How to train like a Norwegian cowboy: inside the grueling methods of Norway's endurance athletes
Dirt roads, pickup trucks, a six-string guitar, and… ski boots? It might sound like an unlikely combination, but Norway is redefining what it means to ‘train like a cowboy’—on snow.
Cross-Country Skiing
From shining on the Paris 2024 track to carving through the slopes of the upcoming Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, the world is taking notice: Norwegians train hard—and smart.
Sure, the results are there, but where did these revolutionary methods come from, and what makes them so effective?
Olympics.com delves into the secrets behind their success, starting with a concept as rugged as it sounds: cowboy training.
Cowboy Training: From spurs to skis
According to Thomas Ødegaarden, one of Norway’s breakout cross-country skiing stars, Norwegian cowboys come strapped with skis instead of spurs.
“In Norway, everyone is born with skis on their legs,” Ødegaarden told Olympics.com. With cross-country skiing woven into the nation’s cultural fabric, training methods have long been steeped in tradition. But for Ødegaarden, these old ways didn’t resonate.
“We have older, conservative trainers who insist, ‘This is how you become good.’ But I never felt it worked for me,” he explained. "I actually ended up retiring from the sport at 19."
It wasn’t until Ødegaarden got lassoed into a new approach to training under the watchful eye of cross-country ski legend and 3x Olympian Tord Asle Gjerdalen. This cowboy's unconventional methods brought Ødegaarden back to the slopes and reshaped his career.
“When I joined Tord Asle Gjerdalen’s team and started doing his ‘cowboy training,’ everything changed. His training philosophy was entirely new to me, and from there, everything just progressed,” the 25-year-old told Pro XC Skiing.
The core idea? Push harder during intense sessions, slow down on long ones, and extend overall training time. “It lets you train longer and harder, balancing both worlds. It really worked,” he said.
Despite its rugged name, cowboy training is anything but random.
“It’s funny because it sounds uncalculated, but Tord is probably the most calculated person I’ve ever met,” Ødegaarden shared. Gjerdalen, who balanced a medical degree with his skiing career, brought scientific precision to his methods.
“We focus on every little detail. And I think that the complete picture makes you even better. All these small improvements can add 1% every time. And when you add those up, you take big steps forward,” Ødegaarden explained.
In elite sports, where seconds can separate champions, that 1% edge could mean the difference between gold and silver.
Ødegaarden’s results speak for themselves. After adopting this method, he won the Ski Classics Pink Youth Bib and now eyes victories in major long-distance races.
As for the name cowboy training? "Well, it is not a secret that I am a big fan of country music,” the Norwegian added with a smile before revealing some of his favorite country artists.
We’re looking at you, Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen. Yeehaw.
The Rise of the Norwegian Method
Thomas’s story is just one glimpse into a broader shift sweeping Norway, where a new generation of athletes is using data-driven methods to redefine the limits of human performance. But where did it all begin?
The roots of this revolution can be traced back to 1998, when the Norwegian Athletics Federation, in collaboration with Olympiatoppen (OLT), launched a groundbreaking project.
The goal was ambitious: to revolutionize training for elite runners by using lactate measurements to control intensity, a method that could fine-tune performance with scientific precision.
This approach, pioneered by experts like Marius Bakken, MD, was initially met with skepticism but proved its worth over time. Its principles soon spread beyond running to other endurance sports like cycling, triathlon, and cross-country skiing, forming the backbone of what is now called the “Norwegian Method.”
Blood, Sweat, and Data: The science behind going the distance
At its core, the Norwegian Method focuses on lactate-guided threshold intervals, a strategy that prioritizes internal physiological stress, measured via blood lactate (think: pricking your finger after a run) over external benchmarks like pace. Lactate, a byproduct of burning carbohydrates for energy, acts as a critical marker: training just below the point where exercise shifts from “challenging but manageable” to “this really hurts” enhances the body’s ability to clear lactate efficiently.
The result? Athletes can train harder for longer without tipping into fatigue.
Unlike polarized training, which skips the “middle ground,” the Norwegian approach embraces it. This sweet spot, nestled between Lactate Threshold 1 (LT1) and Lactate Threshold 2 (LT2), is where the magic happens. The focus on this zone allows athletes to accumulate significant time at moderate intensities, making their training both targeted and sustainable.
Champions of the Method: Ingebrigtsen, Blummenfelt, and Iden
The success of the Norwegian Method by Norwegian athletes speaks for itself. Jakob Ingebrigtsen, a 24-year-old Olympic champion and world record holder across three different disciplines, credits his achievements to precise lactate testing. As seen in Team Ingebrigtsen, Jakob and his brothers pause interval sessions to prick their fingers and measure lactate.
Triathletes Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden have also thrived under this system. The method’s meticulous intensity control has propelled them to Olympic gold and Ironman world titles, turning their sweat and data into triumphs.
While finger pricks during workouts may not be fun, for these athletes, it’s a small price to pay for greatness.
The method in action
The Norwegian Method operates like a science experiment in motion. Athletes train twice a day, combining high-volume sessions with strict lactate monitoring to balance challenge and recovery. This precision reduces injury risk while maximizing time spent at optimal intensities. To execute it correctly, many elite athletes prefer distraction-free environments like treadmills, where control is paramount.
The payoff? A body that’s not just fit but optimized—capable of pushing the limits without tipping over the edge.
Not just for the elite: lessons for all athletes
Of course, the demanding double-threshold routine and resources required make this system impractical and unaffordable for most athletes. Small missteps could lead to injury rather than improvement.
Yet its core principles offer valuable lessons for runners at any level:
- Train smarter, not harder: Learn and respect your body’s thresholds.
- Prioritize recovery and consistency: Gains are unlocked over time, not overnight.
Whether you’re chasing Olympic gold or your next personal best, the takeaway is clear: let science guide the way.