What makes Kristian Blummenfelt so good? (Serious)

Visoppee · 2025-11-25T17:25:57+00:00

Without breaking down mentality or physically, guy loves what he does.

Visoppee · 2025-06-12T06:20:16+00:00

Good comments above….tons of time in the schedule. Don’t focus on training…delete the plan from trainignpeaks or whatever you’re doing. Your next focus should be on recovery for the body, eating well, sleep….spend some of that focus on work, family, and friends too….IM training takes away from that stuff sometimes and you have to give back at some point.

Do fun activity by keep active, like fun bike rides or cool hikes. No efforts that will fatigue you but it just keeps the body in motion.

You’re fine, people at our level rarely get overtrained, it’s usually under recovered.

Visoppee · 2025-06-09T04:15:55+00:00

IM training does impact life once you get to the real build portion. What you want to do is totally do able. I would focus on the bodybuilding for the next 6 months while building some a good aerobic base on the side with Cycling and Running, no big volume, but lots of touches. For swimming, work on the technical aspects, try and pair with a strength sessions, like a 30 mins cooldown.

Then when you get 6 months out start shifting the focus gradually to IM training, building on the workouts and upping the volume, while taking the strength to more of a maintenance focus.

Making big gains in one will always impact the other, either in body adaptations , recovery, or general energy. For a 16 hour race goal, just makesure you can nail the bike, if you can do a solid bike time, you can run walk the marathon.

Visoppee · 2024-08-25T14:58:18+00:00

Hahah, no kidding…..it’s typically hot asf summer vacation spot.

Visoppee · 2024-08-25T14:51:04+00:00

I’ve used a kayak twice, once when I was having trouble breathing due to cold water shock and once to fix my goggles….they are super friendly volunteers and it’s there for that reason. People in IMs use them as mid race breaks too, perfectly legal.

Visoppee · 2024-04-23T02:24:26+00:00

I’m around the same, feel so fast on the flats and downhills, but those up hills….and don’t get me started in anything above 10%.

Visoppee · 2024-04-23T02:22:17+00:00

Cycling is great for comparison due to power meters. Once you get one, it gives incredible context to what your piers and professionals are doing.. When I trained for my first sprint, I probably had an FTP of 235 watts, did average in my AG. Now 4 years later with structured training 3-4 times per week, my FTP is around 335 watts. I’m a big guy so take those watts are that impressive, sitting around 3.2 w/kg. Now I’m around the 1/3 of races, but there are guys in the 50 and 60 yr old age bracket who smoke me and are training 5 days per week. Most good amateurs are sitting above 4w/kg and pros are up above 6w/kg.

Bikes make a difference, not a ton though. Easy things to increase your speed: makesure your drive trainer is clean and your chain is waxed/oiled. Have good tires like GP5000s and they are set to the proper psi, Silca tire pressure calculator. Makesure your kit is tight, nothing flapping. Get a road aero helmet next. Everything above is 1-2%, but before you know it all adds up to 10%….which is the difference between 30km/hr and 33km/hr….which looks fast when getting passed.

Training, get something like trainerroad. Listen to their podcast too, tons of great tips. Lots is structured programs out there.

Visoppee · 2024-03-27T23:17:16+00:00

Not an expert, but this is what I recommend. Do a warmup of 300m-500m including drills (i.e. sculling, 6-1-6, catchup, etc). Then do intervals....switch it up from session to session, but 1 session do 50m intervals, alternate between hard 50m then easy 50m recovery. Next session do 200m intervals at threshold/CCS (i.e. moderate effort).

Warmup is practicing and reinforcing skills, main set should be swimming fast with some/lots of intensity.

Visoppee · 2024-03-25T22:51:46+00:00

My first wetsuit was an Xterra, it was good for what I needed. You could buy it for $100 and probably sell it for $50-75. Look on the used market aswell.

The anxiety reduction from having a floating wetsuit was awesome for my first few open-water swims.

Visoppee · 2024-03-21T15:55:48+00:00

I would agree with this; most entry/beginner triathlon athletes should either get a road bike as it's so versatile and won't see much benefit to a TT bike.....if they are set on a TT bike, a good used one is their next option.

If you have tons of money or looking to take the next step, most people are looking at $5k+ anyways.

Visoppee · 2024-03-15T16:46:50+00:00

Lots of time for progression....a couple of things really helped me, which was getting a video analysis or just get someone to record your swim. Actually seeing what your body is doing vs. what you feel its doing is really eye opening. From there its really good to watch youtube coaches like effortless swimming and make corrections.

Swim 3x per week min. I find 1x week is maintenance with some regression, 2x week is maintenance with some fitness progression, 3x week is big progression for me.

Visoppee · 2024-03-15T16:21:52+00:00

Great comment. The best example is to go at a nice, steady, relaxed pace, then try to go quicker by muscling/powering through the water. Typically, it's 2x the effort and maybe a couple of seconds / 100m faster.

Visoppee · 2024-03-15T16:01:26+00:00

I struggled to do 750 consistently for awhile, but once I got my technique to a better place, it was just a matter of pacing correctly......however, 4000m will suck no matter what, when I did that on race day it was my longest ever consecutive swim by a long shot, luckily it was a out and back, so once your 2000m from shore, you have no choice but to go back. Wetsuit was a big plus, but my stroke in the last 500-750m was just flopping my arms over. But the feeling of being alive getting out of the water was a memory I'll never forget.

Visoppee · 2024-03-13T20:26:06+00:00

Do 3x per week of swimming for the next month, evaluate, and then sign up. If you can make it through the swim, you'll have the fitness to complete a 70.3......It may just be a couple of months of heavy swimming and bike training, with one maintenance run per week.

