Shownotes

Solveig's background

03:38 -

• I initially started out with swimming, primarily just to learn the skill. Nobody in my family was involved in swimming, but as a child I attended a swim course, enjoyed it, and decided to continue.
• Over time, it became more serious, and I trained as a swimmer until I was around 14 or 15. At that point, however, I began to feel that my efforts were not being rewarded adequately. Swimming tends to become very serious at a young age, and although I was training hard and consistently, my results were not particularly good.
• It was actually my swimming coach who suggested that I try something else. He had noticed me running on a few occasions and felt I might have more talent for that than for swimming. This was a difficult conversation for me because I was still dreaming of becoming a swimmer, and hearing that it wasn’t the right path for me left me feeling conflicted.
• Initially, I wasn’t very enthusiastic about the idea of trying triathlon either. At the time, in 2014, triathlon was still a relatively small sport in Norway, and I didn’t know anyone involved in it. To me, it seemed like a sport for unusual people, and it took some time before I decided to give it a chance.
• What helped me was meeting other people who were involved in triathlon, particularly younger athletes. I attended an open camp for anyone interested in trying the sport, and there I got to know others, which made it feel more accessible and appealing. Shortly afterward, I was invited to train with the national team.
• In fact, the first time I rode a road bike was at that camp with the national team. My first triathlon was actually a Junior European Cup, and I finished near the back of the field, but the Norwegian federation was very supportive, providing opportunities and encouraging athletes by throwing them directly into competition.
• This experience motivated me to continue. I think it also helped that there were relatively few Norwegian athletes at the time, which gave me a sense of belonging and even a feeling that I was mastering it better than I had felt with swimming.
• Nevertheless, it was a challenging transition emotionally because swimming had been such a big part of my life for many years. Even though I wasn’t particularly successful as a swimmer, letting go of it was difficult. In a way, I never fully gave it up, since I still swim almost every day — but shifting my focus to triathlon was ultimately the right choice for me.

Short-distance triathlon career

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• My first triathlon was actually a European Cup for juniors. I finished near the back of the field, but the Norwegian Federation has always been good at giving opportunities and throwing people straight into competition. That experience motivated me to continue.
• It helped that there were so few Norwegian athletes, which made me feel like I was progressing better than I did in swimming. Still, it was a difficult phase because, even though I wasn’t excelling in swimming anymore, I had been in the sport for many years and found it hard to let go completely — even though, to this day, I still swim almost every day.
• My first European Cup as a junior was in 2015, so I have actually been competing in triathlon for quite some time. It took a few years, however, before I started achieving better results. I have been fortunate to have a federation that was patient and gave me time to develop.
• It wasn’t until 2021 that I began racing in the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) and felt that I started getting better results. That year, we even attempted to qualify me for the Tokyo Olympics through the mixed relay.
• At the time, Norway had strong male athletes — Kristian, Gustav, and Casper were performing at a high level — but we didn’t have a second female athlete at that level. Nonetheless, we tried to qualify the relay team through a direct qualification race in Lisbon, where a top-three finish would secure an Olympic spot. We finished fourth, narrowly missing qualification.
• Looking back, I probably didn’t have the level at that time to perform well in Tokyo, but that experience motivated me greatly to aim for the next Olympics.
• With only three years until Paris, I committed myself fully to that goal. It was not easy. In 2022, I had a very challenging year both personally and professionally. My father became ill and passed away, and I struggled to race well throughout that season.
• In 2023, however, I started feeling better and achieved better results. I earned my first World Cup podium and won the European Games. Gradually, I regained confidence in my racing and secured enough ranking points to qualify for the Olympics.
• Although my performance at the Olympics itself was not as strong as I had hoped, I am very proud of the journey it took to get there. Every athlete faces different challenges, and it is rewarding to persevere through the difficult phases and reach your goals in the end.

