Beneath the steering of their coach Olav Aleksander Bu, the Norwegian duo of Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden are identified for being on the slicing fringe of sports activities science.
On the current Global Triathlon Awards, the place Iden was named male athlete of the 12 months, the pair shared the logic behind the most recent location for his or her pre-season altitude camp, which is located 50 miles exterior of Marrakech within the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.
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“At all times good to check out new issues”
For many who intently observe Blummenfelt and Iden’s coaching on social media, it might have come as a shock this month to see the pair making ready for the early season in Morocco, versus their regular hang-out of Sierra Nevada in Spain.
Blummenfelt and Iden, who’re making the change again to brief course this season, revealed the pondering behind the transfer.
Iden harassed that while “Sierra Nevada has been an amazing place for a few years”, it’s “good to attempt one thing new”, with Blummenfelt including that “we had been eager to go greater than Sierra Nevada, which is 2,300m”.
At 2,600m, the ski resort of Oukaimeden within the Atlas Mountains is the place the pair have determined to “go greater than ever earlier than” and “see what the advantages are”, with Iden admitting that the added bonus of being in such an unique place “may be very cool”.
The chance-reward ratio
While going someplace new actually retains issues fascinating, the pair acknowledge that altering what’s tried and examined may go away them worse off, particularly after discovering such success in Sierra Nevada.
Blummenfelt shared that while “there may be adverse outcomes”, it’s “extra concerning the fixed chase of looking for new methods to enhance”, with Iden including that “I’m not afraid of attempting one thing out of the abnormal”.
The pair agreed that now was the right time to take the chance with a brand new location, with Iden stating: “If it’s good it’s good, if it’s unhealthy then we nonetheless have loads of time till Paris.”
The shortage of a correct swimming services, with the pair coaching as a substitute in an limitless pool, was one space of concern, however Iden optimistically mused that “we have now tried quite a lot of swimming earlier than and I’ve by no means been first pack”, so the chance is value taking.
After three extra weeks in Morocco, the pair will begin their remaining coaching and journey preparations earlier than the primary race of the WTCS season, which begins in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, March 4th.
