Danish Olympic marathon hopeful Jacob Sommer Simonsen talks about running a 68-minute half marathon with a stroller (!!) and how being a father affects his running practice.
Really interesting as ever Raz, and I say the following while acknowledging a) the difference in the populations of Denmark/Scandi countries generally, and b) winning isn't everything, BUT... there are an awful lot more US Olympic and world champions than there are Danish ones (I can't think of any super successful Danish runners, and Jakob Ingebrigtsen - Norway, of course - is the only really big name Scandi runner who comes to mind). So maybe there is something to say for working top-level athletes hard at certain times? Not that I'm any kind of expert at all... just a Devil's Advocate thought! Also, taxes in Finland are REALLY high!! lol
Denmark have won the Euros more times than the USA tho 🤪 More times than England at that...
But yes, I'm sure having the drive (internal and external) does force more success in that narrow lane of more, more, more being success.
I do have a scary sentence about Californian taxes being higher than anything in Scandinavia, but it involves understanding and accepting that a mandatory insurance (we have many) is actually just a private tax. We get far less for it, of course, but there's the happiness bit.
😂 True - in a tournament they didn’t even qualify for!!
In all honesty, I think there is probably a perfect balance of being pushed hard and having a coaching system where you are listened to and are not encouraged to beat yourself up for results.
I do remember speaking to world mountain racing champion Grayson Murphy a while back about how she’d left track running for the trails because she lost all enjoyment in a rigid training regime
As for tax systems… seriously, I’m not actually qualified to talk in detail about running let alone economics!!
Really interesting as ever Raz, and I say the following while acknowledging a) the difference in the populations of Denmark/Scandi countries generally, and b) winning isn't everything, BUT... there are an awful lot more US Olympic and world champions than there are Danish ones (I can't think of any super successful Danish runners, and Jakob Ingebrigtsen - Norway, of course - is the only really big name Scandi runner who comes to mind). So maybe there is something to say for working top-level athletes hard at certain times? Not that I'm any kind of expert at all... just a Devil's Advocate thought! Also, taxes in Finland are REALLY high!! lol
Denmark have won the Euros more times than the USA tho 🤪 More times than England at that...
But yes, I'm sure having the drive (internal and external) does force more success in that narrow lane of more, more, more being success.
I do have a scary sentence about Californian taxes being higher than anything in Scandinavia, but it involves understanding and accepting that a mandatory insurance (we have many) is actually just a private tax. We get far less for it, of course, but there's the happiness bit.
😂 True - in a tournament they didn’t even qualify for!!
In all honesty, I think there is probably a perfect balance of being pushed hard and having a coaching system where you are listened to and are not encouraged to beat yourself up for results.
I do remember speaking to world mountain racing champion Grayson Murphy a while back about how she’d left track running for the trails because she lost all enjoyment in a rigid training regime
As for tax systems… seriously, I’m not actually qualified to talk in detail about running let alone economics!!