Stop Guessing: The Physiology Behind Every Key Training Pace for Distance Runners

Описание: Most coaches know they should be running threshold workouts. Fewer can explain what threshold pace actually does to the body — or how it differs from tempo, critical velocity, or 5K pace work. If you can't answer that, you're guessing with your athletes' development.

In this video, I break down the four key aerobic training paces — marathon pace, half marathon pace, 10K pace, and 5K pace — and exactly what each one does physiologically. By the end, you'll understand why training all four makes your athletes better at every distance, from the 800 to the 5K.
What's covered:

Marathon pace (Tempo) — builds capillary density, mitochondrial efficiency, and fat utilization. The foundation everything else sits on.

Half marathon pace (Threshold) — develops lactate clearance and metabolic efficiency. The zone where you can accumulate massive volume without a long recovery.

10K pace (Critical Velocity) — pushes VO2max, makes fast-twitch fibers more aerobic, and gives athletes the ability to kick from further out.

5K pace (Aerobic Power) — maximal aerobic power, running economy at race speeds, and VO2max stress.

I also explain how I pair each of these aerobic paces with a faster gear — so athletes get exposure to all race intensities while keeping the emphasis where it belongs: building the aerobic engine.

This is the system I use with my middle and high school athletes. It produces well-rounded runners who can race anything from the 800 to the 10K, stay healthy, and keep improving into college.

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