Olympic Games experience

12:44 -

• Looking back, my perspective now is somewhat different from what it was immediately after the race. In the period leading up to the Olympics, I was quite stressed about the situation and struggled to find my swimming form in training.
• Swimming has always been my weakest discipline and also the most challenging for me mentally. When I have a poor running session, I tend not to dwell on it too much, but a poor swimming session affects me more deeply and is harder for me to accept.
• In the weeks before the Olympics, I was not swimming well in training, which added to my stress. I have experienced this many times before in short-course racing, where I was among the last out of the water.
• Being in that position makes it hard to stay in the race and to motivate myself to keep chasing when I already feel I have lost. I was very afraid of repeating that scenario at the Olympics, and that anxiety probably didn’t help my training.
• Swimming in the pool during training makes it easy to see how far you are from your best, and even at my best, I am not among the fastest swimmers.
• During that period, I was quite far from my best and aware of it, which was hard to accept. I tried different strategies, and I even tried to convince myself that things could turn around quickly, as sometimes happens, and that anything could happen on race day.
• However, as I lined up for the start, I didn’t feel excited or optimistic about the race. I felt it wouldn’t go well, which is not the mindset you want to have standing on an Olympic start line. That was disappointing. Although I believe my bike and run shape were good, the stress around my swimming really affected me.
• There was also a lot of uncertainty surrounding the swim in Paris, with concerns about the strong current and the water quality. We didn’t know if the swim portion would take place at all, and in fact, the men’s race was delayed. Going to bed not knowing whether we would actually compete the next morning was surreal, and we had to wake up at three or four a.m. still unsure.
• Eventually, the race went ahead, which was a relief, but I hadn’t properly tested the swim course. During the race, I felt okay at first, but under the bridges—where the current was much stronger—I struggled to move forward at all.
• I felt as though I was staying in the same spot with each breath and began to panic. I lost contact with the other athletes on the first lap, and from that point, I lost my composure, feeling as though my race was already over.
• On the second lap, I was so distracted and unfocused that I forgot it was shorter than the first. I swam too far and had to be stopped and redirected by the boats. It was embarrassing to realize that I had not only swum slowly but also made a mistake like that at the Olympics, where such errors should not happen.
• After that, I focused on finishing the race. On the bike, my main goal became simply not to be lapped out. On the run, I tried to enjoy the experience, reminding myself that I was at the Olympics and appreciating the incredible atmosphere created by the crowd in Paris.
• Nevertheless, I was disappointed not to show my full potential, which is particularly painful at the Olympics, where you want to perform at your best.
• Despite all this, looking back now, I am grateful that my first Olympics took place in Paris, in Europe, where it was easier for family and friends to attend.
• There were no COVID restrictions, and I had many loved ones there to support me. The course itself was impressive—even if I did not enjoy the swim. It was also special to experience the Olympic Village and to see what the Olympics are truly about.
• Although my performance was not what I had hoped for, I take pride in being an Olympian, which is a significant achievement.

Solveig 2025 race season

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• My next race will be in approximately three weeks, and it will be a 70.3. Following that, my season will essentially conclude with the World Championships in Kona and Marbella.
• Reflecting on this season so far, I am very pleased with my results. Notably, I had what I believe was the fastest Ironman debut ever in Hamburg, where I finished third in an exciting race, and I also won a 70.3 earlier this season. I am happy with how my focus on long-course racing is progressing.
• The year did not begin ideally, however. In January, I prioritized my studies more than usual, taking a course that required eight to ten hours of work per day, which left little room for training. In hindsight, I may have overextended myself, as I ended up being ill throughout February. I then attended an altitude camp in Sierra Nevada in March, hoping to regain momentum, but I fell sick again during the first weekend there.
• My initial plan had been to make my full-distance debut in Texas, but due to the setbacks and lost training time, I chose to delay the start of my season.
• After recovering in Sierra Nevada, I was finally able to build some consistent weeks of training, and I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I began feeling strong again. I was very satisfied with my performance in Venice, and training has continued to go well since then.
• In Hamburg, I executed the race more or less as I had planned. While I wasn’t particularly focused on a specific finishing time, I had clear targets for both the bike and the run.
• Of course, it is hard to know exactly what you can sustain in your first full-distance race, but two weeks prior I had completed a long, specific session at similar power and pace. That gave me confidence that my expectations were realistic.
• Although you can never be entirely sure — given how many athletes go out too hard — I managed to hold the effort I had planned and meet my own expectations on race day. That outcome was both reassuring and rewarding, confirming that my preparation and projections were appropriate for the challenge.

