WTF Is Threshold Running? (And Why It Makes You Faster)

[00:00:00] This is a chill zone two jog, and this is a VO two max sufferer fest, but right in between, there’s a zone that most runners ignore. It’s called lactate threshold, and it’s probably the most important pace you’re not training properly. In this episode, we’re breaking down what lactate threshold really is.

[00:00:19] 1 0 1 without the sciencey overwhelm. We’ll still get in the science, but you’ll understand it way better than reading a textbook. So I’ll be going over and you’re gonna learn how it actually works in your body, why it impacts everything from long runs to race day and even easy, very easy short sessions.

[00:00:35] How to train it properly without a lab, a coach or exercise physiology degree, and a bunch more. Plus, if you hang around to the middle and the end, I’ll be giving away a free download so that you can find your own lactate threshold. With and without a lab and give you also is a bundle, a free eight week sub-threshold training plan so you can use it right now to run smarter and faster.

[00:00:56] I’m Darren D Lake runs Running Coach sub three hour marathoner, 10 hour Ironman finisher and nerdy human Guinea pig. I help self-coach runners stop winging it. And start training smarter, not harder. Because fitness, it’s not built in one crazy workout. It’s built in consistency. 1% better over time. Let’s get into it.

[00:01:16] What is lactate threshold? So you’ve heard it, everyone’s heard it. Lactate threshold is the point where your body starts producing more lactate than it can clear. Think of it like snow falling on a slightly warm ground. A few flakes that fall, they melt. ’cause the ground is. Kind of warm too many, too fast, they start piling up.

[00:01:35] Threshold is that tipping point where effort is still sustainable, but you is saying what up to the edge of all that effort. Now here’s four run science facts about threshold and in particular lactate that I just found out in the last few years. Number one, lactate isn’t bad. It’s actually a fuel source.

[00:01:52] For distance runners, even when you’re sitting or walking, there’s some lactate circulating in your blood. The problem isn’t lactate itself. It’s what happens when you produce more than you can handle than your body can handle. Number two, the burn you feel when things get hard on a fast run or workout, and your heart rate is maxing out, isn’t lactate, it’s actually hydrogen ions.

[00:02:10] The byproduct of lactate when you have too much in your blood and you aren’t able to use the lactate for fuel. Number three, for decades, people called it lactic acid, but that’s old school. It’s called lactate. They’re the same thing. Interchangeable people mean the same thing. You might see literature, some people still say lactate acid, but the cool part about lactate is that we can train our bodies to tolerate more of it longer.

[00:02:32] Number four, this is more on me and kind of hilarious. Uh, silly, silly old Darren Blood lactate has nothing to do with lactating mammals. And lactose milk. While there is a linguistic connection, since both terms come from the Latin word lac, LAC, meaning milk, blood lactate, and lactation slash milk, a physiologically unrelated process is, I seriously thought back in the early two thousands when all my track friends were talking about lactate, that there was a milky product in your muscles, some white.

[00:02:58] Thing floating around and bones causing you to stop because it hurts so much. I’m sure I can’t be the only one that thought about this. So now we know what threshold and lactate is and why it matters, but what’s actually happening in your body when you train in your threshold zone? What happens when you train at threshold?

[00:03:14] When you train right around your threshold, your body gets better at. Clearing lactate, processing fuel, a k, A, the food you’ve eaten into energy, running fast without falling apart, and a whole bunch of other things. But those are the three major things we’ll focus on today. You’re basically teaching your system to take out the trash faster so you can stay in that sweet spot longer.

[00:03:33] But here’s another wild part. No one tells you threshold. It isn’t a magic pace, it’s a skill, and just like any skill, it responds best to consistency and repeatable practice, which brings us to testing. How to train your threshold and first, how to find it. You don’t need a lab or a blood lactate meter.

[00:03:50] Those things are kind of expensive to find your threshold, and they’re also hard to do on your own. You need someone to help you with it. So to fix all that, I put together a free download, which is a sub threshold training plan, eight weeks bundle that helps you run a dead simple field test to estimate your threshold.

[00:04:05] Two. You can download it at the QR code right here below in the video description or the link in the show notes if you’re listening. To this as audio podcast only and as a bonus gift. It comes with my five minute weekly newsletter, so you can read it in five minutes or less. Smart Tips on VO two Max Long Run Strides Mental Fitness, and all the small stuff that makes the big difference.

[00:04:24] 1% better, 1% better. Okay, so Threshold is valuable and trainable. But how does it actually interact with all your other zones? Why threshold sits at the center of your training? Think of threshold, like a fulcrum in your training system, and if you don’t know what that is, that’s the balancing point that a lever pivots on.

[00:04:43] We’re going back to physics. Here’s a bit more physics and a fun analogy that I love. So zone two is like pushing a sled slow and heavy and build strength over time, and it’s relatively safe pushing us. VO two max is like pulling a resistance band. It’s high tension, snappy, risky, but powerful. Running at Threshold is the bridge between them.

