The Norwegian Method: Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden Talk About Life as Pro Triathletes

This is the fifth episode in season two. If you haven’t yet listened to Episode 4, click here to read our nine highlights and listen to the episode in full.

In Episode 5 of The Norwegian Method Podcast’s second season, presented by Santara Tech, Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden talk with host Dr. David Lipman about life as pro triathletes, discussing:

• Juggling their responsibilities while training
• The contrasts between them as athletes and training partners
• Race courses they’re excited about
• Their predictions for the triathlon landscape
• Advice for junior and age group athletes
• Triathletes they’re fans of

Check out our ten highlights from the episode. 

1. The Norwegian Method: Balancing Training and Content Creation

Between Kristian and Gustav, they create a ton of content on behalf of themselves and their partners.

In order to make this work, they try to integrate photographers and videographers into their training to reduce disruptions.

However, they stress the importance of giving back to the partners who support them so they can all grow together. 

2. The Dynamics of Kristian and Gustav’s Relationships

It’s no secret that Kristian and Gustav are close friends and long-time training partners, but that doesn’t mean they’re similar as people.

Gustav admits he finds it hard to train with Kristian sometimes due to Kristian’s dedication to his own performance, while Kristian shares that Gustav often trains faster when they’re not together. 

But those aren’t the only contracts between the two athletes. 

For one, Kristian is much more of a self-proclaimed “triathlon nerd” than Gustav. While they both love triathlon, Kristian is dedicated to watching the sport and thinks about it constantly. On the other hand, Gustav has other interests–such as motorcycles. 

3. Race Courses Gustav and Kristian Are Excited About 

Gustav shares that he’s very excited about Nice and Mallorca because the bike courses are fun.

Both athletes are also excited about the Norseman XTreme Triathlon, which is held in Norway. The course is challenging, and when they’re participating in this race, their goal is less about breaking records and more about enjoying the race. 

4. Predictions About the Future of Triathlon  

Looking ahead, both Gustav and Kristian believe there’s a big push on long-distance racing, and that short-distance might be losing steam.

They believe many short-course athletes are looking to make the jump into longer-distance races in the next few years.

5. The Idea of Fewer But Bigger Races

When asked whether they believe there should be fewer but bigger races in the season, both athletes agree that all athletes should be participating in all races each year.

This is because it shows who can put together the strongest full-season performance despite challenges and setbacks.

They believe the compounding effect of the race season is what shows who’s really the champion. It’s revealing to see who’s breaking and who isn’t. 

6. Advice for Junior Triathletes

Kristian and Gustav are quick to share that, despite more notoriety and better funding, nothing has changed in their lives in the last ten years.

So, if you’re a junior triathlete dreaming of living the lifestyle Kristian and Gustav live now, it’s important to recognize that they live the same way now that they did early in their careers.

It all comes down to enjoying the process. If you don’t enjoy it now, you never will. There won’t be a moment when it suddenly becomes fun if you don’t like it to begin with.

They also stress the importance of enjoying life outside of racing as well. 

7. Things They’d Change About Their Triathlon Journeys

When looking back on their careers, Kristian and Gustav learned that they shouldn’t be afraid of trying new things, pushing themselves a bit, and going back to the basics when they failed. 

This process is essential for uncovering what went wrong, finding out how to fix it, and implementing the right solution. 

8. Advice for Age Groupers

Gustav and Kristian advocate strongly for balance in life for age-group triathletes. Juggling work, family, and training can very easily become too much to manage.

You don’t want to go into a few-year period of skipping family life and regretting it later on. But if you have a chance to get into the sport in a real way and chase the life you want, go for it.

Ultimately, triathlon is a training-heavy sport, and, for many people, when they’re not training, they’re learning more about the sport. It can become very all-encompassing. 

So, it’s essential to find balance.

Both Kristian and Gustav add that age group athletes are the ones who create such incredible atmospheres at races. Without them, races would be a very lonely place. 

9. Kristian and Gustav’s Relationship with the Norwegian Triathlon Federation

Kristian and Gustav have had a turbulent relationship with the Norwegian Triathlon Federation in recent years.

They explain that it’s challenging because they feel as though they were there from the start and played a big role in the Norwegian triathlon success story. 

From their perspective, it’s strange to be pushed out of the story they helped write.

They both want to be there to help create a strong culture and uplift the team but don’t feel in debt to the federation. 

10. Triathletes Gustav and Kristian Are Fans Of

When asked about up-and-coming triathletes they’ve got their eyes on, Gustav and Kristian list Hayden Wilde, Sam Laidlow, and Magnus Ditlev as impressive talents they look forward to racing against. 
If you’d like to learn more, you can listen to episode 5 in its entirety. You can also find brand-new video content and previous episodes from The Norwegian Method on the VO2 Master blog.