The London Marathon Humbled Me...Time to Refocus! - YouTube - Ben Is Running

Aug 13, 2025

Intro: This is a quick summary of The London Marathon Humbled Me…Time to Refocus! from Ben Is Running. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the workout today. Be sure to check out the full video for all the details.

Key Points

Double‑threshold day: Ben splits his session into two parts – a longer “LT1” (first lactate threshold) run and a faster “LT2” (second lactate threshold) run.
Pace focus: He targets ~3:30‑3:35 min/km for LT1 and ~3:05 min/km for LT2, which is roughly his 10K race pace. For more on finding and training at this specific effort, check out our guide on Mastering the 10K: Proven Training Plans, Pace Strategies, and How a Smart App Can Elevate Your Performance. He emphasizes feeling the effort rather than chasing an exact split, especially on windy days.
Workout structure: 4 × 6‑minute runs at LT1 effort (≈3:30 min/km) with 1‑minute standing recoveries, followed later by 20 × 400 m repeats at LT2 effort (≈3:05 min/km) with ~30‑second jog recoveries. This is a classic example of advanced interval work; if you’re looking to understand the principles, our guide to Mastering Interval Training: Science-Backed Workouts and How a Smart App Can Personalize Them is a great resource.
Practical tips: Warm‑up with drills and strides, keep the body loose after a marathon, monitor lactate (aim ~2 mmol/L for LT1), and don’t over‑cook the morning session.

Workout Example (copyable for your own training):

Warm‑up: 10‑15 min easy + 4‑6 × 100 m strides

Morning – LT1 (First Threshold)
4 × 6 min @ ~3:30 min/km
   • Keep effort steady, ignore wind‑induced pace swings
   • 1 min standing recovery between reps

Cool‑down: 3 km easy jog

Evening – LT2 (Second Threshold) – 400 m repeats
20 × 400 m @ ~3:05 min/km
   • 30 s jog recovery (or walk) between repeats
   • Use a lightweight shoe (e.g., Vaporfly 4 or Cloud Boom Strike) for speed feel

Finish with 5‑10 min easy cool‑down.

Feel free to adjust the paces to match your current fitness using the Pacing app.

Closing Note: Grab a notebook, set those intervals, and hit the track or road – you’ll be back on the speed trail in no time. Remember you can always tweak the paces to suit your own thresholds in the Pacing app. Try the double‑threshold workout today and let your post‑marathon momentum turn into fresh speed. If you’re chasing a new personal best, the principles in this workout are key for Mastering 5K Speed: Proven Interval Strategies to Cut Minutes off Your Time.