[00:05:02] It holds your system together so you don’t snap or stall and you can do it for a decent while. Alright, so you know what threshold is, how it works and why it matters, but how do you actually use all this information in your own training? Three ways to train threshold. So let’s talk about the three key ways to effectively use threshold training in your running.

[00:05:22] Number one, progressive long runs. Start your long runs easy, then gradually increase pace until you’re at threshold for the final 15 to 20 minutes. Again, this is a certain heart rate. If you’ve done a test and you know where your lactate threshold is via heart rate or between your current marathon and half marathon fitness pace, current not goal.

[00:05:40] Remember that it’s where you’re at. This teaches your body to handle fatigue while maintaining form and run economy. So to get that exact pace, you can either use a VDOT calculator, which I did a episode on here, or you can use a previous test and plug that in, et cetera, or other workouts. I’ll, I’ll get to that in a second.

[00:05:55] Number two. Way to do it. Tempo intervals. This is my personal favorite because I’m not the biggest fan of tempo runs instead of one long threshold session that’s so hard to say, break it into, you can do about six to 12 minute segments with short recovery. I’d say don’t go any lower than five minutes because that’s more of like VO two max, but if you do six to 12 minutes.

[00:06:14] I like to do 30 to about 75 seconds and you’re still jogging. You’re still doing a very easy jog in between ’cause you don’t want your lactate to drop too much because the goal is to keep lactate high, which allows us to train in our threshold. You’re keeping your heart rate high, and this also lets you accumulate more quality time.

[00:06:30] Threshold without burning out because you’ve broken it up. Broken Temple Run is another way you can call this. I did a deep dive on Temple intervals, the episode up here or in the video description, or open up your podcast player show notes to watch that video and check that out. The third way to improve your threshold is race specific threshold work.

[00:06:48] If your training for Marathon do longer threshold segments, 20 to 25 minutes, even half marathon, you want to do longer. The goal is to be able to replicate, and I’m gonna say this twice, be able to replicate. What you’re doing in training in the race and vice versa. So for 5K and 10 K, if you do the shorter races, uh, you can do shorter race specific threshold work, but slightly faster threshold repeats.

[00:07:12] So again, I’d probably do six to eight minutes on that shorter range, but you want to be faster. The aim is to be between your current 5K and 10 K fitness, if you’re doing the faster ones, not your goal time. Again, the VDOT calculator and or a recent race should let you know where that range is. Do these on a flat road section with no lights, uh, minimal hills, no hills if possible.

[00:07:32] And if you need to just go back and forth on a short, flat part, that’s fine. On pavement. You don’t wanna be on dirt or grass ’cause you could trip on something, uh, or just go on a track for consistency. That’s best. The key is progression. You wanna progress week on week. So start with one method, one week, master that after a couple weeks, then layer on others.

[00:07:50] By doing a combination of more reps or longer reps, or both, as you get more and more advanced weeks in 10, 12, 16 weeks in until you’re able to do most of your race again. At the pace in the training session a few weeks out from your race, that’s how you know you’re ready. Most runners try to do everything at once.

[00:08:08] Me in the beginning, 20 years ago and end up doing nothing. Well, remember, training threshold is high quality work, even if it feels quite easy when you’re doing it. This is because of the glycogen carb store’s demands that happens during and the one to three days after. So your body needs all of that carb and glycogen, and it depletes it during these runs, but it doesn’t feel like it.

[00:08:28] So you need adequate recovery between the sessions. Make sure you’re fueling up. Make sure you’re sleeping, make sure you’re doing easy stuff between these threshold sessions, which I say 48 hours minimum, but if you get older, if you’re not used to the 72 hours, ’cause it depends on experience and recovery level.

[00:08:44] I need 72 hours between threshold runs. Some fun visual metaphors to help make this a bit more memorable and sticky. Threshold is the icing on the cake, but if the cake tastes horrendous, icing won’t save it. It’s a bad cake. If your mileage is inconsistent, your sleep is trash, and your easy runs aren’t really easy.

[00:09:00] Threshold work just becomes an extra stress. Another metaphor I like is the aerobic base backpack analogy. Every time you build aerobic capacity, so aerobic base, it’s like making your backpack stronger Threshold. Running is a very specific, small but super heavy and awkward tool to put in your backpack.

[00:09:17] You pull it out when you need it for certain times in the race Threshold training teaches you how to carry that tool more effectively because when your aerobic base is empty, all that threshold work is just fancy cardio. So if you wanna stop guessing and start training your actual threshold, go and grab my free sub-threshold training plan.

[00:09:34] Get it at this QR code right here, the link below, or in your podcast player show notes and comes with my five minute weekly newsletter. That cuts through all the endurance and distance running noise right in your inbox. And if you’re thinking, cool, I’m ready to try it, not so fast. Most runners totally mess up the threshold workouts.

[00:09:53] And if you’re wondering how to actually train your threshold without blowing up, that’s exactly what we’re breaking down next week. Or by the time you watch this or listen, it might actually be right below video description or in your podcast player app piece.