The Threshold Sandwich
Workout - The Threshold Sandwich
- 15min @ 6'00''/km
- 10min @ 5'20''/km
- 2min @ 6'00''/km
- 5 lots of:
- 3min @ 4'45''/km
- 1min 30s rest
- 2min @ 6'00''/km
- 10min @ 5'20''/km
- 12min @ 6'30''/km
to import the workout after you install it.
Intro
A quick look at How FAST are my thresholds? Training for a SUB 2:20 Marathon! from The Welsh Runner. The full video is worth watching for the complete story — here we’re pulling the key insights so you can start working on this session right away.
Key Points
- During the test, the runner completed a 4-minute step lactate test on a treadmill, with a lactate sample taken during the 1-minute recovery between steps.
- LT1 registered at approximately 16.5 km/h (roughly 5:50 min/mile). This marks the point where lactate begins to accumulate above resting levels.
- LT2 appeared around 18.5 km/h (approximately 5:13–5:15 min/mile). Once you exceed this pace, lactate rises sharply and your body shifts toward carbohydrate-based energy.
- Heart-rate ranges aligned with these thresholds: roughly 160 bpm for LT1 and mid-170s for LT2.
- Treadmill speeds run a touch faster than their outdoor counterparts, so you’ll want to slow down a bit when taking the workout outside.
- You can use this test at the start of your training block, then run it again a few weeks before race day to measure improvement.
Workout Example
Gym Threshold Session (based on the test results)
- Warm-up — 10 minutes at an easy pace.
- 2 × 10 minutes at a just-below-LT1 pace (a step slower than 5:50 min/mile). Aim for heart rates around the LT1 zone.
- 10 × 3 minutes at a near-LT2 pace (≈5:13 min/mile). Target heart rates in the mid-170 bpm range.
- Cool-down — 10 minutes easy.
Running short on time? You can swap the 10 × 3 set for a pyramid workout: 3 minutes, then 2, then 1 at LT2 pace, reverse it back (1–2–3 minutes), and push hard on each short burst.
Long Run Example (running outside):
- A 2-hour run at ≈6:40–6:50 min/mile (close to your LT1–LT2 band) with the final 3 miles quickened if energy permits. This echoes the kind of session the runner did on weekends with Andy.
Practical Tips
- Go with 4-minute steps for cleaner lactate readings; 3-minute steps are fine too, though they’ll give you noisier data.
- Keep the lactate sample window to about 1 minute to avoid extra tiredness.
- Write down both pace and heart rate; these numbers make it easier to translate gym results to road running.
- Drop treadmill speeds by 5–10 seconds per mile when shifting to outdoor runs.
- Retest after 4–6 weeks to check whether your thresholds have improved.
- Load your paces into the Pacing app to dial them in based on how you’ve been running.
Closing Note
Test these workouts and watch your marathon pace rise. Adjust the intervals to fit your current fitness, and be sure to log your results in the Pacing app for easy progress tracking. Good luck with training, and definitely watch the full video for the deeper breakdown!