My first RUN LTHR Treadmill Test... Looking for feedback

Triathlon Forum
1

This morning, with fresh leg’s I completed, for the very first time, a treadmill 30 minute time trial… After thoroughly warming up, with a few brief pickups to intensity, but not long enough to build up any significant lactate, then a slight cool down I started the 30 minutes test. I then tracked the last 20 minutes of the test, where I continually increased the speed of the treadmill every 2 or so minutes at .2mph intervals, depending on how I felt. I ended the last 20 minutes of the test with an AVG HR of 181 and a max HR of 191. The MAX HR was set at the end of the test, but I have to say that I only had a RPE of 17. I know I could have gone a few minutes longer or I could have gone faster during the entire test to end with an RPE of 20 in the final minute and a couple of beats higher. I also believe my run max HR is 194, at least that’s the highest I ever remember seeing last year as I finished my 1st HIM. (That resulted in the ability to basically go all out for the last 1/2 mile of the race…)

Based on Friel HR Zones I have the following…

Z1 <155
Z2 155-164
Z3 165-173
Z4 174-180
Z5a 181-184
Z5b 185-192
Z5c 193+

Is an avg LTHR of 181 high? Avg? or Low?

I’ve always have trained based on an age based calculation… That being said, I’ve basically, for the past 2 years, done almost all my run training below the above Z1… Granted, fitness has been gained in the past two years and I’m sure two years ago, HR=150 was probably too fast for me. Anyhow I’ve done all my training <150, whenever I possibly could maintain that HR… (There was a time that I couldn’t even pretend to jog without being over HR 155.) It does spike on the slightest inclines due to the 20+ pounds of extra fat I carry around with me (5’9" 185#), but now looking at my new founded HR Zones, what I thought was a spike only puts me in the middle of Z2. So…

Based on the test, I guess I should attempt to run in my Z2 zone, give just a little less on those slight inclines to remain at the top of Z2, and in my PEAK phases start hitting HR’s that I’ve never trained in for small intervals…

So now I have new incentive to lose the extra weight for my 9:30/45 training pace at <=150 will turn into a 9:00 training pace at Z2, then an 8:00min training pace with the loss of 20#'s… Maybe even hit racing splits in the 7’s which has never happened…

At some point, I’ll reach my potential… All I have to do is stop that see-food diet that I’m constantly on…

2

LT looks a tad high. If you were highly motivated for the test and/or more rested than normal than the results may be a bit high. Also, shouldn’t the 30 minute TT be all out and not stepped? I don’t have the text handy.

-jeff

3

Quick question…how old are you and what is your athletic background?

The first treadmill test is always on the path of learning how to do the test. Once you go through it you’ll learn what you need to change and understand the answers to the very questions you just asked. Could of gone long, RPE of 17, etc…

4

Also, shouldn’t the 30 minute TT be all out and not stepped? I don’t have the text handy.

I was thinking the same thing… Not sure of the answer… I guess being the first one, I didn’t want to blow up mid way… Maybe others will chime in for me…

5

Quick question…how old are you and what is your athletic background?

The first treadmill test is always on the path of learning how to do the test. Once you go through it you’ll learn what you need to change and understand the answers to the very questions you just asked. Could of gone long, RPE of 17, etc…

I’ll be 35 in 12 days… Athletic background…
Cliff Note Version…
1994 - 1999 Couch Potato - Out of shape and 60# over my highschool highest weight. (220+#)
1989-1994 - Party Bachelor - smoker, drank way too much…
1986-1989 High School… Football and Wrestler… No endurance / long distance aerobic activity…
1983-1986 - 4 consecutive 10,000+ cycling miles per year…

6

Not an expert on the subject but your test doesn’t seem to match what I understand Friels tests to be. Where did you get the test protocols?

The two I know from TTB are either a treadmill test something on the order of a warm up then starting out at an easy to comfortable pace increasing every minute by .2 mph. You continue the increase until you feel you can’t do another repeat. At teh end of each minute you record your PE and HR. You also note where your VT takes place. Typically your LT or Friels LT is around 5 points back from your last test point, a PE of 15 and near your VT. If all of those match up pretty well then that’s your LT.