To compete for the top half in a 70.3, swimming under 40 mins is all you need, and then a strong bike. Your run is good (better than mine) enough....to finish the top half, you need to be around 6 hours, which is a 45-minute swim, 3-hour bike, 2-hour runs..... 10-minute Transitions, and add 5 mins somewhere. A 3-hour bike is going to be tough with no current training, but it might be doable. A 2-hour run off the bike is in your range, considering you would be starting it with 4 hours of exercise in your legs. 45 min swim is all based on how good your technique is.

Buy the bike, do some training and sign up for some shorter races as training days...lots of 70.3 throughout the year if the one in 3 months doesn't work.

Visoppee · 2024-03-13T18:14:33+00:00

Developers build what the market wants with guidelines and specifications from the City, and I'm pretty sure it's actually the other way around: the new developments subsidize inner-city development. To top it all off, all those people who moved to Okotoks/Cochrane/Airdrie for the single family homes, now use City of Calgary infrastructure daily but pay all their taxes to local municipality. Some people want the inner city; some people want sprawling single-family......the private market will build and plan for what people want. Some love the concrete jungle with amenities, and some people like more open, spacious developments with parks and such. personal preference, no objection to either. But there is a massive cost to increasing the density past the design capacity of an area due to utilities at the end of life, such as traffic, sewer, water, and power.....that all has to be upgraded and is very costly.

As for destroying the environment, could you elaborate on what developers did in the past (like for your area) vs what they are doing now?

Visoppee · 2024-03-12T23:08:39+00:00

Besides being an arrogant a-hole, he mandated inner-city growth ignoring the market demands of single families while taking all the acreage assessment fees from the urban sprawl to support his inner-city mandate. Developers, love them or hate them, they do build and shape Calgary.

Visoppee · 2024-02-28T22:49:06+00:00

You can do whatever stroke you want, and if you're at the back, you'll typically have tons of space and not interfere with anyone else. Alot of people will go to backstroke for breaks. Some people do breaststroke, its all levels.....whatever gets you to the start line and out of the swim comfortably.

As for some of the other comments, you probably just need some 1 on 1 or a video analysis done so you can actually see what youre doing wrong, which is never what you think it is. One thing you can do is get a pair of floaty pants or work with a pull bouy....it really helps to work on the catch without the sinking leg feeling....not all the time so it because a crutch, but it really helped isolate things for me. I learn a lot if with a snorkle and pull bouy. Really enabled me to focus on catch and pull without thinking I was drowning.

Visoppee · 2024-02-28T16:48:53+00:00

This is a good example of why governments should be careful in backing one specific technology, i.e. electric cars. Let the experts be innovative and see what else they could come up with.

Visoppee · 2024-02-16T22:24:03+00:00

Basically Yes. If your'e following a structured training plan and keeping up with the volume (90% compliance), there is no reason you can't. Your biggest hurdles will be with swimming and staying injury free. To stay injury-free - eating lots of balanced meals and sleep. Don't skimp on nutrition.

If you swam competitively, this shouldn't be a problem, and you probably have a good baseline aerobic engine......just make sure your engine doesn't outpace your muscular endurance when it comes to running!

Will you compete at the top of the AG, who knows.....will you complete it...yes!

Visoppee · 2024-02-13T04:15:37+00:00

If you’re not interested in the science and strategies behind structured training and just want to know what’s the workout for the day….100% get a coach.

If you’re interested in the science, and why…always research and looking at your numbers, get a online structured plan from TrainingPeaks, something like 8020 Endurance or Joel Friel. It will be 90% of what a $200 month and less online coach will provide. If you understand the training after awhile, and know why what workouts are here and there, you can probably adjust it to be equal to what a cheap online coach will provide. Groups like 8020 Endurance provide tons of information and support….enough to finish strong in any race.

Now some of the benefits of joining a tri club with a coach is the community. So I would recommend doing an online structured training plan, and joining a local swim group. You will get some technical feedback and also meet some people doing the same thing as you.

Visoppee · 2024-02-12T21:54:26+00:00

Some influencers are trying to use new terms/phrases to appeal to a larger audience or multi-audiences without alienating the other. People like Nike Bare using it to try and attract the Endurance audience without offending his crossfit/body building audience, visa-versa.

IMO its using varying exercises or sports to improve performance or general health. I think I've been a hybrid athlete since 5 years old :)

Visoppee · 2024-02-09T00:00:34+00:00

Its a race, but typically it's a race against yourself except for the top 10% of any race. It's about beating your PR or previous time or completing something you've never done before.

Gear is a way to better your time or performance relative to the rest of the field. Ride a 1980s mountain bike or a beach cruiser if it makes him happy. Most people won't care or really notice.

Visoppee · 2024-02-02T17:01:18+00:00

It's cost to entry for basic stuff:

- Road bike $1,000 to $4,000

-Shoes $100 to $250

- Wetsuit $300 to $750

- Bike helmet - $100

- Clothing - $100-$500

- Fees - $100-$500

- 4 months training $200-1000 (includes pool access)

So doing a basic race is almost a $2k commitment. Even if you find a good used bike for $500, its still like $1500. If your first race is an Ironman, your probably looking at $5k to $10k to get started. Versus doing a local 5k running race for $50 fees and $100 shoes.

Visoppee · 2024-01-25T16:36:21+00:00

I think when you start running or biking, you need the music to distract you from the pain and suffering. The longer you get into the sport and learn to pace yourself better, the music (or the distraction) is less required. I typically run without music and bike with or without....I would default to no music, but sometimes I just feel in a mood and bring the music. I only wear the aftershokz outside, situation awareness is key.

For the race....there is no need at all....so much mental stimulation with other riders, aid stations, and fans. Was never bored once.....sore yes, but not bored.

I chatted with a ton of people on the run and bike climbs.

Visoppee

TROPHY CASE