By Viktor Thorup, Olympic Speed Skater
You train. You sweat. You sacrifice. You track every split, every macro, every heartbeat.
And then—for two years straight—you don’t get faster.
That’s what happened to me.
From 2020 to 2022, I didn’t set a single personal record. In my world, that’s not just frustrating—it’s brutal. In speed skating, the rink doesn’t change. The clock doesn’t lie. So when your numbers aren’t moving, there’s nowhere to hide.
When Progress Goes Silent
In those two years, I trained twice a day, six days a week. That’s around 1,400 training sessions. No shiny wins. No viral moments. Just grit.
There’s a strange kind of mental wear that sets in when you're working hard with nothing to show for it. You start questioning everything:
“Am I past it?”
“Am I just not good enough anymore?”
“Is all this effort wasted?”
But I didn’t quit. And here’s why.
Reframing the Struggle
I kept telling myself: the harder the journey, the sweeter the victory. I didn’t grow up with skating clubs on every corner like kids in the Netherlands. I had to travel across countries to even get on the ice. And now? That challenge feels like a gift.
It’s why I started coaching online. I wanted to help others who didn’t grow up in the perfect environment either. Because the real reward is the process, not just the podium.
The Breakthrough That Changed Everything
Then, it happened. After two years of drought, I stepped onto the line and raced like I hadn’t in a long time.
That race?
🥈 My first World Cup medal
🇩🇰 A new Danish national record
🎟️ Automatic qualification for the Olympics
I crossed the line and cried. Not because of the medal, but because I had finally proven to myself: it was worth it.
The Small Things That Make a Big Difference
Now that I’ve been through that, I obsess over the small wins. Things like:
- Taking recovery seriously
- Prioritizing sleep and food
- Using tools that actually help, like Tend
I found Tend scrolling through Instagram, and I was skeptical. But once I tried it on the small, hard-to-reach muscle groups we use in skating, I got it. It’s compact, quick, and perfect for prehab. I’ve used every massage tool out there—but this one earned a permanent spot in my bag.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re chasing an Olympic medal or trying to run your first 5K, the same truth applies:
Progress isn’t always loud.
Sometimes, it’s quiet. Invisible. Uncelebrated.
Until one day, it isn’t.
So if you’re in the thick of the work and wondering if it’s all worth it—keep going.
Because I’ve been there.
And I can tell you, the moment the breakthrough comes?
It’s worth every single session.
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