Flow.
A phenomenon coined by Hungarian-American psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in the 1970s.
He discovered this state after interviewing several sports athletes in a wide range of sports, including running. He named it this because the people he interviewed during his research described the state as feeling like a continuous, effortless water current carrying them along.
Since then, this term has been used throughout the late 1970s to 1984 for scientists and players to understand their psychological and biological responses in such states.
"So, that is why top athletes train to enter the [Flow] state. But they can't just enter such a state easily; hence, most typically enter during the late stage of their match or race." Kincsem said while lazing on the sofa, munching on grapes, as Echo was whimpering while carrying 400kg on her back and weakly jogging from one side of the gym to another.
"Do you understand?" Kincsem said, before Echo responded with a gasping voice, "Y-Y-Yes!"
Kincsem nodded in approval.
"Now, let's delve deep into [Flow]. Flow is basically when your actions and consciousness melt together, creating a state of finding a balance between skill and how challenging that task is. The most important thing to enter the [Flow] is a high level of concentration."
She stopped talking, making sure that Echo was properly listening while carrying the weight on her back.
"Can you tell me what the three benefits are when entering the [Flow] state?" She said before plopping another grape into her mouth.
"Fuh... Gruh... I-I can't think! You old, stinky gran-"
"Carry 50 more kilograms on your back," Kincsem said mercilessly.
Echo can't help but whine in protest; she can't do anything about this. Kincsem is extra scary when Echo tries to rebel!
"Aah..." Kincsem sighed while shaking her head. She then said, "The benefits of entering the [Flow] state are focused, undistracted attention. Effortless control over your muscles and skills, and intrinsic rewards for your brain. Typically, optimal levels of arousal."
Kincsem then sat up straight with a frown, staring deadpanned at Echo, who was suffering even more thanks to an extra 50kg on her back.
"Yet, you are somehow always in the state of [Flow]. You can deactivate or activate it whenever you want. I wonder why a brat like you was blessed with such talents." She shook her head with a proud grin, an opposite feeling to what she just said.
She could praise Echo and compare her to Eclipse to get her ego up, but why should she? The Eclipse she already knew was so prideful and cocky to the point she just wanted to smack her head in. Too bad Eclipse is always busying herself with travelling the world for her to smack Eclipse.
She wants the second coming of Eclipse to be humble, at least!
"Meow~" a sound came from the front door of the private gym. Kincsem easily heard it with her ears and turned her head toward the door.
It was a cat, and not just any cat. But it was the grey cat who typically lay on top of Akikawa's head. Kincsem's gaze softened with nostalgia before personally standing up and opening the door.
A distinct grey-shaped hoof could be seen on the cat's rump as the cat meowed again, stretching before sitting adorably in front of Kincsem.
"If I remembered correctly, your name was... Hatena, right?" Kincsem knelt and lifted Hatena up into her arms. The cat stared at the cat brooch on Kincsem's hair before licking it. Causing Kincsem to chuckle with a gentle yet lonely smile.
"Thank you for paying homage to the brooch; her name was Csalogány, or Nightingale in Japanese. She would've loved meeting you."
Kincsem moved back onto the sofa and lay back with Hatena doing the same on her chest. Echo stared in shock as the weight on her back slid off and fell onto the ground; she had never seen her trainer act like this before! Who is she? Where's the real Kincsem?!
"Looks like you're not tired yet. Go back out onto the track and run 1200m fifteen times."
"EH?!" Echo yelled in shock. She doesn't even know if she's going to make it out alive! This is abuse! She missed when her trainer was Kazuo!
"Also, use that unique skill of yours the entire time. If I see that the skill was stopped for a single moment, I will force you to continue exercising until tomorrow morning." Kincsem said as she gently stroked the top of Hatena's head.
Echo could only let out a sad tear before reluctantly going outside to run. If it were any other day, she would've been happy to run on the track! But she constantly has been abused by that stinky, old grand-.
"I change my mind, go run 1800m 10 times in a row," Kincsem said as Echo was about to leave. Echo froze in shock.
'She can read my mind?!'
"No, I can't. You're just too simple and easy to figure out what you're thinking, filly. Now go and run."
"Kewww..." Echo could only whimper with tears before she ran out onto the track.
["Run till Chain Breaks" has been activated.]
She disappeared and flickered on the tracks while running a 1800m track. She has never tested if her skill can last the entire race! Even 10 times in a row!
'This is hell!' Echo thought while running on the track.
.
.
.
Echo is lying on the grass field, staring with a dull gaze at the cloudy sky. She can feel her body melting on the ground, each cell of her limbs slowly disassembling into a liquid, her mind sinking deeper and deeper.
Her senses are blending together; the vibration of the air felt like white noise as she melts. Each breath she takes trembles and seeps slowly through her entire being.
Her heart was beating dangerously slow and slower; her bones felt like air; her blood felt electric. Sinking deeper and deeper, the tips of her fingers stretching. Slowly melting, until her entire consciousness filled up the entire surrounding.
Deeper, slowly sinking into the deep ocean of her consciousness.
Away from reality-
Smack.
"Owwwww?!" Echo yelled as she rubbed her head. Kincsem could only stare at her with awe and shock.
'This filly, how did she...' Kincsem thought with confusion. It was only for a moment, but she felt as if Echo Eclipse had truly disappeared. In presence and in existence. Which is why she ran here to stop her.
'She almost entered her zone; that was dangerous. Right now, it wouldn't be beneficial for her to activate her zone during training.' Kincsem could only frown; she had underestimated Echo Eclipse's talents. Not even Eclipse was monstrous as Echo Eclipse at the age of 15!
'This is troublesome. I wanted her to face her limits daily so I can create a perfect training schedule for her... But looks like I have to calculate her limits instead.' She could only let out a deep sigh; she's too old for this crap.
'This girl is too inexperienced; she's too used to winning easily in a race and being the front runner,' she thought before lifting Echo and walking to her dorm as Echo swiftly fell unconscious. 'It would be better for her to activate her zone during a race, not in training.'
"How monstrous... I need to go back to Hungary to prepare even more for her training. Lucky for you, Filly, you are going to have a break for the entire remaining month and New Year's."