If you do a long fartlek(40+ minutes), would that provide a similar benefit to doing a tempo run, since your blood lactate is probably pretty high the whole time? Assume fairly a fairly even rest/exertion ratio.
If you do a long fartlek(40+ minutes), would that provide a similar benefit to doing a tempo run, since your blood lactate is probably pretty high the whole time? Assume fairly a fairly even rest/exertion ratio.
It depends how fast you were running the hard parts of your fartlek. In my experience I have always seen fartleks used as vo2max workouts where you're doing something like 3 mins @ 3k race pace, 3 mins easy. I suppose in theory if you did the hard parts at LT pace you would get similar benefits to those of a tempo run, however if you did even rest/extertion ratio as you mentioned your lactate is going to drop significantly, and won't get that high in the first place if you aren't running for a fairly lengthy duration.
Anything that raises your VO2 max will also have some side benefits on LT and all the other variables associated with running.
The question should be, are running Fartlek workouts as effective at raising LT as running VO2 max workouts?
I would say that the answer to that is yes and no. I believe that for every minute spent at VO2 max pace, you will see a greater change in LT than you will for the same amount of time spent at LT pace.
However
You can not run as many minutes at VO2 max pace training session or per week as you can run at LT. This is why coaches assign tempo runs, cruise intervals, and steady runs. These are a lower stress way to reap many of the same benefits that can be seen with VO2 max training.
fartlek -- no "s".