The Training Characteristics of World-Class Distance Runners: An Integration of Scientific Literature and Results-Proven Practice

Haugen, Thomas; Sandbakk, Øyvind; Seiler, Stephen; Tønnessen, Espen

doi:10.1186/s40798-022-00438-7

Sports Medicine - Open

Table 3 Intensity scale for long-distance runners

From: The Training Characteristics of World-Class Distance Runners: An Integration of Scientific Literature and Results-Proven Practice

Scale		BLa	HR	VO₂max	RPE	Pace reference	AWD	Int. time	Rec	Typical training methods
6-zone	3-zone	mmol·L⁻¹	% max	%	6–20	Pace reference	min·session⁻¹	min	min	Typical training methods
7	HIT	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	60–400 m	1–3	< 0:20	1–3	Maximal or progressive sprints, hill sprints
6	HIT	> 8.0	n/a	n/a	18–20	800–1500 m	5–20	0:30–2:00	0:30–3	Lactate tolerance training, hill repetitions
5	HIT	5.0–8.0	> 93	90–99	18–20	1500–5000 m	15–30	0:30–3	0:30–5	VO₂max intervals, competitions, hill repetitions
4	HIT	3.5–5.0	88–92	85–89	16–18	10,000 m	20–35	3–6	1–5	VO₂max intervals, hill repetitions, competitions
3	MIT	2.0–3.5	83–87	80–84	14–16	(Half) marathon^b	30–60	6–20	1–3	Threshold runs/intervals, fartlek, competitions
2	LIT	1.0–2.0	73–82	70–79	12–14	n/a	20–150	n/a	n/a	Long runs, uphill runs, progressive runs^c
1	LIT	< 1.0	60–72	55–69	9–12	n/a	20–150	n/a	n/a	Warm-up/cooldown^a, easy long runs

BLa = typical blood lactate (normative blood lactate concentration values based on red-cell lysed blood); HR = typical heart rate; VO₂max = maximal oxygen consumption; RPE = rating of perceived exertion; AWD = typical accumulated work duration; Int. = interval; Rec. = typical recovery time (active or passive) between repetitions; LIT = low-intensity training; MIT = moderate-intensity training; HIT = high-intensity training
^aWarm-up is typically performed in zone 1–3, although with shorter duration, while cooldowns are typically performed in zone 1–2
^bProgressive runs are typically performed in zone 1–3
^cThe difference between half-marathon and marathon speed is very small on an absolute scale among world-class long-distance runners. Hence, half-marathon pace represents the upper part of zone 3, while marathon pace represents the lower part of the same zone. It is also important to note that physiological measures (and RPE) normally “drift” upward considerably during a competition, reflecting a growing mismatch between internal and external load. For example, heart rate may increase ~ 20 beats per minute (and cross into “zone 4 or 5”) during the latter half of a marathon race. Hence, the stated values are meant as training guidelines. Finally, individual race pace evolves throughout the training year. For example, marathon pace may be 10–20 s slower per kilometer during early preparation period, meaning similar physiological stress when running at slower paces

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