The "Norwegian Method" for recreational athletes?
Is it possible, and how can you translate it to achieve the same success?
This is based on the Research Review “Does Lactate-Guided Threshold Interval Training within a High-Volume Low-Intensity Approach Represent the “Next Step” in the Evolution of Distance Running Training?” by Arturo Casada et al.
It gives an insight in the training of the Ingebrigtsen brothers: Jakob, Filip and Henrik. Kristoffer is another of the brothers and are posting everything he is doing on Strava using this approach. And with their success on the international scene with Olympic Medals, medals from the world championships and loads of other great races. In Norway this training model is widely used and known in some running clubs, and “everyone” is doing the same. The model is originaly from Marius Bakken and can be found here:
So to say how they train is a secret is not correct. But how they specialize into each event is not widely known.
The fundament is high volume, low intensity training. With double threshold sessions two times each week and one Vo2Max session. But is it possible to translate this to training for a recreational athlete? This is my opinion and how I would use this approach for an athlete.
Volume is key!
Marius Bakken averaged 180km each week including the quality sessions. So if we try to break it down to training hours we get something like this:
Easy running: 135km with an average pace of 4:50min/km (including the warmup/cooldown for quality sessions). Total time: 10 hours, 52 minutes and 41 seconds.
Quality sessions: 45km with an average pace of 3:00min/km. Total time: 2 hours 15 minutes.
Training in total at about 13 hours each week.
The speed for the easy running is taken from the podcast “I det lange løp” where Marius Bakken has talked about his training.
Double threshold?
Why do they use double threshold sessions? To accumulate enough time and to be able to achieve a good enough amount of load with the right amount of lactate circulating in the body.
The “base” sessions are: 5x6min at 2,5mmol, 10x1000m at 3,5mmol, 5x2000m at 2,5mmol and 25x400m at 3,5mmol.
2,5mmol sessions = Marathon pace.
3,5mmol sessions = 10k pace.
It will not be exact paces, but giving an idea of the paces when we are going to translate these for a recreational athlete. For a recreational athlete? Focus more on running easy adding on the total time, rather than doing double threshold.
How can we approach this as a recreational athlete?
Dont do double threshold - If you want to do double sessions add easy running instead.
Translate the sessions to minutes at corrrect pace. 10x1000 for Ingebrigtsen is somewhere at 2:35-2:50km/h, you can translate this to 10x3min. See the attached table.
Run easy!
Dont forget the Vo2MAX session!
Example week:
Monday: 75min Easy running in the morning - 1 hour running is in the evening.
Tuesday: One of the sessions at Marathonpace in the morning - 1 hour easy running in the evening.
Wednesday: 75min Easy running in the morning - 45min Easy running in the evening.
Thursday: One of the sessions at 10k pace in the morning - 1 hour easy running in the evening.
Friday: 75min Easy running in the morning .
Saturday: Vo2Max session in the morning - 30min Easy running in the evening.
Sunday: 100min Easy running in the morning.
So you dont want to do double sessions? Skip the evening session.
So you dont want to train 7 times each week? Add in restday on Friday.