Jan. 2026 The New Yoshida Times "Why Trail Running?!"

Hello everyone. This is Yoshida from milestone.

Here, I'd like to write about my private thoughts and feelings that I don't usually share at milestone.

That's why I've limited the entry link to within the newsletter.

(To put it nicely, it's become "Yoshida's Room," accessible only to those who have subscribed to the email newsletter, lol.)

Even though I think, "Who would be interested in this!?", thanks to distributing the podcast, I've fortunately started to have people talk to me on a daily basis, so I'll do my best to write this, hoping there's at least one person interested.

The theme will be one of the four major elements that shape who I am today:

● Activity

● Wear/Gear

● Culture

● Work

Each month, I'll pick one.

To start, as expected from an outdoor brand, I'll write about activity.
Without a doubt, soccer is my earliest memory of activity. Captivated by Captain Tsubasa and admiring Genzo Wakabayashi, I started playing soccer in sixth grade and was fascinated by the fun of playing goalkeeper. I spent my junior high and high school years immersed in soccer.

In college, as a reaction, I spent my time in a music club. However, after entering the workforce, I wanted to play goalkeeper again. I tried out for and joined a strong futsal team in Osaka, and as a sub-goalkeeper for the top team (I was a reserve after all, lol) from the satellite team, we went on to place 3rd in the All Japan Championship.

After getting married, I retired from competitive futsal and was away from activities for a while, but about 10 years ago, around 2015, I was invited to go mountain climbing and was overwhelmed by the scenery of the Southern Alps, which was the first place I climbed.

For a while after that, I would do weekend express hikes, climbing the Hyakumeizan (100 Famous Japanese Mountains) around the Kansai region, enjoying a cigarette and coffee while gazing at the scenery from the summit. The reason I climbed the Hyakumeizan was nothing special; it was simply because I didn't have much knowledge about mountains, so I just imagined, "If they're called 'Famous Mountains,' they must be good mountains."

So, why trail running?! There are two main reasons.

First, my work schedule changed for a period, and I ended up with single days off during the week (e.g., Tuesday and Thursday off). This meant I needed to reach the summit and descend mountains faster than before.

Second, Mr. Toyoda, the owner of "Yosemite," a famous shop in Kashihara, Nara, a haven for everyone who wants stylish mountaineering gear, got into trail running and invited me to many related events.

Whether it was last year's Shikoku pilgrimage or this, Toyo-san is truly insightful and always gets people involved, showing us new worlds.

Mountain gear and apparel shop Yosemite

I started trail running around 2017 and have been continuously engaged in this activity without getting bored to this day. People who do hiking or road running often say, with a slight look of disbelief, "You really enjoy doing such tough things." But for me, I think of this activity as being like skiing or snowboarding in the summer. If you work hard to climb a difficult ascent, you're rewarded with a magnificent view. Then, on the fun descent that follows, you can cut through the wind and descend quickly, after which you can go to a hot spring or out to eat. I've long been captivated by such extraordinary mountain trips that can be done in a short amount of time.

Next time, I'd like to trace the trajectory of how I've engaged in trail running for about 10 years, from 2017 to 2026, and my current relationship with trail running.

See you next month, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.