Interestingly, this is mirrored in the hugely polarized approach to training that we saw in this analysis from exercise physiologist and tri coach Alan Couzens when he looked at the final 90 days of Iden’s run training going into Ironman Florida at the end of last year. One of the more interesting variables for cross-country ski training is that blood lactate levels are monitored throughout training to dial in precise intensity levels. For example, a 2021 study in the Frontiers in Sports and Active Living journal examined the training characteristics of 12 world-class male long-distance skiers training for events that were several hours long, finding that nearly 90% of that training was lower intensity (zone 1 in a 3-zone model), with higher intensity training following strict protocols that limited fatigue accumulation. There seems to be a strong argument that it’s how physiologists have been instrumental in helping guide training theory, which is especially evident in cross-country skiing ( full article here). So what unites the athletes across the sports? That’s layered on Norway’s historical dominance of winter Olympic sports like cross-country skiing. And on the track, the Ingebrigtsen brothers are lighting it up too, highlighted by Jakob’s 1500 meter gold medal at the Olympics. When it comes to multisport, we’ve been seeing the Norwegians stealing more and more of the limelight, what with Kristian Blummenfelt’s emphatic gold medal-winning performance at the Olympics and Gustav Iden’s dominance over the 70.3 distance-and that’s before we even mention both athletes’ Ironman debuts ( Iden went 7:42 at Ironman Florida last year and Blummenfelt clocked 7:21 at Cozumel). Norway? The country with about the same population as South Carolina? What and also why? A revelation over the last few years has been the ascendance of Norwegian endurance superstars both in triathlon and on the track. Note: it’s no walk in the park, but it’s smart-very smart-and there are key principles relevant to all endurance athletes.įirst, the obvious question. Let’s face it, Norwegian triathletes have been making headlines, breaking records, and turning heads for some time now-and while their training methodologies have been analyzed and examined before, this article, published last week by Olympian, doctor, and coach Marius Bakken, lifted the lid on the Norwegian model of training, explaining exactly what they’re doing and how they’re doing it. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!
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