Unexpectedly, Su Tang said, "No rush."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable calmness.
"If you run fast at the beginning, you'll run out of energy later and die even faster. A person's physical strength is like water in a tank; if you pour it all out at the beginning, you'll be the one who dies of thirst later."
Su Tang spoke at a steady pace, accompanied by her even breathing, as if she were not engaged in a cross-country race where elimination was imminent, but rather explaining a simple problem in class.
Although Chen Xiaocao understood the logic behind the statement, her instincts still compelled her to speak:
"Su An, this...this is ten kilometers, and we're already at the very back. What if...what if we can't catch up with the others?"
She showed no impatience, nor did she lecture him from a superior position; she simply asked a question calmly:
"How are you feeling right now? Touch your chest, is it pounding like a drum? Are you having trouble breathing?"
The group was momentarily stunned, then realized the true state of their bodies.
After running only one kilometer, their hearts were pounding wildly, and their throats were dry and sore, as if they were on fire.
Carrying a 15-kilogram backpack felt like carrying a mountain, making every step they took incredibly heavy.
Su Tang's gaze swept over them, then glanced at the main force that had already rushed far ahead, her voice remaining steady:
"They're sprinting with all their might right now, and by the time they reach two kilometers, they'll have at most five minutes left. We, on the other hand, are maintaining a steady pace with only six minutes of effort, and we can keep that pace all the way to the finish line. You do the math yourselves, who do you think will win?"
Liu Landi, who spent most of her time hunting in the mountains with her father, knew exactly how to conserve energy, but this was the first time she'd heard Su An say something like this. Panting, she humbly asked, "Su An, is there some kind of technique involved in your breathing rhythm?"
Breathing rhythm?
Wang Xiaoya and Chen Xiaocao were both dumbfounded. They had been running in the mountains since they were little, and all they knew was to run as fast as they could. They didn't know anything about rhythm.
Looking at Su An's calm, almost indifferent face, and recalling how they had always avoided being taken advantage of by following her in the dormitory and on the playground, the two exchanged a glance and waited for what would happen next.
Su Tang glanced at Liu Landi, and her opinion of this silent hunter's daughter instantly rose a few points. She felt that it wouldn't hurt to say something.
"Listen to my footsteps," Su Tang said succinctly, without any further explanation.
She knew that under such extreme pressure, any complex theory was ineffective, and trust could only be built through practice.
She simply met their gazes calmly, and then began her own rhythm.
She simply used a voice only she could hear to coordinate her footsteps and adjust her breathing.
Tap, tap, tap, suck.
Tap, tap, tap, whoosh.
Take a deep breath through your nose and then exhale evenly through your mouth.
This is the most basic and effective breathing method for long-distance running, which can maximize oxygen supply, delay lactic acid buildup, and keep physical strength at an extremely stable level.
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