Learnings from the first Ironman

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• One of the key lessons I took from Hamburg was the realization that although I felt quite tired towards the end of the bike segment, that fatigue did not necessarily carry over into the run. At the end of the bike, I chose to let Kat and Laura go ahead, thinking it would be better to conserve energy for the run.
• However, when I started running, I actually felt very fresh. This was an important experience, as it showed me that feeling tired on the bike does not necessarily mean I am tired overall — it is likely just the specific muscles used in cycling that are fatigued.
• This has given me confidence that I can afford to be more aggressive at the end of the bike in future races. I also believe the next step for me is to take a generally more assertive approach, perhaps starting the run at a faster pace.
• In Hamburg, I began the run quite conservatively, yet it still became very hard towards the end. Observing how athletes like Laura and Kat start their runs at such an impressive pace is both inspiring and instructive.
• While I may not yet be at their level, I would like to experiment with pushing myself more and respecting the distance without letting it intimidate me excessively.
• I am eager to gain more Ironman experience, to better understand my limits and continue testing them. Running a marathon in 2:46 in my debut was among the fastest times recorded, with only a few others — such as Kat and Laura — running faster. I believe this suggests potential for even better performances if I approach the race more aggressively.
• Regarding which distance suits me best, it is still hard to say definitively. I enjoy both the middle distance and the full Ironman, and I believe I can perform well at both. That said, I feel particularly excited about exploring my potential over the Ironman distance and seeing how far I can progress there.

National team setup

27:02 -

• I have been part of the national team since 2015, so for ten years now. This year, however, I am no longer officially part of the team because the national program remains focused on short-course racing.
• That reality made the decision to switch to long-distance racing particularly difficult, as the team has been such a significant part of my career and life. I was genuinely apprehensive about stepping away from it, knowing that pursuing long-course competition would, in a sense, mean parting ways with the team.
• Fortunately, the Norwegian Federation seems to be moving towards a more flexible approach, allowing athletes to engage in both long and short courses while still being part of the national setup. For now, I am not officially a member of the team, but I continue to maintain a good relationship with the coach.
• When I decided to focus on long-distance racing, I approached Mikal, the head coach of the national team, to ask whether he would still be willing to coach me despite my shift in focus.
• Thankfully, he agreed to continue, which I deeply appreciate. He already has considerable experience coaching athletes at the Ironman distance — for example, he also coaches Rudy Von Berg — so I trust his guidance in long-course racing as well.
• It is reassuring to continue working with a coach who knows me well and whom I trust. I am also still able to join some training camps with the team, which has made the transition far smoother than I initially feared it might be.

Solveig's training description

29:21 -

• I would describe my training as very typical of the Norwegian approach: a lot of threshold work combined with substantial, though not extreme, volume. Since transitioning to long-distance racing, I haven’t changed my training significantly.
• My weekly structure remains largely the same, with the primary difference being that, in the weeks leading up to a race, I include longer, more specific sessions — typically on Sundays — such as extended bike-run sessions at race pace. Aside from those, the rest of the week is composed of threshold and easy sessions, without many excessively long workouts.
• When I’m at training camp, my weekly volume is about 30 hours, which I consider substantial but manageable. At home, the volume can be slightly lower, depending on the period — whether I’m building towards a race, recovering after an event, or if circumstances, such as illness, intervene. In a good training block, however, I aim for 25 to 30 hours per week.
• The weekly structure is quite consistent and straightforward. I swim six times per week, covering roughly 30 kilometers — on average about 5 kilometers per session, though some sessions are shorter and others longer. I also run every day, with weekly mileage generally between 70 and 90 kilometers, depending on the phase.
• On the bike, I typically have five sessions per week, amounting to around 10 hours, though sometimes slightly more — up to 12 or 14 hours — or slightly less, depending on the context. Compared to others focusing on long-distance racing, my bike volume might appear modest, but swimming and running take up a significant portion of my total training time.
• In addition to these, I also include two shorter strength or core training sessions each week. This structure provides balance and consistency, allowing me to train at a high level while maintaining sustainability and focus on race-specific preparation when required.

