Andreas Bueno – going to the European Championships in 1500m

Andreas Bueno is going to the European Championships in 1500m. Next, the goal is the Olympics in Brazil. A young hope in Danish athletics. How do you become among Europe’s fastest runners in middle distances in athletics? Read about Andreas’ training and learn about what the journey has been like.

Image material for the interview was taken by Jesper Rais from AU Communication.

Who is Andreas Bueno?

• I am 26 years old,
• lives in Aarhus,
• medical students at the master’s level,
• Just moved in with my boyfriend, who I’ve been with since high school.
• I am dedicated and have always tried to be the best.

Motivation

Do you use music in your training?

I only use music when I alternate training alone. Otherwise I almost always run with others or in the forest, where I don’t feel music is necessary.

What motivates you to run as often as you do?

I love running. I enjoy a good walk in the forest or a hard workout at the stadium. I love feeling like I’m pushing my body to the limit and that I’m getting better from it. I like the feeling that my body is as efficient and healthy as possible.

Are you focused on the goal or the process of your running training?

The process is in focus all the time, as I tread carefully in everything I do. I have great talent, but I get injured easily. Therefore, I have learned that the process must be handled gently and purposefully, and then the goal will be achieved.

What does it take for you to feel successful in your training?

If I don’t feel anything in my knee, which is where the problems usually occur, then it’s a success. Progress comes by itself if I avoid injuries.

Do you ever feel like (probably not right now with the European Championship qualification) to drop all running training and do something completely different?

When I was run down in November 2012, I wondered if it was over. And sometimes, when I have to turn down a beach volleyball tournament or tennis with my girlfriend, I feel like I’m sacrificing something. But I’ve always felt that I get plenty in return, and when I stop running, hopefully there will be time to do many of the things I don’t have time for now.

What is needed?

How many hours per week are required for you to continue developing?

About 10 hours of active training, but with transport and showers etc. about twice as long.

How many years have you been training seriously?

I’ve been focused since 2009, when I first ran under 3:50 [Jens Jakob note: at 1500m – 2:33 min/km]. Since then, however, I lost both the entirety of 2010 and a good amount of 2012 and 2013 to injuries.

Would you give 5 good tips to runners who want to significantly improve their running times?

1. Find out how your body works so you can stay injury-free.
2. Set realistic goals – there is nothing as motivating as achieving a goal.
3. Stop when you notice something that is not as it should be, and possibly take a day off or do alternative/non-stressful training.
4. If you get injured, keep playing other sports, or the rehabilitation will take much longer.
5. Train with others so that you are both pressured and socially stimulated.

Your personal running program

Would you like to share your running program?

www.andreasbueno.com (Jens Jakob edit: here you can read all of Andreas’ training sessions day by day over the past many years).

Jens Jakob edit: I have retrieved an example of a training week in April, which looks like this:

Mandag morgen

• Warm-up + heavy strength + knee exercises

Monday afternoon

• 3km warm-up + 10x100m with 1 minute rest. Alternating 800m pace and 1500m pace

Tuesday morning

• 40 min crosstrainer

Tuesday afternoon

• 8km – pace: 4min/km

Wednesday

• (400+400)x3, rest: 1 minute and 10 seconds. First 400m run at 800m pace, next run at 1500m pace. Training at altitude.

Thursday morning

• 30 min crosstrainer

Thursday evening

• 60 min crosstrainer

Friday morning

• 10 min cross trainer + 3 miles (about 4.5km) around 9 miles/hour + 1 hour core training

Friday afternoon

• 10 min warm-up + strength + sprint training

Saturday

• 3x1500m, 2 min break. Times: 4:40, 4:39 and 4:31. Almost 3:00 min/km.

Sunday morning

• 8km – 4:15 min/km. Afternoon 60 min cross trainer

Sunday afternoon

• 60 min cross trainer

What’s your favorite workout? A leisurely walk in the woods or a tough interval workout?

5×3 min (1 break) in the forest with heart rate 90% of max. A fantastic pace, where oxygen uptake is stimulated, but below the acid level. 3×1000 (10 breaks) where I run 1500m at competition pace, i.e. approx. 2:25. Disgustingly hard, but cool!

How many peaks do you typically have in a year?

A real peak in mid-July, but I’m doing a little extra for the European Championships in mid-August.

How is your year-round running program structured? Is there a lot of focus on volume in the off-season and more technique and sprinting as competitions approach?

I do basic training without acid intervals from October to April, after which intervals are moved from the forest to the track and I start running at a higher intensity and a slightly lower volume. In May/June, the breaks on the intervals become longer and the intensity becomes at competition pace. If I am injury-free, I do strength training and sprinting 2 times a week throughout the year.

Are you completely exhausted after every quality session or do you hold back a lot to reduce the risk of failure?

