Matt Rees' Controlled Threshold

Workout - Matt Rees' Controlled Threshold

• 15min @ 6'30''/km
• 5 lots of:
  • 5min @ 5'10''/km
  • 2min rest
• 10min @ 7'30''/km

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Intro

Here’s a breakdown of “MATT REES @TheWelshRunner SUB ELITE - 2 HOUR LONG RUN In Prep For ROTTERDAM Marathon” from The FOD Runner—it’s well worth watching in full, and we’ve distilled the core workout so you can implement it right away. See the complete video for the full picture.

Key Points

• Mileage focus: Training volume reaches 90 miles weekly (roughly 11–12 hours) with significant trail and hill work woven into recovery runs, building durability and strength without the need for gym sessions.
• Training philosophy: Embrace the “trust the process” approach—sustain high volume while keeping intensity controlled, letting hills shoulder the strength-building work.
• Controlled double‑day workouts: Combine Tuesday’s double-threshold repeats (low-tempo intervals) with Thursday’s extended tempo (10–20 miles), both guided by lactate metrics that lock you into the right effort zone.
• Practical tips: Schedule your easy runs on hills or trails, dial easy-run paces to 3–4 minutes per mile slower than marathon pace, and monitor lactate levels (2–4 mmol/L) to judge your effort.

Workout Example

Tuesday – Double Threshold (controlled)

• Warm‑up: 10–15 minutes easy on trails.
• Main set: 5 × 5‑minute intervals at 5:30–5:45/mi (roughly 3–4 min/mi slower than your marathon goal) with 1–2 minute recovery jogs. Total day reaches ~19 miles but hard work concentrates into about an hour.
• Cool‑down: 10 minutes easy.

Thursday – Longer Effort (10‑20 mi)

• Warm‑up: 10 minutes easy.
• Main set: 10 miles at 5:24–5:45/mi (targeting the 520 bpm heart rate zone)—a controlled tempo segment.
• Optional: Add a second session in the afternoon with 1–3 minute surges at a brisker pace, maintaining recovery intervals between reps.

Closing Note

Try these paired sessions, tune your paces in the Pacing app to match your own marathon target, and stick with the process. Go crush your next long run! 🚀

References

• MATT REES ‪@TheWelshRunner‬ SUB ELITE - 2 HOUR LONG RUN In Prep For ROTTERDAM Marathon | FOD Runner - YouTube (YouTube Video)