Several of the recruit runners have impressed at the start of this year’s biathlon season: Vebjørn Sørum took the first podium of his career in the sprint in Östersund, while Endre Strømsheim followed up with a second place in Lenzerheide. Johan-Olav Botn has been on the podium in all races in the IBU Cup and will now make his World Cup debut. They give a different training philosophy much of the credit. – It’s a bit unconventional, admits Sørum. – We have sought expertise outside the ski environments in Norway, says Strømsheim. Inspired by the Ingebrigtsen family For the “recruit guys”, i.e. the team at the sub-elite level, in addition to large amounts of training, they also train in regular double-threshold sessions. This means that twice in one day they train semi-hard, in so-called intensity zone 3, – a training method made particularly famous by the Ingebrigtsen brothers. COMMUNITY: Endre Strømsheim together with coach Anders Øverby. The entire recruiting team lives and trains in Lillehammer. Photo: Hanne Skjellum / news – Of course, that’s what everyone thinks about and what the media wants to write about, because it’s in a way “their” recipe. But there are many others who do it too, says Sørum. – Both the boys and I have seen “Team Ingebrigtsen” on TV and sport is more accessible than ever, so you are influenced. But I would say that it is inspired by both athletics, triathlon and cycling. There are many good people we discuss with there, explains recruit coach Anders Øverby. Hear World Cup biathlon from Oberhof on news Sport on Thursday from 14.20. In comparison, most other skiers train a few interval sessions a week, but less at medium-high intensity, i.e. double threshold. The team started with this type of training before last season, and felt it quickly produced results on the track. – I think it is because we are robust and well trained, so the foundation is quite strong. When we run a double threshold, we get in two extra hard sessions a week. When the body tolerates it and responds well to it, more minutes in the high zone means that you get better, says Sørum. – We believe that this type of training develops us very well physiologically. And by dividing the session into two, we cut the recovery time a lot and can get a bigger volume in the day in total, says Strømsheim. PROVED: Johan-Olav Botn showed his capacity on the trail when he came 10th in the cross-country skiers’ season opener at Beitostølen. Photo: NTB He has spent Christmas in Italian Livigno together with Sørum, Botn and Mats Øverby, and there has been a lot of training – with several ski trips of around 100 kilometres. Which is not unusual for several of the recruit boys. – In the context of biathlon, I need quite a lot, between 100 and 130 hours a month. Endre and I in particular push each other, reveals Botn. There have been many, long ski trips on several of the Norwegian biathletes during their stay at high altitude in Italy at Christmas. Photo: Screenshot Strava Photo: Screenshot Strava Photo: Screenshot Strava Everything is measured To make sure that there is not too much of a good thing, they do intensity measurements on every single session. This way they can compare and keep control of the amount and what the athletes can tolerate. The trainer has a full overview and can thus detect if it becomes too much, and then make adjustments in the training. – We are very precise and I think that is important for us to actually be able to train the way we do. It is important to gain experience in how the body reacts, especially after the double threshold. How long do you need before you’re ready for another round like this, explains Øverby, and emphasizes that they also have other types of training sessions. FINALLY: Endre Strømsheim cheered for his first individual podium in the World Cup in Switzerland. Photo: Gian Ehrenzeller / AP – With measurements and notes, there is less feeling and less coincidence, and I think that is important, says Strømsheim, who is himself inspired by skating star Niels van der Poel and follows a separate plan with a lot of volume training on the side . Johannes Dale-Skjevdal was part of the recruiting team last season. He confirms that the elite team thinks differently. – I have taken part in that drive there, and it is very exciting, and it works to a certain extent. It gives something. It’s not something we’ve run that much at elite, especially at rallies. When you’re at home you can do whatever you want, but I haven’t carried it on too much this year, he admits. – Can drive themselves into the ground news’s cross-country and biathlon commentator, Torgeir Bjørn, praises the offensiveness of the team, but at the same time comes with a small warning. – It has been tried before with slightly mixed experiences, so I think it is important that you don’t get too keen on this and drive too much, because then you can drive yourself into a slump, says Bjørn. He points out that Ole Einar Bjørndalen tried several variations of double threshold training, and that it is important to think about variety. – You can make good progress on that in one or two seasons, but then you also have to think about a long biathlon career, what is sustainable over time, so you may have to alternate between that and what the elite team has, Torgeir Bjørn believes. SUCCESSFUL TEAMS: All the Norwegian men’s biathlon have shown themselves with podium places this season. Here from Östersund. Photo: NTB However, both experts and athletes agree that development in sports is good. – I think it can contribute to something positive in the biathlon environment, and in and of itself the cross-country environment, in the future as well. We are creating a system that is very sustainable and good for the next generation to benefit from, says Vebjørn Sørum. – I think it’s interesting that they solve it in different ways, and both elite and recruits are successful with their plans, and I think that in the spring you should have a philosophy talk with the teams about how to combine the best of the old with the new, says Torgeir Bjørn.
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