COFFEE CLUB: a running podcast about nothing · Morgan McDonald

The Fastest European of All Time

·1 hr 10 min·4 clips

Almgren says he is the only athlete in history under 1:46 for 800 meters and 27:00 for 10K.

1. Coffee Club episode 195 centers on Drew Hunter and Andreas Almgren, with Almgren joining by Zoom from St. Moritz. 2. The hosts are Oli, George, and Gus, and Hunter appears as a surprise guest while Almgren is introduced as Sweden's European-record-level 5000 runner. 3. The episode asks what Almgren's range, training, and event choices say about his best shot at Worlds and USAs. 4. Hunter describes his 3:30.00 1500-meter personal best at the Armory Invite, which he also calls Dr. Sanders. 5. He connects that race to his old sub-4 mile memory with Morgan and to a 2016 high school indoor record run of 3:57. 6. He says he is trying to win races rather than obsess over time because it is easier to finish second or third than to close and win. 7. Hunter explains that he was entered in the 1500, 5000, and 10,000 at USAs before deciding to scratch the 10,000 and the 1500. 8. He says the 5000 gives him the best chance because he has done long training, a 10-miler, and enough speed to finish hard. 9. He also notes that the U.S. 5000 field is deep, but championship racing often comes down to who is ready on the day. 10. Almgren and the hosts talk about his 1244 European record and his Monaco race, where he pulled out with a hamstring cramp after about 2.9K. 11. He says an MRI in St. Moritz looked good and that he already completed a threshold session after the scare. 12. Almgren says the drive from St. Moritz to Monaco may have contributed and jokes that it should not be repeated. 13. He describes his history as an 800-meter world junior medalist in 2014 who still feels like an 800 guy even after moving up. 14. He says he is the only athlete in history who has broken 1:46 for 800 meters and 27:00 for 10K. 15. Almgren explains that his biggest change has been building a large aerobic base so that race-specific work becomes possible later. 16. He says his normal week includes Tuesday and Thursday threshold, Saturday hills, easy threshold in the evening, and a Sunday long run. 17. He contrasts that with race-prep blocks in Sierra Nevada or Kivanna, where he does controlled high-intensity work every two days. 18. The tone is technical and conversational, with long back-and-forths about lactate meters, bicarb, Nomio, and specific paces. 19. Listeners who like elite training details, championship tactics, and 1500-to-half-marathon physiology should like this. 20. Listeners who want a short, non-technical recap of racing news may skip it.

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