– I understand that some have laughed a little, and they may have done so with good reason. But I guess there might be some questions about it now. And I gladly accept them, says Petter Myhr to NRK.
A 13th place in the BUL sprint was his best position at senior level before Saturday’s joint start with a change of skis during the NM at Beitostølen.
He nailed it there with a sixth place.
Completely in line with what he himself announced when he hosted NRK before the NM. He then revealed that the goal was a position among the top seven.
At the same time, he talked about his special methods. Myhr is one of the few to have adopted simulated altitude after the Norwegian ban was lifted.
He has installed a high-altitude tent above the bed at home. He also sits for hours on a bicycle roller – wearing gloves and a warm suit.
– Must have a sense of humor
There has been no lack of feedback after NRK published the interview. And not everyone has been positive.
– You just have to have a bit of humor about it when you have been so low on the lists and perhaps make moves that are more extreme than others, so I understand that, says Myhr.
But far from everything has been ridicule.
– There have been some of the world‘s best runners who have asked about altitude tents and warmth already. I guess it won’t get any smaller now, he says.
The next person to ask could be Johannes Høsflot Klæbo. The world‘s best skier in recent seasons put everyone in their place on the run and fulfilled the favorite stamp in Saturday’s race.
And the Norwegian champion realized that there was a new face up in the top tier.
LOCOMOTIVE DRIVER: From starting number 39, Petter Myhr moved up to the lead and helped to keep the speed up in the field.
Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB
– You can smile as much as you want
– Very good. So it’s clear that it’s impressive, and it’s clear that then he’s taken big, big steps, and it’s funny, says Klæbo.
He confirms that Myhr’s methods have become a “talking box” in the cross-country environment, and admits that he is curious.
– There is no one who can criticize him when he has talked about results and gets to the top six in the NM. Then you can grin as much as you want, but it obviously worked, and we have to respect that, says the gold winner.
Klæbo himself has become a strong supporter of altitude training, although he has not tried simulated altitude.
– I know that thermal cycling has been used frequently among cyclists, so it should not be overlooked that it works well, he says.
Petter Myhr sets up a high-altitude tent at home at the apartment in Kjelsås
Both want to go to the WC
– Surely it is technically possible to install both heat and altitude effect in the garage where your roller ski mill is?
– I guess that’s really it. But I don’t think we will start with it now a year before the World Cup, says Klæbo to NRK.
It’s a WC that Petter Myhr also wants to take part in.
– If you look at it objectively, I think I have well under one percent chance of going to the WC next year, but in my head it is 50/50, he said before the WC.
Faith has hardly waned now.
Top six in Saturday’s race: 1. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, 2. Iver Tildheim Andersen, 3. Martin Kirkeberg Mørk, 4. Gjøran Tefre, 5. Andreas Fjorden Ree, 6. Petter Myhr.