The other method is a a 30 minute run holding a constant pace as hard as you can for the entire 30 minutes, preferabley at a constant pace. Your LT is the average HR of the last 20 minutes.

Seems to me you mixed the two together somehow and likely came up with erronious results.

I’ve no idea what the technical terms are or how they work, but it would seem to me slowly increasing the speed over 20 minutes neither gives a good average over the 20 minutes nor allows you to hit a “High” point to move back from.

Just guessing I’d say your readings are going to be off unless you are using a different test and scale than that that is in TTB.

~Matt

7

Holy CRAPPPP!!!

Am I reading that right?

"1986-1989 High School… Football and Wrestler… No endurance / long distance aerobic activity…
1983-1986 - 4 consecutive 10,000+ cycling miles per year… "

10K miles as a 6th grader?

~Matt

8

Kind of hard doing a 30min all out test on a treadmill. A better option is to do a Conconi-like protocol.

9

Summer between 6 & 7th grades… Started riding and didn’t stop riding that SOMA until fall of 1987… Had the first CATEYE Solar bike computer… Was fixated in making the odometer flip from 9999 to 0

10

I was thinking that 181 sounded kind of high… Especially for my current state of fitness and weight…

Hopefully others will chime in… I’ll recover and in a few weeks attempt another session… And apply some of the insight of fellow slowtwitchers…

After re-reading… the test protocol does state… “FASTEST MAINTAINABLE PACE. AFTER 10 MIN, HIT THE LAP…”

I’ll need to re-test with that MAINTAINABLE PACE, at the 10 minute mark.

11

Can you give a quick summary on this?

I thought the test idea presented was fine, it is very similar to the VO2Max test one would do on a bike (stepped wattage). Only thing missing is the lackey to take note of HR and RPE with each interval… determine where laboured breathing occurs, etc.

AP

12

The numbers look right for your activity and age.

In addition, the protocol I’ve used on the treadmill keeps the speed constant and the incline is what is adjusted. A heart rate monitor is worn and a friend has a spreadsheet where HR, Time, incline, etc are recorded at 20 sec intervals. Every 2 minutes the incline goes up .5% until you blow up. You chart the information on a spreadsheet and graph the results. Graphically you’ll see your LTHR and determine your zones from there. It’s very difficult to do a maximum HR test accurately but if you do this test you’ll be able to duplicate results over time and superimpose the graphs over one another to see progress.

13

Except being older and heavier, my history is similar to yours. So, for references, my maxHR (actually seen) is around 206 and my Friel LT is 176. You may consider dropping your zones down by 10 bpm until you retest in another week or three.

-jeff

14

Triathlete Training Bible by Friel has the test clearly laid out. I think I have it scanned in somewhere. PM me your E-Mail and I’ll send it if I can find it. Other wise I’ll just scan it again.

I prefer the stepped treadmill run to the 30 minute test. In order to get consistant results for the 30 minute test you really have to have a decent grasp on your capabilities. To hard out of the gate the test is off, too easy the test is off etc. With the TMR version you have a better chance of repeatabilty from test to test as well as not having to worry about pacing issues.

~Matt

15

He mentioned it was “30 minute time trial”. That means it should be a constant, all-out effort that lasts 30min. That is kind of hard doing on a treadmill. Also in order to compare results, he should do the exact same sequence of inclines and speeds next time. A better option is the Conconi. And that is also explained in the Bible.

16

http://www.brianmac.demon.co.uk/coni.htm

I would agree that the results of the original poster sound a bit skewed (high).

17

Hmmm. I would prefer a 5k race/TT than doing this kind of test on the treadmill, external conditions aside.

18

Yep. A race is better. If one of my athletes misses a test run race, I make them do an 8k TT on the track, they just LOVE it… :slight_smile:

19

Hello,

Why is a 30 minute TT hard on a treadmill. I frequently do 20 minutes and like to do the workout on a treadmill because I don’t have to concentrate on pacing.

Styrrell

20

Because of the dificulties that the original poster had. Towards the end he was able to up the intensity. That means that he should have started faster. It’s hard to figure the right pace at the beginning.