June 20, 2024

The threshold run is the key to marathon success, well one of them.

Had a great run this morning running my weekly 5:30 am 14k Yelo threshold (progressive?)  Starting to see some improvements and starting to feel the love with the Bibra Lake Marathon just over two weeks away. The Threshold run is so important to marathon success and I’ve added a couple of articles to describe the principles and benefits.  I just enjoy the feeling of satisfaction when you finish, not so much when you’re deep in the pain cave and worrying about what your private health care insurance covers.

Threshold training is one of the key running workouts to improve endurance performance.

However, some runners may not be familiar with exactly what this type of training entails and may ask: Is anaerobic threshold training the same as lactate threshold training for runners?

What are the important training thresholds for runners and other endurance athletes like cyclists and triathletes? What are some of the best anaerobic threshold training workouts for runners?

In this threshold training guide for runners, we will discuss what training thresholds are, the differences between anaerobic vs lactate threshold training for runners and endurance athletes, and how to do threshold training workouts.

What Is Threshold Training?

Threshold training is a particular type of endurance training workout that helps improve your lactate threshold and anaerobic threshold.

One of the things that’s most confusing about threshold training for runners is the fact that some sources reference anaerobic threshold, whereas others discuss lactate threshold.

For example, you might hear about lactate threshold runs or anaerobic threshold workouts.

So, are lactate threshold and anaerobic threshold the same thing? What are the differences between the anaerobic threshold vs lactate threshold?

Technically, the anaerobic threshold and lactate threshold are not the same things, but they occur around the same effort level and are characterized by similar physiological sensations.

Anaerobic threshold and lactate thresholdboth refer to the point at which you will feel like your effort level has gotten significantly harder even though your running pace or speed has not increased significantly.

Essentially, after either the lactate threshold or the anaerobic threshold is crossed, you will see a significant spike in the fatigue that you feel in your legs, the heaviness and burning sensation in your muscles, the rate of your breathing, and your perceived exertion.

The actual physiological metrics that are being evaluated with anaerobic vs lactate threshold are technically different, but again, what you will feel in your body is the same.

This is because the lactate threshold and anaerobic threshold pretty much overlap in terms of the percentage of your VO2 max or your running speed at which the threshold is reached.

Anaerobic threshold is looking specifically at energy metabolism, or how your body is producing ATP (energy) for your muscles to contract.

Thus, the anaerobic threshold occurs when the intensity of your exercise has crossed over this “threshold,” such that you are no longer able to produce ATP (energy) through aerobic metabolism, and you now have to rely more heavily on anaerobic energy production.

And up until the anaerobic threshold, you are able to run or perform endurance exercise in a “steady state,“ which means that your body is able to rely almost entirely on aerobic metabolism to produce energy.

This means that you are getting plenty of oxygen, and you should be able to continue running or exercising at the same pace or exertion level for an extended period of time without fatigue.

The anaerobic threshold corresponds to the lactate threshold because when your body is relying on anaerobic glycolysis to produce energy, the end product is lactate along with a hydrogen atom, which is an acid.

Below the lactate threshold, your muscles are actually able to shuttle the lactate to the liver to be further broken down to pyruvate to create ATP.

At the lactate threshold, your body suddenly shifts from being able to clear the lactate and acidic metabolic waste products at the same rate they are being produced.

This means that the concentration of hydrogen ions, which is associated with the burning feeling and immense and sudden fatigue you feel beyond the anaerobic or lactate threshold, begins to build up.

Essentially, after the lactate threshold or an aerobic threshold has been crossed, your muscles are inundated with acidic waste, and the concentration of lactate in your blood rises dramatically.

Although we used to think that it was the lactate, or “lactic acid, “ that was causing this burning sensation and sudden fatigue, it has since been discovered that lactic acid does not exist as a biological molecule because the acid quickly dissociates from the lactate molecule.

Furthermore, it is not the lactate that is causing the discomfort but the hydrogen ions.

However, because it is not really possible to measure the concentration of hydrogen ions, exercise physiologists can take blood samples and measure the concentration of lactate in the blood to serve as a biomarker of your lactate threshold and reliance on anaerobic metabolism.

Lactate concentration can be readily measured and corresponds with the amount of acidic buildup.

Many athletes do not have access to continuous blood lactate testing while training, though endurance training methods such as the Norwegian Method of endurance training does rely on blood lactate samples during lactate threshold training workouts.

Why Is Threshold Training Important For Runners?

The lactate threshold and anaerobic threshold are not necessarily important metrics that you have to know or may even have access to measuring yourself, but it is important to have a grasp of the running pace or speed at which you hit these thresholds.

