I fatigue a little bit to understand the "zones" of physiologists. For example, the LT1 (which can be also defined as Aerobic Threshold in the common methodology)
is not something at "low intensity", but something we call "regeneration speed", since we don't find in this speed any goal to build-up a better endurance (we speak about very strong runners, of course, not about very Young runners, or amateurs).
About the Max LASS (or MLSS), I completely don't agree if we speak about top runners, since the MLSS is totally different in different athletes, depending on different individual qualities, and can be very much different in the same athlete, depending on his training in different periods.
Some year ago, I presented a study in the European Clinic for European Coaches about relation between the development of Strength Endurance and MLSS, showing as top athletes (the athletes followed in training for a period of about 3-4 months, during the development of their shape, were Shaheen in 2004, Nicholas Kemboi between his PB of 28'19" and 26'30" in 10000m, and James Kwalia between 7'38" and 7'28" in 3000m), where it's possible to see how the athletes build DIFFERENT MLSS, as level of lactate and duration. For example, for specialists of 10000m at their top shape, we can have the ability to remain at a level between 9 and 11 mml, without increasing in short time their lactate, for period of about 18 - 20 minutes, and this is a SPECIFIC MLSS (nothing to do with the MLSS of a Marathon runner).
My approach doesn't start from physiology, but from MATHEMATICS. With a type of training based on mathematic
level of speed, we go to change the ability of runners, in order to become able to run at higher speed WITH THE SAME INTERNAL LOAD.
I can give some example, since, also for problems of Language, can be for me difficult to explain my principles using a correct physiological terminology (my terminology is often different from the classic one used by physiologists).
I have an athlete able running 28'20" in 10 km, and I want to move him to HM and, after 6 months, to full Marathon.
I go to control his lactate, using 5 times 2000m at even pace (the pace of his PB, in this case 2'50" per km = 5'40") with 3' recovery, when he is the shape of his PB, and I see his lactate levels every time (for example,
6.5 for the first, then 7.6 - 8.8 - 10.2 - 13.0).
It's clear, with the continue increase of the level, that this pace is, at the moment, well faster than his MLSS.
I give him an objective goal of running, in 3 months time, a HM at 3% of speed SLOWER than his PB in 10000m at the moment (2'50" means 17" every 100m, 3% means about 5.0 per km slower = 2'55"), which is a PRACTICAL equivalence if the training is correct (61'32").
The development of training needs to look at more "zones" than the 3 zones of physiologists. We can't speak about zones having the same goal when the difference in speed is more than 5%, approaching the speed of the race.
In this case, which are the "zones" we can use ?
1. REGENERATION SPEED (or Speed 1 = S1)
every speed slower than 60% of the PB in 10000m (in this case : if 2'50" = 17" per 100m is 100%, 30% slower is [2'50" + (17" x 4)] 3'58").
Reasons / Effects :
Running at that speed (about 4' per km or slower) we don't build any specific ability, but put the athlete in a better situation for the next workout. If the athlete starts his training with a level of BASIC LACTATE of 1.3 mml, for example, at the end of his easy run his level decreases under 1.0. For that reason, we speak of REGENERATION.
In the training of ALL kenyan, the amount of regeneration mileage is between 50% and 60% of the total training mileage.
2. GENERAL / BASIC AEROBIC RESISTANCE SPEED (S2)
Every speed between 60% and 75% of the PB of 10000m (in this case, between 4' and 3'35").
Reasons / Effects :
This is the first step of real training, and of course concerns runs of long extension and duration (between 1 hr 20' and 2 hrs).
This is a kind of training ALL kenyan do once per week (normally on Monday), for every event (apart 800m), including specialists of 1500m (till 1 hr 30').
3. SPECIAL AEROBIC RESISTANCE SPEED (S3)
Every speed between 75% and 85% of the PB of 10000m (in this case, between 3'35" and 3'20" about).
Reasons / Effects :
this is the speed supporting the workouts of Aerobic Power under physiological and mechanical point of view. It's a training in total Steady State (SS), and increases the ability to remove lactate from muscle fibers.
4. GENERAL AEROBIC POWER SPEED (S4)
Every speed between 85% and 90% of the PB of 10000m (in this case, between 3'20" and 3'10" about).
Reasons / Effects :
this training (with continuous run of long duration) train muscle fibers to better substain lactate accumulation, and helps athletes to raise the LT).
This is a normal training for the best African runners, often made in progressive way (starting from S3 with final part of training faster)
5. SPECIFIC AEROBIC POWER SPEED (S5)
Speed between 90% and 94% of the PB of 10000m (in this case, between 3'10" and 3' about).
Reasons / Effects :
To build the MLSS for HM, increasing the velocity to remove lactate from muscle fibers.
About African runners, this is a training used about once every 10 days (increasing the distance), but several times they go for 20' / 30' at this speed at the end of progressive runs, specially when in big groups.
6. SPECIFIC AEROBIC POWER / LACTIC RESISTANCE SPEED (S6)
Speed between 94% and 98% of the PB of 10000m (in this case, between 3' and 2'53" about), including the SPECIFC HM SPEED.
Reasons / Effects :
To increase the ability of DURATION at targetted HM Speed.
This training lasts between 1/2 and 3/4 of the race duretion (30' - 45') , often is progressive, and trains fibers to increase the ability to work with accumulation of lactate.
7. LACTIC RESISTANCE/SPECIFIC LACTIC ENDURANCE SPEED (S7)
Speed between 98% and 102% of the PB of 10000m (in this case, between 2'53" and 2'46" about), including the SPECIFIC 10000m SPEED.
Reasons / Effects :
To increase the ability to PRODUCE lactate, since if the Lactic System is not used enough, the body loses the ability to produce lactate. Don't forget a part of lactate can be used as energy, and, if athletes are inhibited to produce it, they have at their disposal less source of energy.
8. SPEED (S8)
Speed faster than 102% of the PB of 10000m.
Reasons / Effects :
We use fast speed essentially for BIOMECHANICAL reasons :
short sprint uphill (for ability to recruit the highest percentage of fast fibers), medium and fast tests uphill of duration between 20" and 2' (for increasing muscle strength endurance), short intervals on track (200 - 400m) for creating feeling with high speed and easier technical action.
Sometimes we can use one session at that speed for stimulating the lactic system (for example, 2 sets of 10 times 300m in 44" / 42" with very short recovery), but this happens rarely, and only when we are FAR from the race.
How you can see, the big "zones" of physiologists are too general for considering as basis for building an advanced training plan for top athletes.
What happens following, with right combinations, a training including of the different speeds ?
Happens that, WITH THE SAME INTERNAL LOAD, athletes become able running faster. The level of lactate that at the beginning of the preparation the athlete reached during his 10000m is now lower (for example, repeating the test of 5 x 2000m in 5'40", with the same recovery, now we can have levels of mml as 4.5 - 5.4 - 6.6 - 7.8 - 9.4) and, if the athlete is able to reach THE SAME PEAK OF LACTATE AS BEFORE (for example, 14 mml), THIS MEANS HE CAN RUN AT THE SAME SPEED WITH LESS FATIGUE, SO CAN LAST LONGER AT THE SAME SPEED AND FASTER FOR THE SAME DURATION.
African athletes, following their feeling of fatigue (and, of course, correct ideas of training), go to build their ability changing their physiology, while athletes prepared with "scientific knowledge" depends on the CURRENT PHYSIOLOGICAL DATA for their training. This means a very slow way of improvement, while the room of improvement of an athlete is very much bigger than what normal people think, is we are able to stimulate the body with correct mix of high intensity, big extension, right recovery and right modulation.