Ep. 34 Øyvind Sandbakk: The Science Behind the Norwegian Training Model

What does it actually take to become a faster endurance athlete? This week on Race Ready, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with one of the most influential minds in endurance sports science, Dr. Stephen Seiler. Internationally recognized for his pioneering research on polarized training and training intensity distribution, Dr. Seiler has helped reshape how athletes and coaches understand endurance performance. From his early experiences studying Norwegian cross-country skiers to decades of research into the physiology of adaptation, Seiler shares the discoveries that challenged conventional training wisdom and changed the way we think about getting faster. The conversation dives deep into the science of endurance training, including VO₂ max development, polarized training, intensity zones, and the relationship between training stress and adaptation. Dr. Seiler explains why low-intensity training is so effective, how the body develops its aerobic capacity, and why the physiological cost of a workout can be just as important as the adaptations it produces. The discussion also explores the obsession with finding the perfect interval session, the rise of double-threshold training, and why copying the workouts of Olympic champions isn't necessarily the best approach for developing athletes. Beyond the science, Dr. Seiler offers a fascinating perspective on what separates successful endurance athletes and training programs from the rest. Andy and Brian explore the unique physiological demands of cross-country skiing, the importance of perceived exertion, and how coaches can balance scientific research with the realities of training in the field. Whether you're an elite skier, a masters athlete, or a coach looking to better understand the principles behind effective training, this episode challenges you to think critically about how you train, why you train, and what really drives long-term improvement.

Are you getting the most out of your high-intensity intervals, or are you going too hard? In this episode of Race Ready, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan dive into the science and execution of L4 training, VO₂ max development, and the fine line between productive intensity and unnecessary fatigue. They break down why harder isn't always better, how to pace intervals to maximize time at the right intensity, and why finishing a workout completely exhausted doesn't necessarily mean you've made the biggest training gains. The conversation explores different approaches to interval training, including hard-start intervals, steady pacing, recovery periods, and the challenges of translating laboratory research into real-world skiing. Andy and Brian discuss how terrain, workout duration, and intensity distribution influence the effectiveness of a session. They also examine lessons from elite athletes like Gus Schumacher, including the importance of managing training volume, maintaining technical quality, and recognizing when additional training may be doing more harm than good. Beyond interval training, the episode tackles some of the toughest decisions endurance athletes face: when to push through fatigue, when to back off, and how to approach training during and after illness. Andy and Brian also answer listener questions about recovery between intervals, training with limited time, and preparing for major events like the Birkie. Whether you're an elite skier, a masters athlete, or a coach looking to make every session count, this episode offers practical insights into training with greater purpose and getting faster without simply training harder.

Olympic silver medalist Gus Schumacher joins Race Ready to break down the training, racing, and lessons that have shaped his progression into one of the best cross-country skiers in the world. Gus takes us inside his preparation for the 2026 Olympics, including altitude training, managing the long taper into the Games, and the strategy behind his team sprint silver medal with Ben Ogden. He also explains why one of his biggest focuses is learning to ski fast with less effort and how efficiency under fatigue can be the difference when a race comes down to the final kilometer. We also dive into one of the biggest lessons of Gus’s career: more training isn’t always better. After years of chasing 1,000-hour training seasons, huge volume weeks, and the feeling that being tired meant he was getting faster, Gus began to realize he was chronically carrying too much fatigue. Cutting his training dramatically gave him more energy, higher-quality intensity, and room to actually absorb the work. We talk about the warning signs of overtraining, finding the right sustainable load, and why athletes can become “addicted to being tired.” Finally, Gus shares how his relationship with training has evolved as he’s gotten older and taken more ownership of his career. We discuss athlete-coach collaboration, understanding the “why” behind a training plan, using technique as a gauge of fatigue, building race-specific intensity, and developing confidence from years of successful training and racing. It’s a wide-ranging conversation about what high-performance training really looks like when the goal isn’t simply to do more but to arrive at the start line capable of doing more.

What does it actually take to develop the next generation of American cross-country skiers? U.S. Ski Team Development Coach Lizzie Larkins joins Andy to break down the current development system, from junior clubs and REG camps to the National Development Group and eventually the U.S. Ski Team. Lizzie shares what she has learned traveling around the country working with developing athletes and why the pathway to the highest levels of the sport is rarely as linear as it appears.

Dani Aravich’s path to becoming a three-time Paralympian is anything but conventional. After walking away from Division I running, Dani built a career in professional sports before a conversation about the Paralympics completely changed her trajectory. She eventually found cross-country skiing and biathlon, learning an entirely new sport as an adult and working her way onto the international stage in both the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games.