Anaerobic Threshold

by Question by Ali, Answered by Marius

The anaerobic threshold in any distance running event is the one single key in understanding how to perform better.

If you have ever seen the Kenyan runners, dominate distances from the 1500 through the 5/10k up to the marathon, you should pay particular attention to the anaerobic threshold.

I got this question from one of the readers (the article he is referring to is located at my mariusbakken.com page and is about Kenyan training principes.

Marius, i read your section on heart rate training. My question is: The junk zone (70-80%) is a zone you would use in training as listed in your practical guide to kenyan training? or am i confused, it seems you would progress through that zone on an LT run. Thanks Ali.

Ali,
Thanks for the question, this is a very good observation. My personal experience from training with the Kenyans (having spent over a year of my life up there at altitude in Rift Valley) is that they have a unique "feeling" of what intensity they are training at.

And very often, this intensity is between around 80%/high 70 and high 80 % of maximum heartrate - or exactly at the anaerobic threshold.

Anaerobic Threshold In Continous Work

The continuous LT runs you are referring to is very, very interesting. What I saw in the Kenyans, that is a bit different compared to what many non-Africans are doing, is the way these runs are set up. Usually, these are run 6 am in the morning and start of at about 7 min mile pace (walking,jogging,warming).

Then it starts going faster and faster BUT the "zone2" you are referring to - between 70 and 80 % of max heartrate is usually being more or less "skipped" on the way. No more than 5-10 minutes there.

Then they start to float - for about an hour or so right around the anaerobic threshold - 80-90% of max HR.

Very potent training - giving them maximum effect.

So in the LT runs - it is ok to start off a bit easier, acutally it may even be smart, but aim to quickly run through the zone 2 before getting in gear in zone 3. This is the most effective way of increasing performance and you'll see a great long term improvement in your running if you manage to make it right.

One Expection - Marathon + Anaerobic Threshold

The only exception to this is for a pure marathon training schedule - where you for parts of the periodization plan you want to combine alternating zone 3 anaerobic threshold with zone 2 within the sessions (sort of going into fast "active recovery" between the reps)

But this only refers to about 5-8 weeks of the total training program working towards a specific marathon.

Best wishes,
Marius