Search
shop

‘We had a bit of a crazy plan’ – Lisa Norden on unconventional Roth build-up

Swedish star looking to put an epic gravel racing brick session to good use as she bids to make her mark at stacked Challenge Roth.
News Director
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

She was in the top six at both Kona and last year’s rescheduled IRONMAN World Championship in St George, is #16 in the world rankings and yet Lisa Norden seems to be coming into Challenge Roth relatively under the radar.

Part of the reason is the fact that the Swede, second behind Nicola Spirig in that stunning Olympics finale at London 2012, has only had the one low-key, indoor race this season.

But as we found out when we caught up with her in Roth, that doesn’t mean she comes into this short of fitness.

She told us: “I actually did the Arena Triathlon indoors in Sweden three months ago which was a super-short event with qualifying in the morning and then the final in the afternoon.”

But that saw the emergence of a calf issue which would ultimately rule her out of her early-season target of the PTO European in Ibiza and has since led to an unconventional build-up in swim, bike and run.

Advertisement

Unusual brick session

She took part in an open water swim race at the Stockholm Simfestivalen and then on two wheels headed to her first-ever gravel race in Finland – an up-and-down 177km which she followed the next morning with a 34km run!

“We had to regroup a little bit after Ibiza in terms of the plan for Roth, which was always one of my big races,” she explains.

“We had bit of a crazy plan, but I think it turned out quite well with three weeks of altitude in Livigno then we needed to do something productive with that window afterwards. It was like, okay, let’s go to Finland gravel. At 177k it was like an Ironman distance and then followed by the long run afterwards. It was my first gravel race and I met Ruth Astle and India Lee on the startline which was nice.

“It was a mass start and super tough and to be honest beforehand I was standing there feeling my collarbones and wondering if I was about to do something stupid!

“I’ve done some road races in the past, big ones too. But this one was crazy because it had everyone together, the pro men and women. It was undulating trails in the forest and very technical – but I had some massive power numbers so it was a great workout and then I recovered enough to do the run.”

Lisa Norden (SWE) wins IRONMAN Lake Placid 2022

‘Such a change in the dynamic’

Norden says she’s been focussing on her cycling, which was a strength anyway, but adds: “I’m very aware my marathon time has to come down too and that’s also what we’ve been working on simultaneously.”

And she knows that with the stacked field on Sunday – all the IRONMAN world champions since 2015 and six athletes from the top 16 in the world – she’ll need to be on the top of her game.

But with her ITU background, the best racing the best is sonething she’s very used to: “Coming from World Triathlon racing, every race you turn up to has a good field.

“Full-distance is a bit trickier because you can’t really race ‘no limits’, you have to calculate what you’re doing.

“It used to be that my coach told me, you can do Ironman when you’re old and slow, don’t do it now. But now you have such a change in the dynamic.

“You have such a big pool of talent and everyone can swim, everyone is in the wind tunnel. Everyone is doing all the details as well. So every year it gets better and better at the top and the midfield gets better too. And it’s making for really good races.”

Jonathan Turner
Written by
Jonathan Turner
Jonathan Turner is News Director for both TRI247 and RUN247, and is accustomed to big-name interviews, breaking news stories and providing unrivalled coverage for endurance sports.  
Discover more
Challenge The Championship Marjolaine Pieree
How to qualify for Challenge The Championship – and why it should be on your triathlon bucket list
Cadomotus aero triathlon cycling shoes
Can your triathlon cycling shoes make you faster? How shoe choice could speed up your triathlon finish times
French Riviera T100 bike course Esterel
Is this the ultimate middle distance triathlon bike course? We rode the French Riviera T100 bike course and it’s EPIC
Ironman gear guide – everything you need to get to the finish line of a full distance triathlon
Challenge St. Pölten 2024 - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
Expert swim coach on the three most common swim mistakes age group triathletes make (and how to fix them!)
latest News
Kat Matthews vs Laura Philipp
IRONMAN Hamburg pro women’s start list: Laura Philipp vs Kat Matthews in World Championship rematch
Lionel Sanders wins 70.3 St George 2025 photo credit Getty Images for IRONMAN
Triathlon superstar Lionel Sanders says he went to a “dark place” to fuel his latest IRONMAN win
The PTO's CEO Sam Renouf
PTO reveal ambitions of matching Roth and Kona as French Riviera T100 triathlon course details unveiled
Sam Long St George 2024 photo credit Getty Images for IRONMAN
‘No No No’ – Sam Long says he felt ROBBED by swim cancellation at ‘69.1 Chattanooga’
IRONMAN World Championship 2024 Nice Age Group Swim Start
IRONMAN to review World Championship slot allocation model after fears raised for Age Group women
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...