Scullion's Double-Threshold Sharpener (AM)

Workout - Scullion's Double-Threshold Sharpener (AM)

• 15min @ 6'00''/km
• 20min @ 2'55''/km
• 10min @ 7'00''/km

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Intro

Here’s a breakdown of Getting my running back on track for Paris Olympics marathon with Stephen Scullion, Olympic marathoner. Worth watching in full; below is the key workout you can put into practice now.

Key points

• Skip altitude for now. Stephen chose sea-level training to rebuild speed and hold high intensity.
• Double-threshold days: two threshold-quality sessions in a single day (morning plus evening) to sharpen lactate tolerance and pace consistency. This is an advanced method. For the science, see Mastering Interval Training: Science-Backed Workouts and How a Smart App Can Personalize Them.
• Tempo focus: longer tempos at 4:45–4:55 min/mi (around 3:00–3:07 min/km) to push marathon pace forward.
• Strength and activation: basic pre-run work for hips, calves, and glutes (hip raises, calf raises, bridges).
• Weekend: easy morning run, harder evening session on Saturday, then a mixed-effort long run on Sunday (around 5:20 min/mi overall).
• Use heart rate or lactate testing to stay in the target zone. Keep effort controlled.

Workout example

Double-threshold Saturday

1. Morning: 20-min threshold at around 2:55 min/km (4:40 min/mi). Hold HR just below lactate threshold.
2. Easy jog: 5–10 min recovery.
3. Evening: another 20-min threshold at the same pace.

Tempo run (once a week)

• 5 mi at 4:50 min/mi (around 3:00 min/km). Below full threshold, aim for “comfortably hard”. These sustained efforts are a building block in most plans. See Mastering the 10K: Proven Training Plans, Pace Strategies, and How a Smart App Can Elevate Your Performance.

Long run Sunday

• 12–14 mi total, alternating easy miles (5:20–5:30 min/mi) with 4:45–5:00 min/mi pick-ups to practice running hard when tired.

Adjust paces to your fitness in the Pacing app.

Closing note

Try these double-threshold and tempo workouts and set paces to your numbers. If your focus is shorter distances, see Mastering 5K Speed: Proven Interval Strategies to Cut Minutes off Your Time.

You can adjust any workout in the Pacing app.

References

• Getting my running back on track for Paris Olympics marathon - YouTube (YouTube Video)