Finance Bro wrote:
Can’t believe all the misleading responses in this thread so far considering the Ingebrigtsens’ base training is well documented at this point. Based on your question, my understanding is they would do their typical morning 5x6 min session between LT1 and LT2, but closer to LT1. Their afternoon sessions of 25x400 or 10x1k would also be between LT1 and LT2, but much closer to LT2. These are all “threshold” in the sense that threshold is more of a metabolic state and not a pace such that you can achieve the goal of the workout physiologically with short reps, long reps, continuous runs, etc by adjusting the length or pace of the reps and length of the recovery intervals.
Threshold is not a pace.
I think you’re right in the sense that a lot of athletes will say “I want my tempo pace to be X:XX, because I want my race pace to be X:XX so I will disregard my actual fitness/lactate threshold in order to push for that pace” because in that sense it’s true, and we see lots of HS, collegiate, and even pro athletes going absolutely bonkers on their ‘threshold’ efforts..
BUT
Once you get your lactate thresholds mapped out pretty well you are going to have a pretty good feel for what pace will generally land you in which aerobic/lactate zone effort. Im sure Jakob isn’t going into each workout completely in the dark. When coach tells him he’s running 3:00 intervals at LT2 he’s probably going to get that first rep pretty darn close to spot on despite having yet to be tested that day. Sure depending on fatigue, health, weather, fitness etc that’s going to change and you’ll make those adjustments rep to rep, but there’s definitely a wheelhouse pace to what you should be running your thresholds in. The trick is finding that wheelhouse through testing and experience instead of basing it off of an online calculator or wanting to train like that one fast guy on Strava.