long, but it's all a fun memory. I'd love to run it again if it wasn't held at the same time as the BAMBI100. I'd also like to volunteer as a token of appreciation for how much fun I had. I'd like to give something back.

Nishi: A lot of people have already seen it, and the race footage has been uploaded to our YouTube channel. What about you, Yoshida?

Yoshi: Well, it would have to be "Trenic World in Saitama Prefecture." I think it's the culmination of all the trail running I've done up until now.

Nishi: It was good to be able to watch from up close as a supporter and pacer. I don't think I'd want to run though (laughs).

Yoshi: The combination of the Doo-Bop Sleeveless T-shirt and Natty Shorts 5_inch PLUS was also great. I didn't have any issues with my gear or clothing, so I was able to run without any inconvenience.

Nishi: I should have recorded it on YouTube (laughs). How about we go again?

Yoshi: I'm not going again (laughs). I think I was able to prove that even an average person like me can complete the race. Apparently , there are people who can't finish a full marathon in under two and a half hours, no matter how much they practice. But I felt that Sainokuni was not like that at all. I think it's a race that anyone can finish if they practice hard enough.

Haruka: As long as you practice (laughs). You can find out what kind of practice I did by listening to past episodes of the podcast " Weekly Milestone.COM ".

Hagi: That means you have to spend a lot of time running.

Nishi: I think it's amazing that you passed on the first try.

Yoshi: He was a great supporter and pacer.

Nishi: I guess it would have to be Mt. FUJI 100. How was it? Did I go too fast?

Yoshi: That's always the case (laughs).

Haruka: I also did the Yatsugatake Mountain Range traverse. I also enjoyed the TDT100.

Hagi: I'll be participating in the TDT next year, so I'm planning to train hard.

Yoshi: This year's OMM main event was fun, and I even caught a Yamato char in a remote area.

Nishi: It was my first time camping under a tarp while fishing. I also had fun on the Formosa Trail in Taiwan. Next year I'll be taking on my first 100km ultramarathon challenge.

Yoshi: I plan to tackle the Watershed Trail.

Haruka: I run 200 kilometers in an ultramarathon.

Nishi: I would like to continue taking on new challenges in 2026 as well.

Well then, have a happy new year. Goodbye.

Yoshi: Goodbye.

Haruka/Hagi: Goodbye.

This month, we looked back on the past year and also got a sneak peek at next year's items. This year, new members joined the team and audio and video media have also started. We're excited to see what new items will come out of the even more evolved milestone next year.

Last month, I participated in the Formosa Trail trail running race in Taiwan. I enjoyed the warm weather, delicious food, and the "xiaochi" culture. Despite numerous problems, I was able to avoid them thanks to the warmth of the people around me. The refreshing feeling of a morning run and the cheers of "Jiayou" (thank you) during the race may be different places and languages ​​may differ, but the feeling is the same. The milestone cap was also well-loved in Taiwan.

If you run while remembering what kind of year it was and imagining what kind of year next year will be, the boring riverbank run will end in no time.

Thank you for joining us again this year for "Oshi! Mai." We look forward to your continued support next year.

Text and composition: Ken Hagiwara