Run training this summer: Try Tønseth’s favorite workout session

Betting on yourself

Cross-country skier Didrik Tønseth put together his own private team in no time. Together with trainer Trond Nystad, the 30-year-old is in full swing with his off-snow training.

Further reading: Tønseth’s secret tips before running

When the Trønder was a guest on the podcast, he had just come in from a three-hour trail run.

“I have a few days a week when I’m exercising five hours: There is a long three-hour tour in the morning before I go on another two hours in the afternoon,” he says, aiming for both running and roller skiing at these long distances.

Chasing a record

Tønseth is not just a good skier. He is the country’s champion off-road racer and has represented Norway in the European Championships together with Team Ingebrigtsen, among others. His best result on the running track is 29:49 for 10km, just seconds away from being the fastest long-distance runner ever.

“It would have been fun to have set that record as a skier. To do that, I need to train more specifically on the track and when you go skiing, you’d prefer to go running off-road. In other words, it’s not this year that I’ll be taking on records," he says.

- What is your favorite event when you are going to run?

"1000 meters on a track. But it’s fun as long as you’re in better shape than the one you're running with," he says and laughs.

He believes there is one big difference between running and skiing.

“Running on the track is not like skiing, where you can go all-out, but recover on the downhill. When you run intervals, such as 1000 meters, it’s all about holding a bit back and making it run smoothly throughout the event. Don't start too hard and instead draw on a little reserve in the final stretch," Tønseth says.

To perform 1000 meters as an interval:

• Warm up by jogging for about 20 minutes.
• Start the interval by running the first stretch of 1000 meters. This corresponds to two and a half laps on a track.
• Rest for 1–2 minutes. Alternatively, you can do as Tønseth and walk 200 meters as a break.
• Run another 1000 meters.
• Repeat this step until you have run 6–10 stretches of 1000 meters each.

Want to learn more about Didrik Tønseth's training?
Listen to the Ski Track Podcast.