【Cigarro Report】Motoring journalist discusses the appeal of Cigarro! Vol. 2
As a car journalist and YouTuber, I, Manabu Kawaguchi, post videos every day. However, posting videos requires filming, and filming requires borrowing cars or participating in test drives. So, in addition to posting almost daily, I'm almost constantly filming, swapping cars, attending test drives, or doing both.
Even with such a busy daily schedule, I still make time for training. I haven't competed in any races in the past year due to my busy schedule, but I started triathlon in 2013 and in 2015, I challenged the Ironman, the toughest triathlon race (3.8km swim / 180km bike / 42.195km run). Since then, I've completed Ironman a total of four times. I've also been running since 2010, and in the last 10 years, I've achieved a marathon time of sub-3.5 (under 3.5 hours). Even though I'm busy these days, I continue to train with activities like running, considering it a cherished lifelong hobby.
However, as you all know, the sudden arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic made such training very difficult. Recently, it has finally become possible to train outdoors, but the situation remains uncertain. Still, there are things we can do even in such circumstances.
During the stay-at-home period when the state of emergency was declared due to the COVID-19 pandemic, indoor training became popular. I, too, followed many of my friends who were training indoors and started training at home. This was with a bicycle training software called 'ZWIFT'.
With this, you set up your bicycle on a smart trainer, and a virtual image of you riding the bike appears on your PC screen. When you ride on the smart trainer, you can ride within the screen. Since the smart trainer is electronically controlled, the resistance changes according to the slope and other conditions shown on the screen, so the pedals become heavier when you go uphill, and so on. Moreover, ZWIFT not only allows for training but also hosts virtual races, and recently, you could even ride the Tour de France course.
Furthermore, the stay-at-home period led to an increase in various services. In particular, Ironman, which I've completed, started holding virtual races (IronmanVR) where participants compete online. I've also participated in such events.
This system allows you to participate in online races by uploading your running logs and smart trainer logs. The distance for the race changes each week. In VR10, which I participated in recently, the competition was held over a distance of a 3km first run, 40km bike, and 10km second run. Participants from all over the world join, and their rankings are displayed. Currently, there are even championships held with strict time limits for the races.
Ideally, I'd like to train by cycling under the summer sky, but with the COVID-19 pandemic, that's not really possible, and even with training, stress still accumulates.
However, to alleviate some of that stress, I also want to share that I enjoy bath time with CIGARRO's shower gel after my indoor training sessions.
When I'm working, I use CIGARRO's Sunscreen 30 for sun protection, but during bath time, I enjoy using their shower gel, which comes in unique cigar-motif packaging. This shower gel is a body soap available in six scents, and I switch between them depending on my training and mood for the day. My particular favorite is the "Dry Mojito" scent. It's said to be inspired by the popular cocktail "Mojito," and its juicy and refreshing aroma, like crushed lime and mint, helps relieve stress during bath time. When I actually use it, it creates a fine, rich lather, and after washing, my skin doesn't feel tight, yet it thoroughly washes away sweat. That's why I feel especially refreshed after training.
Relieve stress with training, and then make bath time even more refreshing with CIGARRO. For those who still spend a lot of time at home, I felt this was a recommended way to spend their time after actually using the shower gel.
【Profile】
Manabu Kawaguchi
Motor journalist who also serves as a選考委員 for the Car of the Year Japan.
In addition to appearing and contributing to TV, newspapers, web, and various automotive media, he also streams videos on his unique YouTube channel "LOVE CARS!TV!" (246,000 subscribers). He also personally publishes articles about cars on Yahoo! News. In his hobby of triathlon, he has completed Ironman races. Member of the Automotive Journalists Association of Japan.
■YouTube / LOVECARS!TV!
https://www.youtube.com/user/manablog1/
■twitter / Manabu Kawaguchi@LOVECARS!TV!（@manablog）
https://twitter.com/manablog