The entire purpose of threshold training for runners is to progressively boost your lactate and anaerobic threshold such that you can run faster and longer before switching over to anaerobic metabolism and crossing your threshold.

This is because runners and other endurance athletes have to stay at or just below the anaerobic threshold during long-duration races in order to maintain the same pace and maximize their performance potential without crashing and burning.

Thus, for all intents and purposes, the anaerobic threshold is the limiting factor for endurance performance. 

Therefore, by improving your anaerobic threshold, you can run faster, cycle faster, or swim faster in that “comfortably hard“ effort level without red-lining and rapidly exhausting yourself.

How To Do Threshold Training For Runners And Endurance Athletes

There are different approaches to threshold training for runners and other endurance athletes.

Most threshold workouts are performed at a pace that is at or slightly below your anaerobic threshold (AT) or lactate threshold (LT). This is typically a pace that brings your heart rate to about 85-90% of your maximum heart rate.

This intensity is thought to be the “sweet spot” where you can improve the efficiency of the anaerobic system and help push the anaerobic threshold higher.

Essentially, doing threshold workouts improves your endurance performance because you can run, cycle, swim, or perform some other type of endurance exercise at a faster pace without accumulating fatigue.

Therefore, threshold training workouts are done at or just below the threshold.

There are essentially two different types of threshold workouts for runners and endurance athletes:

Continuous threshold workouts, such as tempo runs or threshold training intervals, which involve running at your threshold pace for designated intervals of a specific distance or time and then taking relatively short recovery breaks.

The benefit of tempo runs and continuous threshold workouts is that you will build your tolerance at being “comfortably uncomfortable“ at the anaerobic threshold pace so that your physical and mental ability to withstand this discomfort for longer races is strengthened.

However, there is a limit to how long you can perform tempo runs or longer threshold intervals because if you cross over the threshold, you will experience that rapid accumulation of fatigue and will need a break.

Some endurance training methods, such as the Norwegian Method for runners and endurance athletes, use a lactate threshold interval approach where you perform high-quality intervals at your lactate threshold pace but then take recovery periods.

This helps you do more high-quality work in a single threshold workout session without quickly becoming exhausted or needing tons of recovery in the following days.

The rest periods in threshold interval workouts for runners allow the body time to buffer and clear some of the acidic buildup and shuttle the lactate to the liver for conversion into pyruvate.

Thus, runners or other endurance athletes can run at a faster pace using lactate threshold intervals versus continuous tempo lactate threshold runs, maximizing speed and total time and training volume done within the lactate threshold zone without crossing over into the anaerobic zone and needing to end the workout early.

Continuous Threshold Workouts

Continuous threshold workouts are tempo runs.

These are runs that are at least 20 minutes in length at your threshold pace.

Threshold Interval Workouts

Examples of threshold interval workouts for runners include:

  • 5 x 6:00 minutes with 60 seconds of recovery in between each
  • 10 x 1,000 meters with 60 seconds of recovery in between each
  • 5 x 2,000 meters with 60 seconds of rest between each

There are lots of different types of endurance training workouts, each serving a particular physiological purpose to help improve your performance.

About Threshold Training

Legendary running coach Jack Daniels provides an inside look at the importance of t-pace.

Threshold, or T-pace, running is one of the most productive types of training that distance runners can do. Training at threshold pace helps runners avoid overtraining and yields more satisfying workouts and better consistency.

The two types of threshold training that I discuss in Daniels’ Running Formula are tempo runs and cruise intervals. Tempo runs—steady, moderately prolonged runs—have been around for some time, but runners and coaches define them differently. Cruise intervals are a series of repeated runs with a brief recovery between runs. In my book, I address the differences and similarities between tempo and cruise-interval workouts. Here, I’ll stick to tempo runs, including new information on extended tempo runs

Some runners and coaches use tempo runs for the broader purpose of just going for a fairly prolonged, steady, solid run—often, more for the psychological benefits (which can be considerable) than the physiological. The physiological benefit of running threshold is to improve endurance: the ability to endure a greater and greater intensity of effort for a longer and longer period of time. You might perform some (longer) tempo runs at an intensity slightly below threshold intensity, which offers a good opportunity to boost psychological endurance. Longer tempo runs that begin in the less intense area of the zone and progress to the higher end of the zone are accomplishing both the benefits of a longer tempo run and the benefits of true T-pace running.

Establishing threshold pace

The proper pace for T-pace running is about 83 to 88 percent of VO2 Max, or 88 to 92 percent of vVO2 Max or maximum heart rate.

