Norwegian Super Coach: GTN Coach's Corner Kona Special With Olav Bu!

On this special Kona edition of Coach's Corner, we have none other than high-performance coach Olav Bu, who trains superstar triathletes Kristian Blummenfelt & Gustav Iden! From lactate testing to off-season planning, we have you covered! Have a question you need an answer to? Leave it with #gtncoachescorner under any of our vids and we try to answer in an upcoming episode!
Special thanks to Olav for helping us with this video!
Intro - 0:00
How often should I do an FTP Test? - 0:28
How should I plan an off-season? - 3:32
Should you stick to HR Zones? - 4:27
Should I be lactate testing? - 5:54
How to adapt training - 7:37
Can I be my own coach? - 9:12
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[@eagleironic5815]

I know there are a lot of athletes (coaches even) who are obsessed with numbers and metrics. I just love how Olav throws the idea that metrics are the be all and end all out the window, and provides such a nuanced and informative insight. Galaxy brain coaching right there.

[@GiantOfTheNorth]

Very very solid. If a GTN audio podcast happened going through stuff like this I would listen

[@grahambell9831]

Very interesting talk with renowned coach Mr. Bu. With all of the analysis of metrics available it's good ( and right) to see the world's best still ask their athletes how they feel first ( the long established borg scale?). The metrics support and underpin that " athlete feel" 👏 👌

[@bostonmike3704]

Great interview! I love the nuances that Olav brings to the table. I am convinced that this is where the real benefit of proper training lies and of course the strength of an experienced coach. Thank you for sharing these insights!

[@nickmallett7391]

So great to hear him discuss these topics because,as a crusty old schooler who has been racing Tri's since '86,if I were to explain training in this very way,I would be criticized for being an out of touch Dinosaur. You can dress it up all you like with fancy gear and gadgets but,at the core,some things never change.

[@Mike.A.]

1st race in 86 here also and agree with you. Cheers

[@nickkenyon-muir3450]

Really great interview with intelligent questions. I agree with the above comment that having Mr Bu on a GTN podcast would get mine (and probably lots of other people's) attention. Just a thought! Keep up the good work!

[@emmag00]

So insightful!

[@shydncrumph8119]

always interesting to hear from coaches. thx for that.

[@immortalrob1630]

Such a brilliant insight

[@PatrickDelorenzi]

Great video guys, thanks 🙏

[@yeyeTF2]

fantastic video. i agreed with everything he said, makes so much sense!

[@141641a]

Awesome answers

[@lordge01]

extremely engaging and useful! can you please do more interviews like this?

[@lord1999ful]

Great information!

[@mateusbittencourtmendes2684]

Amazing interview!

[@gtn]

Glad you enjoyed it - we learned a lot!

[@WILDFOXRUNNING]

Awesome insight, I’ve always thought being in touch with how we feel and what our instinct tell us is more important than all the metrics. Problem is new athletes are being told by their watches to take an easy day when they actually feel good and the opposite sometimes. Lots of apps and brands interest in keeping us obsessed with the numbers perhaps. I love my data post workout but never let it decide for me. Great video GTN 😊

[@autokar123]

Great questions!

[@jeffcarrol4263]

Solid interview!

[@gtn]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@AntJB12345]

Smart man!

[@gersonberthault3880]

Great interview.

[@gtn]

Thanks!

[@paulsolon6229]

The coach has athletes legs, thick muscles Looks fit

[@mikew6840]

Thanks Mark - great interview and tactful probing. (Also… glad you’re a triathlete or you’d probably be wearing socks with those sandals 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿😏)

[@scottreutter]

I can listen to him all day too lol.

[@tjgato]

Mark my friend met you in Kona very nice

[@gourami7]

Olav Bu, simply changing how to smash barriers in triathlon Behind the Norsemen are the Danes

[@larsborghardt]

but without the hills! 🌄

[@SaqerAlKhalifa]

This is good

[@luisbernardomanzano5626]

Ten days late but it was a great interview!! 💯

[@gtn]

Thanks for listening

[@victorjld]

For those who want to listen a longer chat with Olav I recommend to listen his interview in the That Triathlon Show podcast.

