Ok so I am trying to be smarter in my training so I had a LT test done and I now have the data. I asked as many questions as I could think of but I now want to tap the collective ST wisdom.
Here is my data for my running test:
Lactate Pace Heartrate
2.1 0:00 65
4.8 8:00 163
4.7 7:48 168
5.2 7:36 168
4.7 7:24 173
5.2 7:14 176
7.7 7:04 179
7.9 6:54 181
Notes: 42 year old runner. Running consistently for 2 years. Weight 165. Triathlons completed 1. Comments made by Sports Science PHD guy: “Wow, you’re a lactate machine” and he seemed to think I was a fairly fast runner for an age group triathlete (I am not as convinced). Good health, no joint, heart or other problems.
So here is my question: I know the goal over the long haul is to be able to train with greater intensity at lower Lactate levels, is zone 2 work the only way to get there? I was also told I’ve conditioned my body to respond the way it does (lots of lactate) so are we only trying to only decrease the amount of lactate at a given workload or to increase tolerance for it?
I have a wealth of misinformation to offer you, so listen up (I am not a sports scientist by any means). Now that we have settled that, here is some feedback:
Threshold differs significantly between people, but is often defined as as 4mM blood lactate. Looks like your threshold is higher than that. Typically if you graph your blood lactate content (y axis) against pace (x axis) you will see a slightly positive slope, increasing to your threshold at which point it should spike (steeper slope). Based on this methodology, it would appear that your threshold is somewhere around a 7:15/mi pace when your blood lactate content spikes from 5.2 to 7.7.
It may have been helpful to start your test at a slower pace, and logged PE during the test as well.
As the tester said, your level of blood lactate seems a bit high. As I have trained, I have not only seen my threshold increase, but my baseline blood lactate content has decreased substantially as well. Not sure if this is typical or not, just an observation. Also, based on my understanding, threshold HR does not necessarily apply from running to cycling.
So here is my question: I know the goal over the long haul is to be able to train with greater intensity at lower Lactate levels,
I’d have thought the goal would be to run faster.
That would probably require powercranks…
are you paying attention to what AlexSimmons said?
So here is my question: I know the goal over the long haul is to be able to train with greater intensity at lower Lactate levels,
I’d have thought the goal would be to run faster.
Well unless I am mistaken, training at higher intensities with lower lactate levels would lead to running faster… 
And Yes SLIMFAST, it was commented that we should have started out slower. But speed was my testers choice based on the speeds I train at.
-Jeff
So here is my question: I know the goal over the long haul is to be able to train with greater intensity at lower Lactate levels,
I’d have thought the goal would be to run faster.
Well unless I am mistaken, training at higher intensities with lower lactate levels would lead to running faster…
Sure, but would you object to being able to sustain running faster at higher lactate levels?
I have a wealth of misinformation to offer you, so listen up (I am not a sports scientist by any means). Now that we have settled that, here is some feedback:
Threshold differs significantly between people, but is often defined as as 4mM blood lactate. Looks like your threshold is higher than that. Typically if you graph your blood lactate content (y axis) against pace (x axis) you will see a slightly positive slope, increasing to your threshold at which point it should spike (steeper slope). Based on this methodology, it would appear that your threshold is somewhere around a 7:15/mi pace when your blood lactate content spikes from 5.2 to 7.7.
It may have been helpful to start your test at a slower pace, and logged PE during the test as well.
As the tester said, your level of blood lactate seems a bit high. As I have trained, I have not only seen my threshold increase, but my baseline blood lactate content has decreased substantially as well. Not sure if this is typical or not, just an observation. Also, based on my understanding, threshold HR does not necessarily apply from running to cycling.
While 4 mmol is a number thats thrown out there, I use it as a secondary confirmation. Typically I look for changes > 1mmol on two consecutive stages.
I’ve tested people like this with values higher and others with values lower than 4mmol.
What are you goals (race distances etc)?
Strengths? Weaknesses?
How do you feel when you run?
So here is my question: I know the goal over the long haul is to be able to train with greater intensity at lower Lactate levels,
I’d have thought the goal would be to run faster.
Well unless I am mistaken, training at higher intensities with lower lactate levels would lead to running faster…
And Yes SLIMFAST, it was commented that we should have started out slower. But speed was my testers choice based on the speeds I train at.
-Jeff
Well unless I am mistaken, training at higher intensities with lower lactate levels would lead to running faster…
Not necessarily. Running faster is simply that.
What are you goals (race distances etc)?
Strengths? Weaknesses?
How do you feel when you run?
Stellar questions. Thanks.
Current Goals: Actual goal, train hard but do minimum unneeded damage. Then top 10% AG for Oly. Was #11 of 120 in first sprint race in a group of first timers. (Not a terrible first outing, but I saw lots of room for improvement). Next goal, HIM. I want to do reasonably well with the Oly’s before a HIM with a sucky “at least I finished it” time. Training runs are 6-12 miles.
Strenths: Run. Weakness: Swim. Please correct me if you are looking for something else.
How do I feel? Most days I enjoy it. A year ago was dealing with a lot of aches and pains, but most have gone.
I guess the thing about the test that confused me most was some of my runs are 10 miles at 8.8-9.0 mph which is certainly an effort but do-able. We ended the test way before I could have reached the levels of lactate that would correspond with. Am I pushing too hard or should I see the numbers more as a guide not rules?
So we establish zones from the LT data to vary training intensities which ultimately allow one to be a faster runner???