| I've always been interested and fascinated | | | | also improves the body's ability to utilize |
| with what works and what does not work when | | | | fat as an energy, leaving the more |
| it comes to endurance training. I've seen and | | | | fast-burning carbohydrate energy for the |
| heard many different philosophies and methods | | | | short bursts of power in a race.Even with |
| as to what works and how an endurance athlete | | | | these facts, many modern coaches are not |
| should train. Of course, many roads lead to | | | | recommending young athletes to focus on these |
| Rome and there are without a doubt many | | | | long rides. A simplified way to look at an |
| different ways to succeed. I would certainly | | | | effective endurance athlete's weekly training |
| say that the training culture in northern | | | | program, following traditional endurance |
| Europe is a bit different maybe then what it | | | | training is: Hard, easy, easy, Hard, easy, |
| is in Southern or Eastern Europe. I will try | | | | easy. On a weekly basis it would be Hard, |
| and sum up what I've learned, observed and | | | | Harder, Hardest, Easy, in regards to |
| heard with regards to the "Norwegian" method | | | | volume.4. Athlete vs. coach / team. I think |
| vs. Continental Europe. Endurance training | | | | we have been successful in treating each |
| methodology in Norway consists of some key | | | | athlete as an individual and listening to the |
| items:1. As much as possible of the training | | | | athlete. Just because you have a team of top, |
| is done outside, year round. Irrespective of | | | | elite performers, does not mean that each one |
| weather conditions. We compete outside, so we | | | | will not have specific individual needs. And |
| train outside. We have access to some of the | | | | those needs may vary from week to week or |
| best natural training terrain in the world | | | | month to month. One training program will |
| and use it well. As a side-benefit, if you | | | | only fit one athlete, you cannot design one |
| are used to training in bad weather, you | | | | program and suggest that everyone follows it. |
| compete better in bad weather. One of the | | | | Individual variables such as illness, |
| reasons for this "obsession" with outdoor | | | | recovery rates etc will throw that whole |
| training activities is simply that most | | | | system off. Eastern European nations on the |
| citizens from a very young age is taught the | | | | other hand have notnecessarilyy believed in |
| joy of being outside, enjoying nature.2. | | | | this. They have required all athletes on the |
| Cross-training. It is generally more accepted | | | | national team to follow the same training |
| that an endurance athlete can improve his | | | | program, regardless of individual variables. |
| performance by using cross-training. In other | | | | This has in effect, lead to eastern European |
| words, a cyclist can become better by | | | | countries falling 10-15 years behind the |
| running, hiking and cross country skiing. He | | | | "curve".A great example is the old Soviet |
| does not necessarily only have to ride his | | | | cross country ski team and their training |
| bike. This belief also allows us to train | | | | program. Between May and September everyone |
| outside year round in a country that might | | | | on the team had to follow this plan: Monday - |
| not have 100% optimal conditions for cycling | | | | 35 km rollerski in the morning and 1.5 hour |
| in the winter. In southern Europe the general | | | | run in the terrain in the afternoon. Tuesday |
| feeling is that a cyclist can only become | | | | - 2.5 hour run, uphill in the morning and 1.6 |
| better by riding his bike. Running or skiing | | | | hour rollerski in the afternoon. Wednesday - |
| is a waste of time.3. Long rides at medium | | | | 2.5 hour rollerski in the morning and 1 hour |
| intensity vs. shorter rides at high | | | | easy run in the afternoon. Thursday |
| intensity. Traditionally, endurance training | | | | -strengtht-training and easy recovery |
| at home has been overwhelmingly dominated by | | | | training. Friday - 2.5 hours hard run in the |
| lots and lots of long, relatively easy | | | | morning and 1.5 hours rollerski in the |
| sessions and very few hard, high intensity | | | | afternoon. Saturday - 3 hour run or rollerski |
| sessions. In a nut-shell this would make up | | | | Sunday - rest with lots of sleep. In |
| the yearly training program for cross country | | | | addition, they were forced to sleep at |
| skiers, long distance runners and cyclists. | | | | certain times. In other words, no |
| It has become very "hip" recently to discard | | | | consideration for the individual athlete. |
| these long, "easy" rides and label them as a | | | | This program lead to great success for the |
| waste of time. Some scientists have gone as | | | | athletes that "fit" the program and no |
| far as to say that this type of training is | | | | success for the individual that needed |
| entirely wrong. Instead, they suggest more | | | | something different. Many talentedskierss |
| hard, threshold sessions and intervals. This | | | | never realized their potential because of |
| they say, regardless of the fact that most | | | | this rigidness. I think we have been |
| successful elite endurance athletes, | | | | successful in Norway, due to the concern for |
| regardless of sport, never trained this way.I | | | | the individual.5. Use of pharmaceuticals. One |
| will defend the traditional method and here | | | | of the greatstrengthss we have in sports at |
| is why: For an endurance athlete, about | | | | home is the attitude towards taking any type |
| 90-98% of the performance is aerobic. The | | | | of drug, legal or not. The use of any drug, |
| remaining 2-10% are anaerobic. So, in a 4 | | | | pill, drink etc that is not natural is very |
| hour competition, as much as 3.92 hours would | | | | rare. From bottom to top, we utilize very, |
| be aerobic and 0.08 hours would be anaerobic. | | | | very little products that "aid" athletes. In |
| In other words, you can train to improve your | | | | short, top training consists of running, |
| performance in the 3.92 hours or you can | | | | skiing or biking outside combined with an |
| train to improve your performance in the 0.08 | | | | afternoon nap and a good night sleep for |
| hours. Obviously, the potential for | | | | recovery. The diet is a simple, sound |
| improvement is much greater in the 3.92 hours | | | | composition of wheat bread, dairy products, |
| that are performed aerobically. Not to | | | | potatoes, fish, lean meat and lots of |
| mention that the 0.08 hours of anaerobic | | | | vegetables and fruit. This is VERY different |
| performance is not that "trainable / | | | | on the continent where athletes take all |
| improvable". So, in short - traditional | | | | sorts of "recovery enhancing" products etc. |
| endurance training with about 90% of the | | | | I'm glad I got that attitude with me now, it |
| total training volume per year focused on | | | | makes it easier to make the correct choices |
| aerobic capacity (long rides with low-medium | | | | in modern cycling where team doctors etc are |
| intensity) and the remaining 10% invested in | | | | always trying to give you something to "speed |
| intervals and tempo rides is more beneficial. | | | | up recovery" etc.I'm a full-time endurance |
| The long, easy-moderate intensity rides | | | | athlete (cycling), with the 2012 London |
| (called langkjøring in Norwegian) improves | | | | Olympics as my main goal. I maintain a blog, |
| certain key physical attributes: increase | | | | where I write about my ups and downs in |
| incellularr mitochondria, improvement of the | | | | training / racing as I work towards year |
| capillary blood vessel network and an | | | | 2012. |
| increase in aerobic enzymes. These long rides | | | | |