Build the FoundationTrain Smarter, Not Harder

The most important thing I have learned about training is to actually listen to the body. Not what the program says, but how the legs feel when I start the warm-up.

Good shape feels a certain way, and bad shape feels a certain way, and after enough years you learn to tell them apart. Choosing the right session for what the body is doing today, instead of forcing the one on the calendar, is what gets you forward.

A good program also has to fit your life. If it falls apart when work gets busy, it is the wrong program. It needs to be flexible, but still smart enough that you actually get fitter.

The last few months I have done one hard interval session a week and the rest in zone 2. I have not felt this good in years.

What I love most about cycling is the long, hard rides. Long climbs in zone 2, where I can just keep going hour after hour, is where I feel at home. I started my career at Trondheim Velocipede Klubb, had a peak year in Antibes near Nice where I rode an enormous amount, raced the Norwegian National Cup and Nordic races, and travelled to Belgium for the Kermesse races. The classics are what I burn for.

When I train, I visualize myself as a professional rider pushing the limits every single day. For me it comes down to three things: quality sessions that actually move the needle, building the threshold so I can hold the long races, and putting down the really high watts when the race is decided going uphill.

The last year I have done two interval sessions a week, zone 2 the rest of the time, and light strength training. That builds the base for the next step.