What does mean Anaerobic Training ? If you think that every type of training over the Threshold is the same, you make a big mistake. We have different goals for different anaerobic training :
a) SPEED (duration till 15.0) : of sure is anaerobic, but (for example in very short sprint climbing) the quantity of lactate that you produce is very little, so you can recover in very short time. This is a type of training that doesn't have any bad influence on Aerobic training, on the contrary, if you use many short repetitions with very short recovery (1:00 / 1:30) (for ex., 6 x 60m at 98% of your max speed) can help your fast fibres in working in oxydative way. This is a good way for training Fast Fibers for increasing their Aerobic ability. For ex., Gebrselassie used this type of training very frequently.
b) SPEED (duration till 40.0 / 45.0) : In a single test, you have the expression of your max LACTIC POWER if you run a competition. If you use to run at 90% of your max speed, you produce a good quantity of lactate, but you can recovery completely (under your Threshold) in a time lasting from 4 to 8 min, depending on your attitude and vyour training. For example, if you are an athlete able running 800m in 2:00 and 400m in 54.0, your best in 300m can be about 38.5 / 39.0. In this case, to reduce your speed of 10% it means (I repeat, this is not mathematics, but is an easy way for giving the percentages in athletics) 39.0 + 3.9 = 43.0 about. In this case, you run faster than your speed of 800m, but you don't have a very big accumulation of lactate. Your recovery time depends on 2 factors : your AEROBIC POWER (or your Threshold level) and your ability in lactate tolerance. In this case, a right combination between Aerobic training at high intensity (from 95 to 105% of your Threshold, running a little bit faster than your Threshold is necessary for improving your Aerobic Power)and Anaerobic Training at low intensity is the key for increasing your lactate tolerance.
c) SPEED (duration from 40.0 /45.0, like before) : If you run at 98% of your max (in the previous case, 39.0 + 0.8, about 40.0), your production of lactate is higher, and the accumulation in your fibres too. The final goal is different : you run for improving your ability in PRODUCING LACTATE (Anaerobic CAPACITY). This is a dangerous type of training, if there is not support enough from the Aerobic System.
So, the stair that you have to use is this one :
a) ALACTIC SPEED (goal : to increase your Nervous ability, your Rapidity, your Technique) : Lasting no longer than 10.0 - Execution at max intensity, using hills better than flat courses.
b) SHORT SPEED ENDURANCE, with repetitions at 95/98% of max intensity, lasting no longer than 10.0 and short recovery (ex : 6 x 60m rec.1:00) (goal : to increase the oxydative ability of your fast fibres)
c) SPEED (lasting till 20/25.0) having the goal to increase your ability in max speed under the point of view of Nervous Cohordination and Nervous Endurance, using single test with very long recovery (sometime good also for distance runners)
d) SPEED ENDURANCE (repetitions at 90/95% on distance till 150m for 800m runners, 400m for 10k runners) with short (but not VERY SHORT) recovery (for ex., 3/4 min) having the goal to increase your Anaerobic Capacity at high speed). The system for evolving this training is TO USE THE SAME SPEEDS and THE SAME VOLUME, trying to reduce your recovery times, in order to improve your lactate tolerance
e) TRAINING FOR ANAEROBIC POWER (is your ability in running faster possible distances from 300m to 600m, depending on your event). You must run at max intensity, this is a training but also a test, and the competition is a training too. Your goal are to become able to produce more lactate (for example, if you run 300m in 38.0 with 12mmol, the most important limiting factor is that youe engine doesn't have POWER enough. So you must become able to produce 15mmol, and when you are able, you can run in 36.5). If you are a sprinter, 300m is the longer distance that you can use for this goal. If you are a distance runner, 500-600m are better.
In this case, you can investigate your specific attitude in becoming a longer runner, controlling the correlation coefficient between your PB in 300 and 600m. If you have a young runner, you can, for ex, finding two different types of athletes (when are not still prepared) :
a) The boy (15y. old) runs 42 and 1:30 (600),so 14.0 for each 100m in 300 and 15.0 in 600. The correlation is 93,33%. THIS GUY HAS HIGH PERCENTAGE OF SLOW FIBRES AND FAST of II Type, so his attitude is TO HAVE A GOOD TOLERANCE TO HIS LACTATE. In this case, the main type of his training must be, in the future, around his speed of 800m, and he can look for 1500m in 3-4 years. This athlete must not use too much absolute speed regarding ANAEROBIC CAPACITY, but sometimes max. speed for increasing his ANAEROBIC POWER. His training is for increasing ANAEROBIC RESISTANCE, strictly connected with the Threshold Levels.
b)The boy runs 39 and 1:36, 13.0 against 16.0. The correlation is 81,2%. This guy has high percentage of Fast Fibres and low percentage of slow. This guy is not strong under Aerobic point of view. He must use more high speed, less volume, long recovery. He can increase his TOLERANCE using high percentage of speed but not very much volume.
An example : CRAM ran 1:42.88 without being very fast, but was able running 10 x 300m between 39 and 40, with very short recovery (from 30.0 to 45.0). This is a LACTIC WORKOUT that is possible only for athletes having a VERY HIGH TOLERANCE, very strong under the Aerobic Power.
KONCHELLAH ran his first 400m, when was 18years old, in 45.1, SO WAS A SPRINTER. He was able running 2 times 300m in 33.0 with 10 min interval. His training for increasing HIS SPECIFIC ENDURANCE was to run 4 times in 35.0 reducing his recovery to 6 min. For him, this training was ENDURANCE, and he never could try to run 10 x 300 in 43.0 with only 30.0 recovery. His attitude was completely different.
So, SPEED in connected with the percentage of your max speed, but, longer is the distance, bigger is the quantity of lactate that you can accumulate in your fibres. What is really dangerous is to accumulate too much lactate, without having the ability to remove in short time.
ANAEROBIC POWER : your ability in using for short time your engine at max no. of revolutions (single test, and you have to reach the higher lactate level possible)
ANAEROBIC CAPACITY : your ability in PRODUCING a high quantity of lactate. System for training this ability is to run not many repetitions (may be 3-4 times) at 95% of max intensity, with medium recovery time (4/6 min). This is connected with your Anaerobic Power.
ANAEROBIC RESISTANCE : your ability in TOLERANCE of your lactate. Systen for training this ability is to run many repetitions (may be 10-15 times) at a level from 100 to 105% of your AnThreshold, with short recovery (may be 1:00 / 2:00). This is connected with your AEROBIC POWER.
AEROBIC POWER : your ability in removing very quickly the lactate that can produce, running fast. A combined training in the area An Resistance / Aerobic Power can help you in growing your Threshold. You can uselong fast continuous run from 20 to 40min, depending on your event, and long intervals (from 1000m to 3000m) at speed a little faster than your Threshold with very short recovery
AEROBIC ENDURANCE : your ability in staying long time at the level of your Threshold. For specialists of HM, the full time of HM is a mark of their AE. For increasing this ability, the only way is to run FAST long time.
AEROBIC RESISTANCE : Is all the long run at low intensity. This training has only a GENERAL mean. The speed that you use for developing this ability, in 2-3 years must become the same that you use, at your beginning, for developing Aerobic Endurance, so every speed moves higher.
In too many cases you mix up SPEED and LENGTH, thinking that if you go for 200m is speed. Speed depends on your speed, not on the distance. 200m slow are 200m slow, nothing to do with Anaerobic Workout.