Solveig's training camp week

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• Last week was actually an exceptionally heavy week. Nevertheless, it still followed what I would consider a fairly standard structure for a camp week. Typically, we have easier days on Mondays and Fridays, with more intense sessions on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, and longer, steady sessions on Saturdays.
• On Monday, I did just an easy run, a strength session, and a 4.4 km swim. Tuesday featured threshold sessions on both the run and the swim: a long threshold run consisting of five times 2 km and five times 1 km intervals, and a swim session of six times 500 meters at threshold pace, complemented by an easy bike ride.
• Wednesday was an easier day, with 2.5 hours of riding, a one-hour run, and a 4.5 km swim — all at an easy effort. On Thursday, we had intervals again, this time on the bike and the swim: eight times eight minutes on the bike at intensity, and a swim of fifteen times 200 meters at threshold pace, plus an easy run.
• Friday was another light day, with a 90-minute very easy run that included some walking, an open-water swim of about 4 km, and a short strength session. Saturday was a long endurance day, with 5.5 hours of riding — my longest ride of the year — followed by a short run off the bike.
• On Sunday, I did threshold work again: a run of twenty times 400 meters at threshold pace, and a swim of twenty times 100 meters plus twelve times 50 meters at a slightly higher intensity, rounded out with a short, easy bike ride.
• In general, this structure is quite typical for a camp: easy days on Monday and Friday, threshold intervals on Tuesday and Thursday, longer steady efforts on Saturday, and usually a longer, sometimes intense, session on Sunday. Last week was slightly adjusted due to pool availability, with the open-water swim moved to Saturday, but otherwise it followed the usual pattern.

Intensity management

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• I base the intensity of my sessions largely on feel, and sometimes also on who I am training with. For instance, if I am riding with the boys, the effort might be higher than if I were riding alone. Situations like that certainly influence the session.
• Of course, if the group pushes the pace beyond what is appropriate for me, I simply drop off. I would say I am quite flexible within reasonable limits regarding how hard or easy a session becomes.
• When it comes to my threshold sessions — such as the five times 2 km plus five times 1 km run or the eight times eight minutes on the bike — the perceived effort really depends on the day.
• Typically, these sessions are controlled enough that I finish feeling like I could do another one or two repetitions if necessary. On some days, especially when the session is longer, I do reach a point where I genuinely do not want to continue, as the intensity accumulates and becomes quite taxing.
• I generally rely on how I feel to gauge the effort, but I also monitor lactate levels to ensure I stay within the appropriate threshold zone. On some days, the pace feels smooth and controlled, and staying at threshold feels relatively easy.
• On other days, however, it can feel significantly more challenging, even at the same effort level.

Training interventions that work for Solveig

38:55 -

• In general, I feel that I respond quite well to high training volumes and tolerate them without significant problems. I’ve been fortunate in that I have never really struggled with injuries.
• Of course, there have been periods when I’ve been sick and lost training time because of that, but when my body is functioning well, I enjoy and benefit from maintaining a high volume of training.
• One of the key lessons I’ve learned, however, is the importance of knowing when to slow down. Particularly in situations when other stressors — like poor sleep or external obligations — make recovery more challenging, I still tend to want to complete all my sessions, even when it might be wiser to cut something out.
• This year has been a good example of that tendency, and I recognize it as an area where I can still improve. When I’m able to focus fully on training and rest properly, I feel my current approach — high volume, structured threshold work, and consistency — is very effective, though of course there are always aspects to refine.
• Of the three disciplines, swimming remains the most challenging for me in terms of knowing how best to train. For running and cycling, I feel confident that my approach — consistent volume and sufficient threshold sessions — yields steady improvements year after year.
• Swimming, on the other hand, is more complex because of the significant technical component. Simply adding more threshold work in the water doesn’t help much if you’re not efficient.
• To address this, I regularly work on the technical aspects of my swimming. When I’m training at home, I always swim with a club, as I don’t fully trust myself to maintain good habits alone. I also benefit from the support of skilled coaches both at camp and at home, as well as from the Norwegian Olympic Federation.
• We use video analysis periodically — not excessively — to track progress. The idea is to identify technical changes, implement them, and then assess their effect over the following months with filming from multiple angles.
• One of the hardest parts of improving swim technique is trusting the process. Making changes often feels strange, even uncomfortable, and initially it can even make me slower.
• Given the thousands — perhaps millions — of strokes I’ve taken over the years, changing ingrained habits is challenging. Video analysis helps me see that the adjustments look more efficient, which gives me the confidence to persevere.
• I’ve made swimming a particular focus, even dedicating a camp this past fall to it, where I swam two hours every morning and evening — almost 30 hours in a week — doing nothing but drills and technique work. It’s ironic because swimming is my original background, yet it remains the most mentally demanding discipline for me.
• That said, racing long-course this year has helped me mentally with swimming. I feel less pressure now, knowing that even a weaker swim does not ruin the entire race as it sometimes can in short-course racing.
• This reduced pressure has also helped me in training, allowing me to take a step back and focus more on technique without being stressed by immediate performance demands.
• It is somewhat amusing that, despite my years of swimming, progress has been incremental, and yet I still believe I can and will improve. That belief keeps me motivated and excited to see what I can achieve in the coming year.

