Ending up my first month with a coach, who ran real honest to goodness LT tests on me. What I used to run with my 5K formulated half assed LT zones have turned out to be too low and slow. I always hear about people having to slow down, even walk, to stay in their zones, after getting them tested. I find it’s a bit of work to get up and stay in zone 2. Even had a few Z3 intervals this a.m. that were quite the burners.
My long run this morning was :30-:45 faster per mile than what I was doing long runs for IM last year. Granted, I am only training for HIMs (and SOS) this year, but still… I worked the LT test pretty darn hard. One of my friends said the initial results seemed too low, but jesus, any higher I’d be nearing a sprint.
It depends on how the zones are defined. Different coaches use different terminology. With my coach, Z1 is easy aerobic, Z2 would be approximately 1/2 marathon race pace, Z3 is threshold pace - say 10 km pace, Z4 is VO2max, and Z5 (forget about it). This is a little different to how Joe Friel, Andy Coggan, and most fellow slowtwitchers would define zones. Zones are set by lactate testing with training based upon pace for running and power for cycling.
YES! Hey, I hired a coach too does lactate testing on the ratmill. (I crapped out on the LT test at 172 BPM and 6:30 pace, 45 year old female, FWIW). And daaaaaamn. I would agree. I was running WAYYY to slow on my own compared to his workouts. My one last night was an hour long and it takes so much more concentration to stay in the HR zone for that long and to be consistent. It was like running 10K pace straight for an hour.
Tomorrow I have speed work 10 x 2 mins with 30 sec. rest, and at 160-164 BPM.
I’ve only been doing this for about 2 months with a short break to train for an XC ski race. I’ll let you know in April how it worked.
Actually, just looked back at my 5K zones and notes, I subtracted 10% off the average since i was told at the time that a 5K is a little too short to be accurate
I’m in the midst of the exact same thing. I remember hearing stories of people saying they had to get off their bike and walk up hills to stay in Zone 2.
I have to run 15-20 seconds off my 10K pace to stay in the Zone 2 the way it was defined by my testing. I honestly think it’s too hard for me. My “easy” days have basically become tempo runs.
Yes, had a very similar experience. I think it comes down to how the coach defines his zones, as they are often different. In general, my coach has me run by paces, but it turns out that my long runs are in upper/middle Z2 (according to Friel’s zones). Although, he doesn’t use those zones, since from testing he has a good idea of my VO2max and basically sets my pace for long runs around 72% of that. When I first started with him, I always thought it was too fast. But after a full year, I know its perfect for me. I base this on my running improvements, and recovery times. At his paces never wipe me out enough for my next workout. And, he got me to the starting line injury free.
One thing to consider is that most people who did not run track or cross-country or have years on their legs when they started triathlon have aerobic systems that become more developed then their musculoskeletal system. Put succinctly, they don’t have the muscular endurance to outrun their cardiac fitness. It is likely some of what you are experiencing is the fact that your legs need to develop in order to support your LT defined zones. It’s hard work and takes time, but its fun once you get there.
One thing to consider is that most people who did not run track or cross-country or have years on their legs when they started triathlon have aerobic systems that become more developed then their musculoskeletal system. Put succinctly, they don’t have the muscular endurance to outrun their cardiac fitness. It is likely some of what you are experiencing is the fact that your legs need to develop in order to support your LT defined zones. It’s hard work and takes time, but its fun once you get there.
You hit the nail on the head. I’m a 34 year old just getting into the sport, however I have been a very active cyclist for the past 5 years. I’ve done time trials and 200k and 300k brevets.
When I started running this past October, I tried to get my HR up to where I like to train on the bike, and ended up destroying my legs in the process. My third run ever I did a 5k race in 21;30, and that was limited by the fact that my left knee start hurting so badly around mile 2.5 that I basically had to jog the rest of the way.
Since that run (on Halloween actually), I dealt with left IT band issue, and now I have a right hip issue (maybe IT band only high this time). I have managed to get up to 10k, but I only train at 46 to 48 minutes for 10k because I’m afraid to really “hammer” the run else risk injury. I’ve tried to run even slower, but really once you get above 8 minute miles for a 10k run it’s like I’m not even working. I still have the mentality that if I’m not breathing hard and sweating a good amount then I’m not actually training.
Anyway I’m going to do a 10k race on April 19th, so that’ll be the true test if my revised training plan has built up the musculature enough. After that I have a half marathon May 2, that’ll be real interesting. Never ran that distance before (though by the weekend prior I will have done 12.5 miles if my training continues the way I want).
What was the duration of the lactate test? 20 warmup/build
20 max effort
cool down
That can’t be right… a LT test should be progressive somehow, right? keep going faster and pricking fingers til you get up to 4 mmol?
We have the stuff to do this but I’ve never gotten to practice it. Why they buy these toys then not let us play with them, it’s just not fair. Professor Snape really is evil
edit - couldn’t you just use the Bruce protocol for vo2 max, measure lactate levels at the end of each stage?
Sorry, that’s not an LT or threshold test. The reason your ranges are “high” is because your “coach” missed your LT, and by the time your max effort was complete, that value was way above your LT.
I suggest you get your test redone by someone who knows what they’re doing, or else you won’t make the race season other than by the sidelines nursing an injury.
Thanks for your input, I’ll ignore the usual ST snarkiness
Curious what you think of this one - not mine
Run test protocol:
After a 15 minute warm-up of easy running, finish with a few quick 20 seconds bursts to get your heart rate in the correct training zone.
The 30 minute TT begins.
At 10 minutes into the test, hit the ‘Lap’ button on your heart rate monitor, to get the average heart rate over the final 20 minutes of the test.
The average for the final 20 minutes is your Lactate Threshold or LT.
You should finish knowing you gave it everything you had.
15 minutes easy cool down.