[@gtn]

We also have our own full in depth interview here too 👉 gtn.io/OlavAleksander

[@gtn]

Do you have a coach? Let us know 👇

[@immortalrob1630]

Yes I have a coach. I have been a coached athlete for over a year now. It really has helped my training and I find I’m a lot fresher for all the sessions. Also working as a chef i find it a huge benefit having a coach.

[@jeuelc]

No, I dont have a coach. Would love to have one for my next season.

[@atar3117]

GTN & GCN are my coaches 😊😊😊

[@andrellhardy2652]

I had a coach for my first 2 full IM distance races. He recently retired. My next IM (Cozumel IM) will be my first race without him.

[@apostolisp4909]

The Norwegians are always interesting !

[@axllii]

As a Norwegian i humbly agree 😄😄

[@Zone2enjoyer]

#GTNCOACHESCORNER Hi GTN, i just started Triathlon training a couple months ago and am looking to do my first olympic distance races in next year‘s season - i think i could potentially do really well. For the upcoming winter i have bought a smart trainer to improve my time on the bike - i just started this summer. Can you recommend specific training sessions or even one of the plans on Zwift for getting my 40k bike time lower over the winter?

[@michaelking85]

#gtncoachescorner Hi GTN, love your content. I'm 16 years old and planning my race schedule for next season. I am just wondering how much time I should leave in between olympic distance races and how many I should have in a season.

[@axllii]

Mr Bu and the other guys have a longer interview with Rich Roll, where they explain the recovery and finding maximum racing load. Search for it on KZbin.

[@markphilpottinsidesport]

can someone please describe the abbreviations used for us beginners HRV etc?

[@nfkb]

Heart Rate Variability (measured at rest)

[@markphilpottinsidesport]

@@nfkb thank you

[@evanscoaching]

Interesting as I "listen deeply" how these protocols are SO similar to how I coached athletes during the earliest of years in Triathlon. I developed intensity and rest ratio protocols and most of the athletes had race results we expected. It was "intuitive", but I did study at length the sports science books and papers out of Stanford and Berkeley. Those were critical, BUT "we" were pioneering the frequency, duration and intensity, BUT it worked pretty well and many of my athletes were champions. Great times back then. As a side note: I think IRONMAN would do well to have people like Olav doing lengthy commentary of the Livestream. Not a fan of the current group of announcers. Too much editorialization and Olav and others would be quite interesting to "tell the story" as it unfolds during the race day.

[@Ivan_Nano]

5:37 I thought he was going to say “Zones… I’m not zone sure”

[@moytheboy22]

The Smoothie King himself 🧃 🥤

[@andreemurray7039]

Awesome some one who doesn't live by the number's and goes on personal feel

[@mc200010]

Seems like a waste to have the whole setup with cameras, mics etc and one of the best coaches in the world and only do 10mins.

[@wrxzboost]

why is this only 10 min?

[@danmartin9086]

So funny reading the comments of people here just realising they can go by feel rather than numbers. Hardly the revelation surely!? 🤣

[@douglasbooth6836]

If your metrics said don’t train but you feel great then train. I want to see you do 2 lactate tests. One fueled and one non fueled.

[@PhiyackYuh]

Whats the point of it then? To prove ketosis can make you faster?

[@nfkb]

@@PhiyackYuh lactate is harder to interpret when you're glycogen depleted, you can see lower numbers that can fool you. For example just doing a brick run can mess expected lactate numbers during running

[@jimjamthebananaman1]

Thank god someone isn’t interested in heart rate zones!

[@CoachPursuit]

They use lactate determined zones (LT1 and LT2)

[@trplpltr8804]

Great interview!! But please don't use this shortcut from your running cycling and swimming... he is a very important person for our sport.. we want see him and his Body communication!! Thx

[@savagepro9060]

Lactate testing? Fk no, I rather Beer Tasting