Pieces of advice for amateur athletes

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• Most of the advice I would give is quite basic and grounded both in what I have learned from others and from my own experience. One of the most important lessons is to listen to your body — something I admit I am not always the best at myself.
• It is crucial to be aware of how much external factors, such as daily stress or school obligations, impact your ability to train effectively.
• When I was in high school, I trained a lot but did not sleep enough. Looking back, even though I managed to complete all my sessions, I don’t think I was getting the full benefit because I was simply too tired most of the time.
• Once I finished school and had more time to rest, I realized how much of a difference adequate recovery makes. Prioritizing rest is absolutely essential.
• Another key point is to eat enough to fuel the work you want to do. I feel fortunate that, within the national team, there has always been a strong focus on ensuring athletes are properly fueled, particularly with carbohydrates.
• When I became more aware of how much I needed to eat — and made sure to meet those needs — the quality of my sessions improved noticeably, and I was able to sustain higher training volumes.
• Beyond that, I think it’s vital to enjoy training and not take it too seriously, especially at a young age. I’ve seen many talented athletes quit early, often because they placed too much pressure on themselves too soon. I myself was not a particularly strong junior athlete, but I genuinely enjoyed training, and that enjoyment kept me in the sport.
• Finally, consistency is perhaps the most important factor. If you train consistently over many years, you will improve. It really is that simple — though not always easy to put into practice, given the need to avoid injury and illness along the way.
• But maintaining a long-term, balanced, and consistent approach is what ultimately leads to success.

Tracking energy intake

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• I’ve never tracked calories formally, but I feel my body is quite good at telling me when I need to eat. During and around training sessions, I am particularly aware of how much I need — especially in terms of carbohydrates — and I plan accordingly.
• For longer sessions, I roughly calculate my carbohydrate intake per hour, depending on the duration of the session and the intensity of the rest of the day’s and following day’s training.
• Even in sessions where carbohydrate intake isn’t strictly necessary — such as a 4 km swim — I still try to take in some carbs, knowing there are likely other demanding sessions later that day. Outside of training, I simply aim to eat plenty and avoid being overly strict about it.
• I consider myself fortunate in that I usually have a good appetite, which makes it easy for me to eat enough. I know others who struggle with eating enough because they rarely feel hungry and sometimes have to force themselves to eat. For me, it comes more naturally, and I make sure to eat generously and consistently.
• In Ironman Hamburg, I consumed quite a high amount of carbohydrates. On the bike, over about 4.5 hours, I took in approximately 600 grams — roughly 120 grams per hour. On the run, I consumed over 300 grams in total, closer to 350–360 grams, which also averages around 120 grams per hour.
• My stomach tends to handle large amounts of carbohydrates well, so I haven’t conducted formal testing to determine my exact absorption limit. I simply aim for a level that feels safe and effective, taking in as much as I reasonably can and trusting my body to respond well.