Far from it. During my hardest period in April-June, I went out 1-2 times a week.

What is the distribution between technique training, intensive interval training, tempo runs and calm runs?

Tempo runs: fall/winter. Technique training: always before intervals. Mostly when I’m on the track. Easy runs: 4-8 per week, but quite short for me as I do a lot of alternative training. Intensive intervals: max twice a week.

Choosing running shoes

Nike is your sponsor today – is it also your favorite brand? Why?

Nike has it all. They lead sports fashion, they know how to produce elite products and they give me everything I need. I can have the coolest running gear on the market and still feel that the quality is 100% top notch.

Which Nike models do you use and for what purposes?

Zoom elite is my favorite shoe, which I use both for walks and for intervals in the forest. This shoe can do everything! It provides super good support but still feels lighter than other regular shoes. I use Stream LT when I have to run fast on the track. I use Victory Elite as a spike shoe, and it is fantastic. Hard sole and super light.

Which shoe is the best shoe you’ve ever had?

Zoom elite.

The future

What does the future hold?

If I can stay injury-free, I think the future holds both the Rio Olympics and a good placement at the European Championships.

How does it feel to be qualified for the European Championship?

Fantastic. I think my basal metabolic rate and adrenaline levels have been just above the limit the last three weeks I’ve been trying to beat the requirement. Now I can relax, look forward and get the training I need to run fast in a month.

Have you already set a personal goal for your participation in the European Championship?

I’m currently ranked 27th in Europe, so a place in the final will be difficult – but that’s the hope.

Inspiration

Do you read a lot about running?

I do a lot of articles about research in running/running injuries and the physiology of the body. I know a lot about the body, as I study medicine and have been interested in how it works for many years.

What does it take to inspire you? Where are you following?

I don’t follow that much, but I watch Diamond League and checking Danish Athletics website very often.

Which other athletes do you follow in Denmark? And which ones abroad?

I follow my friends and club mates and of course see when someone I know runs fast, as it is usually posted on Facebook, but I don’t keep track of what everyone is doing. However, I am very interested if a new training philosophy comes to the table.

Do you have an idol in the running world who inspires you?

Henrik Ingebrigtsen is a living and close symbol that it can be done! 3.31 yesterday!!

Questions from followers on Facebook

Tobias Schelle: If you were only allowed to run 2 times a week and your goal was 10k, what specific two workouts would you do? Why?

I think it would be sensible to run one leisurely run a week of 6-12 km, at a leisurely pace where you feel you could continue for at least 15 minutes more without having to stop. This improves your fitness on many physiological parameters, without being associated with the risk of injury.

In addition, I would run something like 8×1 km or 4×2 km or 5-8 km tempo run, where you try to run at competition speed, maybe a little over if it’s 8x1km. Take a 1 min break, for example, or just until your heart rate is below 100. This improves your maximum oxygen uptake and your ability to maintain a high speed for a long time.

Mia Sørensen: What do you eat on competition day and right before the race?

I eat a relatively large and varied meal with some carbohydrates, e.g. a pasta/chicken salad 6-8 hours before the race. 3-4 hours before I eat a light meal, e.g. consisting of yogurt, a banana and a few slices of white bread. 90 minutes before I drink a large cup of coffee, so that going to the toilet is not a problem during the competition, and 50 minutes before I start my warm-up, possibly with a caffeine shot.

Joakim Korslund – What do you do to avoid shin splints (which exercises)?

The last time I had shin splints was when I was playing badminton and walking around in flip-flops too much. I’ve never had it as a runner. If it’s not directly painful, I would recommend keeping it warm with either tights or long socks/compression stockings. Massage it lightly (from the foot towards the heart) and stretch it. Make sure you have a soft surface and shock-absorbing shoes.

If it’s painful, a break from running and just cycling might be in order… Maybe an Ipren cure in severe cases or Voltaren.

Jens Jakob – From your program I can see: 1) you train few km, 2) your training is very intensive. How is it possible that you can run 5km in 14.31 / 5000m in 14.28 when your training program is screwed up the way it is?

I train SO few km because I had jumper’s knee in the fall and was bothered by it several times during the winter, and therefore chose to be on the safe side and replaced the slow trips with crosstrainer. But during the week I still have quite a few training hours.

Next winter I’ll try to stay around 80 km/week.

I can probably run about 14:10 in 5000m if I tried right now, but if I had a month of specific training I could probably run about 13:50. I don’t know if you think 14:31 is fast or slow, but remember that 3:38 in 1500m is equivalent to just under 13:30 in a 5000m, so 14:30 is very easy.

You are now at the end of the road. Maybe other runners can inspire you too? Read the latest interviews on this page..

If you have any questions for Andreas, you can use the comments section below.

Andreas, thank you again for sharing some insight into how an elite runner like you trains. It’s impressive and extremely motivating to read.