Rising Star
Interview with Norwegian Long-Distance Runner Magnus Tuv Myhre
February 1, 2024Interview with Norwegian Long-Distance Runner Magnus Tuv Myhre
February 1, 2024Get to know Magnus Tuv Myhre, the 23-year-old PUMA Athlete on the rise! Magnus is one of the most promising runners in Europe, winning a sensational silver medal at the end of last year at the European XC Championships. Training amongst some of the biggest names in Norwegian athletics, Magnus is an athlete to look out for.
During his visit to PUMA’s Herzo HQ last week, CATch Up had the opportunity to chat with Magnus on how he got into long-distance running, his training schedule and his goals for the upcoming season.
Can you share a bit about your journey in long-distance running, from your early experiences to where you are now?
Magnus: I actually started out in cross-country skiing. I was quite good in my early years, but I grew later than others, so my competitors were stronger and faster than me. I wanted to do something I was good at, and I realised I was better at running. After high school, I really had the opportunity to spend my time training and I only got better and better.
Every athlete faces challenges. Can you share a particular challenge you’ve encountered and how you overcame it?
Magnus: I would say probably illness and injuries. Also, when you don’t respond to training and you don’t understand why you are not getting any better. When you are training and think you are in great shape, but when it comes to competition it doesn’t go so well, it’s really hard to understand why sometimes. Of course, in sports, the highs are very high and the lows are very low. From one day to the next, you can be super happy with a result and the next day be frustrated.
It is like I mentioned with skiing – I didn’t want to compete because it was embarrassing to feel like I was so far behind the other guys. But now I found my sport!
You won the silver medal at the European championships back in December – how did it feel to achieve such a big accomplishment?
Magnus: That was great, of course, because it was my first medal. Before the competition, my training was going super well and it was my goal to medal. Of course, winning a medal is never easy and so it felt really good. Most of the things I had achieved were good times on the track, so finally having my first international medal was amazing.
What are your goals for the upcoming season?
Magnus: Timewise, I would like to run a 5km in sub 13 minutes. Championship-wise, I would like to hopefully medal at the European Championship and for the Olympics, at least get to the final.
We were told you train with some of the biggest names in Norwegian athletics – the Ingebrigtsen brothers. What is this like and can you share some insights into your training?
Magnus: It is super motivating! Especially because Jakob is Olympic champion. Even before I got to train with him, he was my idol. I wanted to be like him and achieve the same things. We are quite good friends, and of course it is good to train with them. But they are also great people, so the training camps are super enjoyable. They are something I look forward to going to – it does not feel super stressful going to these camps. And I feel like every week, when our training group is training, it feels like we are only getting better with every session. It is super motivating to also see how that type of training has worked for someone else, especially when I notice how it is working for me too. It’s only more and more and more motivating, training with them.
Of course, it is also quite competitive! If you do something bad, they will let you know. You have to have thick skin and be able to take criticism.
Do you have any pre-competition rituals?
Magnus: Before the competition, I always have to brush my teeth. Of course I also have to warm up, but it’s important to me to feel fresh – so I will also shower before, to make sure my body is as ready as possible. I have also started to take gels for some caffeine and get my heart going.
I’m not really like others where I have to listen to music, get in my head and be super focussed – I’m quite the opposite. When there’s spectators and someone I know, then I will talk to them for a couple of minutes right before the start. I am much more relaxed before the start of the competition.
One of the hardest parts is the last meal. It is the worst meal you might ever have, because you are nervous and your body might not want to intake any food but you have to force it down.
How many times do you train a week?
Magnus: I train two times every day, so 14 times a week. We have the mentality that it is better to have easy or short sessions instead of having a break because the best thing is if you are in a rhythm, it is easier to keep it. It’s like having breakfast, lunch and dinner – it just feels normal, especially on training camp. It can be quite boring if you are not training in between when you have nothing else to do – again, especially at training camp because there isn’t much else to do.
Outside of training and competition, what does a typical day look like for you?
Magnus: I like to sleep as long as I can until I wake up naturally. I never use an alarm unless I have something I have to wake up for. And then have some food and go for training. I do nothing for around six hours before I have my second training and then do nothing again. Luckily for me, I don’t have to do anything – for me it’s not a problem at all to do nothing, I think it is super chill. I am also motivated for doing everything I can do, to be as good as possible, so to use the rest of the day outside of training for rest is no problem.
Who or what inspires and motivates you to push your limits in long-distance running?
Magnus: Tough question! You want to find out your own limits, how fast you can go. And the faster you go, the target gets even higher and higher. So of course, the thing that inspires me the most is that I want to be one of the best in the world and to run as fast as possible. This is mostly my inspiration to keep going and see how fast I can run. To see what other people are doing too, you see what is possible and what you can also reach.
What is the best piece of advice you have received so far in your career?
Magnus: I always try to give everything – even on a bad day. Never give up, try to keep going. Hard works pays off. If you want to be the best, you have to do it over a long period – it won’t happen in one or two sessions. You have to work for a long time and take baby steps.
And lastly, which are your favourite running shoes currently, and what specific features do you value most in your running footwear?
Magnus: It depends! I would take maybe Deviate 2. I like to use different interval shoes for different kinds of sessions. So of course we do heal sessions, where I guess FAST-R2 is the best. I would say FAST-R2 is my favourite.
