What are those Norwegians up to?

A new paper by Sandbakk et al. in Sports Medicine – Open (2025) pulls back the curtain on how a dozen Norwegian endurance coaches plan their riders’ seasons. If you’re looking to tweak your own training, here’s one evidence-backed model to consider—among many.

1. Stack easy hours first

They spend about 85–95 % of their riding time at low intensity (Zone 1–2) to build a rock-solid aerobic base. This keeps legs fresh for harder work later.

2. Centre your week on 2–3 key efforts

Rather than chasing intensity every day, pick just two or three workouts—race-pace intervals, long progressive rides or fast group efforts. To mimic real-race surges, they throw in 5–8 s accelerations out of corners.

3. Schedule a recovery week

Every 3–4 weeks they deliberately cut volume by around 25–35 % (fewer sessions or shorter rides). That helps adaptations stick and prevents burnout.

4. Sharpen only at the end

True VO₂ max efforts or all-out blasts are saved for a final 2–3-week block before an A-race—rather than sprinkled through every week.

This Norwegian template isn’t the only way to train—it’s simply one method that’s yielded success at the highest level. If you’re curious, pick a single element to trial for one training block: maybe dial back volume every fourth week, or add those short surges into your long ride. Track how you feel, note any gains in freshness or speed, then decide what to keep.

Your training should fit you: mix and match ideas, refine what works, discard what doesn’t. By exploring diverse models—polarised, block, reverse taper or this “easy→hard” rhythm—you’ll continue building your own durability-first approach.

Read the full study here: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798...

On my mindPlay the Next Note

Miles Davis once said, “If you hit a wrong note, it’s the next note you play that determines if it’s good or bad.”

That rings true on the bike as much as on the trumpet. A blown interval or a flat day doesn’t define your season—it’s how you ride your next session that matters.

When you explode on a climb or miss a key workout, you can let it spiral or you can reset, lean into recovery and approach the next ride with fresh intent. Those moments of doubt become the pivot points where you choose to push again, refine your technique or simply enjoy the spin.

Every ride is another chance to play your next note with purpose and turn yesterday’s stumble into tomorrow’s momentum.

Catch you next week,

Damian