“The distance doesn’t worry me. It is the monotony that concerns me,” says Madshus racer Thomas Alsgaard (NOR).
Legendary cross-country skier Thomas Alsgaard doesn’t worry about hitting the wall or bonking, but he does wonder if it will be monotonous.
“The monotony is the number one reason I haven’t done a marathon before. I’ve been worried that it would be boring,” Alsgaard says.
“But right now, I’m just excited and I’m looking forward to it. Running a marathon is something I’ve always thought I should do in my lifetime, and it’s starting to get urgent,” says Alsgaard, who is pushing 40.
Alsgaard feels that he is on schedule with his training plan, and should be able to enjoy the trek through the streets of New York City on November 6.
“I’m sure I’ll finish in style, but at what pace is an entirely different question,” Alsgaard says, explaining that training to perform in a marathon is not exactly conducive to training for double-poling the Vasaloppet in March. And after all, the 90-kilometer Vasaloppet is his first priority.
Alsgaard has identified three main goals for the upcoming season: Vasaloppet in March is his overall season goal, while the 15K skate event at the Norwegian National Championships is the next, and the New York Marathon is the oddity that adds variety to the mix.
“Those are three entirely different competitions,” Alsgaard states matter-of-factly.