Train Like a Human, Race Like a Champion: Johan Röjler on Coaching Nils van der Poel

Johan Röjler is a former Olympic speed skater, junior world champion, and the coach behind one of the most interesting training methods in modern endurance sport. When Nils van der Poel came to him after the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics - disappointed, under-motivated, and with one condition (he still wanted to go skydiving on weekends) - what followed was a four-year journey that ended with two Olympic gold medals, two world records, and a training manifesto that has piqued the interest of many athletes and coaches in the endurance world, influencing how we think about aerobic base, intensity, and recovery.In this episode, Johan pulls back the curtain on the real story behind the manifesto: why the 5-2 model started by accident, how they used monotony as a diagnostic tool, why all of Nils's specific skating was done at exactly race pace, and what the phrase "be courageous, do not overtrain, but stick to the limit," which appears 62 times in 24 pages, actually means in practice. Johan also shares what everyday runners and trail athletes can take from this system when seven-hour bike rides five days a week aren't on the table.Looking for coaching or guidance? Read more at https://bornonthetrail.substack.com/p/coachingRELATED BORN ON THE TRAIL CONTENTHow Monotony, Ice Cream and Two Rest Days a Week Won Olympic Medals: https://bornonthetrail.substack.com/p/how-monotonyFOLLOW JOHAN RÖJLERSubstack: https://substack.com/@johanrjler863411Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johanrojler/WATCH THIS SHOW ON OTHER PLATFORMSSubstack: https://bornonthetrail.substack.com/podcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bornonthetrailSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6o5yHthUidO0No4VA3xdVbApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/born-on-the-trail-going-longer/id1857231629YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvFOih1rUBA2F_3Bi7Ii-cAqieAQSumU_FOLLOW BORN ON THE TRAIL ON SOCIAL MEDIASubstack: https://bornonthetrail.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bornonthetrail/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bornonthetrailFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/bornonthetrail/ Get full access to Born on the Trail at bornonthetrail.substack.com/subscribe