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