Myths and misconceptions about professional athletes' life and training

52:38 -

• I think one common misconception among some age-group athletes is the belief that elite athletes eat only “healthy” food all the time.
• Of course, it’s important to include vegetables and nutrient-rich foods in the diet, but it’s equally important to ensure you’re consuming enough calories overall — even if that sometimes means eating foods high in sugar or less traditionally “healthy” options.
• Getting adequate energy intake often takes precedence over making sure every calorie comes from the healthiest possible source.
• It’s also important to consider what your stomach can actually tolerate. Eating large volumes of food, particularly if it is very high in fiber, can overwhelm the digestive system. In those situations, it can be better to choose foods that are lower in fiber and easier to digest.
• As for other general misconceptions, beyond nutrition, it’s hard for me to say definitively. I might not interact enough with age-groupers to fully understand what they assume about elite athletes.
• However, in my experience, many age-groupers are very well-informed and proactive in seeking out knowledge about training, nutrition, and lifestyle. They often already know quite a lot and are eager to learn more.

Is the Norwegian Olympic program tilted to long distance training?

54:50 -

• In short-course racing, I believe there are multiple approaches that can lead to success. That said, the way we train in Norway is more aligned with preparing for Olympic-distance and longer events, rather than focusing solely on the highest intensities, which some other countries emphasize and which may be more effective up to the Olympic distance.
• I think it is likely a combination of both factors: the training methodology we use works well for longer distances, and we also tend to develop athletes who can tolerate high training volumes from a young age, making the transition to long-course racing smoother.
• In my own case, one of my biggest challenges in short-course racing has always been the swim, which becomes less critical in long-course competitions. That limitation in swimming has less to do with Norway’s training philosophy and more to do with the fact that I simply haven’t yet managed to figure out my own swimming to the level I aspire to.
• It’s also worth noting that there is a common misconception among athletes — especially those who didn’t start swimming early — that starting as a child automatically guarantees becoming a great swimmer. At the world-class level, that simply isn’t true.
• Even among those who start early, very few reach an elite level, even within triathlon, where the standard in swimming is lower than in competitive swimming itself.
• In my experience, swimming has a lot to do with having a natural feel for the water. It can certainly be taught, but it’s difficult to master, and some people simply seem to grasp it quickly, almost intuitively.
• This innate sense, which likely depends on factors like anatomy, mobility, and body awareness, can make a significant difference in how effectively one learns and executes proper technique.

Raqpid fire questions

57:45 -

What were your total training hours for 2024?

I actually don’t know. It’s not something I’ve really tracked or looked at before. If I had to guess, I would say at least about 2,000 hours, but probably a bit more than that.

What is the highest VO₂max you’ve ever tested?

I’ve tested 76 a couple of times on the bike, which is the highest I’ve seen.

Is there a big difference between your VO₂max on the bike and the run?

Not a big difference, but a little. When riding, you can often activate more muscle groups, so if I test 76 on the bike, the run would typically be around 72.

What are your LT1 and LT2 on the bike and the run?

It varies from session to session. On the run, LT2 is usually around 3:30–3:35 per kilometer. On the bike, it’s anywhere from 260 to 300 watts. LT1 I haven’t measured in a while, but I’d estimate it’s around 4:00 minutes per kilometer or just under on the run, and around 240–250 watts on the bike. I generally go by feel rather than fixed numbers.

How much do you sleep per day, including naps?

I’m not the best sleeper. On average, I get about seven hours of sleep per night. I usually go to bed eight or nine hours before I have to wake up, but it takes me time to fall asleep. During the day, I try to rest and sometimes set an alarm to nap, but I rarely fall asleep. Compared to others on the team, I probably sleep less.

Do you have a bucket-list destination race?

Not really. One of the great things about triathlon is that it already takes you to so many places. I’m very excited about racing Kona this year since I’ve heard so much about it. Outside of triathlon, if I could choose, I’d rather spend time off in the Norwegian mountains, just being at home or exploring Norway, rather than traveling to warm countries for holidays.

If you had time to relax in the Norwegian mountains, where would you go?

I wish I had more time to see more of Norway, especially the north, which I haven’t explored much yet. There are so many beautiful places I haven’t been to because I’m always traveling elsewhere for competitions. After my triathlon career, or during the off-season, I’d like to spend more time hiking and exploring Norway rather than going abroad.

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

• Solveig's Instagram