This summer, Victor Johansson became the first Swede to swim under 15 minutes in the 1500 meter freestyle.

Afterwards, the 23-year-old said that he had taken inspiration from Nils van der Poel.  

Something he is far from alone.

One who has also read Nils van der Poel's training manifesto with great interest is the track and field athlete Andreas Almgren.  

Just over two weeks have passed since the Diamond League gala in Brussels, where he not only beat, but shattered Anders Gärderud's 46-year-old record at 5000 meters.

The new record time of 13.01.70 makes him Europaetta this season and is below the qualification limit for the WC in Budapest next year.  

Participating in large study: “I like data”

Andreas Almgren smiles widely when he thinks back on the race.  

- When I got to the finish line and got to see the time, I just said: Yes!

Now I am finally where I want to be.  

Right now, the 27-year-old is participating in a large study at the University of Gymnastics and Sports, which, among other things, examines how the body reacts to training load and recovery.

An important topic for Andreas Almgren, who has had a lot of injury concerns over the years.

- I like data.

So to be able to take part in a study like this and learn more about one's own body, I think it's very fun.

Runners put in the least training hours

A key has been finding the right amount of training.

Almgren, who has gone from running 800 meters to increasingly longer distances, has been thinking about how running differs from other fitness sports. 

- Runners are usually the ones who put in the least number of training hours a week.

Say I run 18 miles a week, that's about 12 hours of effective training.

Cross-country skiers and cyclists are in comparison on 30-hour weeks.

But running is so tiring, so you can't train as much as you like. 

"What Nils van der Poel showed..."

During the spring, he therefore tested supplementing running with several hours on a bicycle outdoors.

And this is where Nils van der Poel comes into the picture.

- What van der Poel showed is that you can put in non-branch-specific training to increase the amount of training.

In his case, cycling and some running.

So during an injury period in the spring I tried doing 30-hour weeks on the bike.

- The body is first worn out when you start running, but then it's very quick to get well.

So that's something I'll take with me here during basic training.

We'll see how it goes, but it's always fun to try something new, says Andreas Almgren.