You can establish your proper pace for threshold running fairly closely by running at a velocity that produces an elevated yet steady state of blood lactate accumulation. This pace is a little faster than a pace that you could maintain for two or more hours (marathon pace for most people) but slower than the pace you could maintain for 30 minutes (10K race pace for better runners). This pace is easy to discern because at the latter pace blood lactate continues to rise over the course of the run (that is, there’s not a steady state of blood lactate accumulation). Also, at the former pace, blood lactate slowly drops after an initial rise or after any elevated lactate resulting from race surges (also not a steady state of blood lactate accumulation).

Most runners can figure that their threshold pace is equal to a pace they could race at for 50 to 60 minutes. In fact, for slower runners, threshold pace might actually be 10K race pace because they are taking nearly an hour to “race” this distance. Intensity of effort, not necessarily distance of running or racing, is what determines the degree of stress being put on the body’s systems.

Remember that the purpose of the workout is to stress lactate-clearance capability, not to overstress that capability. I refer to threshold training as “comfortably hard” running. It shouldn’t feel “hard,” which is the pace of pure interval training.

Tempo runs

Ideally, a tempo run is nothing more than a steady 20-minute run at T-pace. Subjectively, the intensity of effort associated with T-pace running is comfortably hard. Again, your threshold run effort should be one that you could maintain for about an hour in a race. Although the ideal duration of a steady threshold run is 20 minutes, your running time can vary somewhat to accommodate a particular course.

For example, if your T-pace is 6:00 per mile, and you choose a three-mile course, this gives you an 18-minute tempo effort; or you might go four miles for a 24-minute tempo run. Of course, you could go exactly 20 minutes, using the mile markers to set proper pace, and stop between three and one-quarter and three and one-half miles. It’s not a bad idea to do tempo runs on the track (or even a treadmill now and then) so that you can closely control the pace. Many coaches and runners do longer tempo runs at slower than true threshold pace, and this can yield positive results. Prolonged running at this intensity builds a good sense of maintaining a strong pace for an extended period of time, and as stated earlier, in some instances the demand can be as psychologically intense as a shorter run at true threshold pace.

Also, some runners gradually build up the intensity of a longer “tempo” run until actually running at threshold pace. In any case, I believe in the benefits of tempo runs that are longer than 20 minutes and have designed tables that alter the speed of the run as dictated by duration (see the variations table on page 20 of Daniels’ Running Formula or this article). Using these tables gives runners a better idea of what pace to expect of themselves when out on a tempo run that forces them to run slower than threshold pace and longer than the typical 20-minute duration. The adjusted paces are based on the natural dropoff in maintainable intensity as the duration of a steady run increases.

The variations table shows the mile pace times for tempo runs lasting 20 to 60 minutes, and how much slower the pace is per mile (in seconds) than T-pace. It also shows M-pace (marathon pace) times and how much slower or faster it is per mile than T-pace. If your VDOT falls between the displayed values, just add the appropriate number of seconds per mile or kilometer to your own T-pace for the desired run duration.

Be sure to perform your tempo runs under desirable weather conditions and on relatively flat terrain with good footing because the goal of this workout is to maintain a steady intensity of effort for a prolonged period of time. Hills, rough footing, and wind all affect the ability to maintain a steady pace and interfere with achieving the purpose of the workout. You can monitor your heart rate, but a steady rhythm under constant conditions is what you want in a tempo run.

Possibly the biggest challenge in doing tempo runs is to hold the proper pace and resist turning your tempo run into a time trial. Remember that the proper pace is more beneficial than a faster (or slower) one. This is a good workout for practicing your ability to concentrate on a running task and keep in touch with how your body feels while running comfortably hard.

Begin a tempo workout with a good warm-up of at least 10 minutes of easy running and some light strides. Follow the tempo run with a cool-down, which should include some strides (four or five 20- to 40-second runs at about mile race pace). You’ll be surprised how good you feel about 10 minutes after a tempo run.

My recommendation is that steady tempo runs should last 20 to 60 minutes, with pace adjustments as shown in the table.

How to use tempo runs

A few words of caution regarding how often to repeat identical workouts and monitor progress in a particular type of threshold workout: It’s human nature that runners often want to see progress in their workouts and sometimes try to perform a particular workout at faster and faster speeds over the course of a fairly short period of time.

Trying to compete against yourself in this way is inadvisable. It doesn’t conform to the principle of letting your body react and adjust to a particular type of stress before increasing the amount of stress. It’s better to perform the same workout quite a few times at the same speed, or until a race performance indicates that you’ve achieved a higher fitness level.

One of the best ways to monitor how your training is progressing is to see how much more easily you can perform a particular workout as time goes by. If what used to be a tough workout becomes not so tough after several weeks of training, then that’s a great sign that your training is paying off in a positive way.

