Lessons from The Norwegians
Gustav Iden and Kristian Blummenfelt, also known as “the Norwegian hype train,” were recently interviewed by famed podcaster Rich Roll. During the interview, they talked about optimizing their training, most notably by using science and technology. If you’ve been consuming our content for some time, you will know by now that while I encourage age-groupers to glean lessons from elite triathletes, you should not try and emulate their approach. Today, I will highlight some key takeaways you, as age-groupers, can use to benefit your approach to training and recovery. However, I will also draw a line in the sand between elite athletes and yourselves, their lives are not the same, and therefore, you cannot possibly hope to train exactly as they do.
Let’s get going:
Professionals Versus Amateurs
While elite and amateur athletes have similar goals on a surface level; get faster, stronger, and perform better. The way they must operate to achieve these goals is wildly different. Take Gustav and Kristian, for example. A typical day for them is structured around swimming, biking, running, eating, and sleeping—nothing else. For most age groupers (if not all), swim, bike, and run make up only a small portion of their daily responsibilities. Age-groupers also must grapple with work, travel, family life, and financial restrictions.
Evidently, this means that the training prescription for an elite triathlete versus an amateur one will look wildly different. So even if you truly wanted to emulate how the Norwegians live, you couldn’t.
To reach higher heights, go faster, or win races, amateurs and professionals must adhere to similar rules. Continued adaptation is contingent on the following:
A platform of health - this includes physical and mental aspects.
Progressive load - whether that means increased intensity or volume.
While the biggest limiter for elite triathletes is their ability to recover (better recovery equals more capacity to train), amateur triathletes are limited by time constraints and often stressors unrelated to a training stimulus. For an amateur, the solution to the puzzle is to nail effective training within the context of life, not just train as hard and long as possible.
At Purple Patch, we specialize in adapting training for time-starved amateurs who want to excel despite time constraints and exterior life stressors. The training prescription can not be so rigorous that it limits family time, affects work performance, or otherwise takes away from a fulfilling life.
Traits and Approaches that Apply to Your Journey
That being said, you can apply facets of Gustav and Kristian's regime to your training journey.
I’m sure many of you are hoping I encourage you to take up the use of lactate monitoring or the collection of core body temperature. Unfortunately for the triathlon nerds out there, I still do not condone (and never will) the obsessive collection and analysis of training data for amateur athletes.
The following traits of Gustav and Kristian’s team may not be the sexy, sciencey approach you were hoping for, but are nevertheless vastly important for their success (and yours!):
Long-term planning and patience for development over time.
A passion for the process - the Norwegians seem to truly enjoy training, as should you.
High coachability and the appropriate approach steeped in education, empowerment, and collaboration.
Support and accountability - a shared journey is better.
A healthy relationship with failure.
Nail the basics - endurance training is about repeatability and simplicity.
These traits are not limited to endurance sports. Every high-performing CEO/executive I have worked with adopts these characteristics, especially those who establish enduring success.
Applying the Lessons from Elite Athletes
While the use of technology and science has its place in endurance sports, it is essential to first nail the basics (especially for amateur athletes) before throwing in the often complicated and misunderstood role of technology.
Before integrating technological devices, go through the following checklist:
Ensure you have the time and resources required to use the tools appropriately.
Do you have the necessary technical knowledge to properly apply the tools for their intended purpose, i.e., do you have a scientist or coach in your team?
Finally, have you nailed the basics of endurance training, i.e., appropriate training prescription, proper sleep, nutrition, and realistic goals?
The main problem with adding fiddly technology to the schedule of an already time-starved athlete is that it often takes away from the essentials which really move the needle in the long term. Amateurs (and pros, for that matter) should first focus on developing a foundation of health, repeatable training, and good sleep and nutrition. If you then still have the capacity for additional training tools, fancy technology can be carefully integrated.
Now, enough talk about technology. Let's focus on the applicable ways to adopt the most important lessons from the Norwegians into your own plan.
Number one is coaching:
The endurance journey is tough without perspective, expertise, and support. The Norwegians lean heavily on their coach for guidance, as should you.
Coaches should rely on athlete education and empowerment. Only you know how you feel, and should have the know-how to adapt training if needs be.
Adult athletes do not need a dictator for a coach. There should be flexibility and independence built into your training plan, and the opportunity to push back if need be.
Number two is recovery:
Perhaps the most talked about part of the Rich Roll podcast with the Norwegians was their claim that they don’t use “traditional” recovery methods such as massage or ice baths.
This information is especially applicable for you type-A amateurs insistent on chasing the next best recovery hack.
Gustav and Kristian (and me) instead highlight the critical importance of plenty of calories and sleep.
Some additional actionable recovery tools are:
Power naps between sessions.
Refueling after every workout.
And adequate hydration.
Finally, if you would like to hear me discuss further the ins and outs of the Norwegian training method and how you can apply it to your life, here’s the link to a podcast I did on the same topic.
This blog should give you an idea of how you should and shouldn’t apply the often drastic techniques used by two of the world’s best endurance athletes. While we can learn from greatness, we should not try to emulate it within vastly different circumstances.