At this point, you’re usually ready for an increase in intensity or amount of training. In contrast, always trying to see if you can go faster in a workout that you have done before (the “always hurt as much as possible” technique) can be very misleading in trying to determine how much progress you’re making. With this approach, you always hurt the same (or more), and you never get to experience doing a standard workout with diminishing discomfort. Doubts begin to set in as you ask yourself, “Am I really getting better or just learning to tolerate more pain?” If you often hurt badly in practice, a race won’t be anything special; you should be able to take on more discomfort in a race than you do in daily training.

A more sophisticated way to monitor the degree of stress of a workout is to check heart rates or blood-lactate values at various points during the effort or during recovery. Relying on these more scientific means of keeping track of your progress, however, can prevent you from learning how to do a good job of it on your own. Whether or not you use mechanical or electronic devices to monitor body responses, you should still learn to read your body’s feelings and reactions to the types of workouts that you do.

Please remember not to run faster than the prescribed threshold pace when doing tempo workouts. When you’re having a good training day, it’s not that tough to beat a previous time over a four-mile tempo course. It’s very important, however, to let your ability, based on competitive efforts, determine your training intensities. When a workout begins to feel easier, use that feeling to support the idea that you’re getting fitter. Then, prove that you are getting better in a race, not in a workout.

If you’re in a prolonged phase of training, with no races scheduled, it’s reasonable to increase training intensity without the supportive evidence of better competitive performances. In this case, a good rule of thumb is to increase VDOT one unit every four to six weeks. This is the same as improving your 5,000-meter race time by about 10 to 15 seconds, a substantial improvement in my opinion. If you’re in a maintenance program, which is designed to require the least possible training stress that allows you to stay at a particular level of fitness, there’s no need to increase training intensity (VDOT) or distances. In this case, the best goal is to see how easy standard workouts can feel over time.

When setting up the phases of training, the placement of threshold training might vary in the overall order of the program, based on the individual involved and the event being trained for. Unlike endurance runs, which almost always fall in the earliest phase of a program, threshold training might be emphasized early, at the midpoint, or late in a runner’s training schedule.

Adapted from Daniels’ Running Formula, by Jack Daniels. Copyright 2005. Excerpted by permission of Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL. Available by calling (800) 747-4457 or visiting www.HumanKinetics.com.

I have been using my Thursday morning runs at Yelo to test my threshold capabilities and I’m beginning to see some improvements with the average pace increasing.  This morning I even managed to run a sub forty minute 10k on the way back which was a nice confidence booster with the Bibra Lake marathon less than three weeks away.

I’m still targeting a sub 3 marathon so will need to be able to maintain four minutes ten seconds a kilometre, or close, for the duration. Bibra is a six lap course , totally flat so I’ll have no excuses.

 

Finding some pace finally,  albeit my heart rate indicates this pace is not sustainable long term.

 

This morning was a two minute PB for the Yelo 14k run which is a massive confidence booster. Not sure if it was the freezing conditions or Charles pushing me but either way very happy with the average pace, quicker than planned marathon pace. The only fly in the ointment was my heart rate which was way to high to be sustainable for the marathon, though on the brught side I only have to maintain four minute ten seconds a kilometre, not the three minute fifty seconds I was maintaining this morning. (That would be around 2 hour 45 minute pace,)

 

The last ten Yelo 14k threshold runs. Seeing some improvements.

 

 

 

 

Charles kept me honest wearing my Alphafly 2’s.

Ran with Charles this morning and I leant him my Nike Alphafly 2’s so he could appreciate the benefits of carbon plated shoes. I regretted this after the first few kilometres as he saddled up to me after a stopping for a toilet break after I was ‘gunning’ it. He took to carbon plates like a duck to water. Needless to say there was little or no conversation on the return to Yelo, we were both far too deep in the pain cave for words.

 

 

What a crew, the Yelo runners.

Good turn out this morning which was bad news for Jon as he podium’ d last weekend and as such has to buy us all coffees. I need to make sure I don’t get anywhere near a poduim at Bibra Lake, I got a feeling that wont be a problem.

Fisiocrem is a must have in your ultra box of tricks…

Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ )  The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products)  can be difficult to digest later in the event.  From the website :-

As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority. 

In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance. 

In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born. 

BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work! 

BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!

Great hydration.

What can I say about HumanTecar,  ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !

Fractelhttps://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.

Fractel headgear, just ace.

Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )

Best running headphones EVER !

T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in.  It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong,  storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)

Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! .  ( https://coros.net.au/ )
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