Lactate Threshold Training: Why LT1 and LT2 Matter

A lactate step test produces two anchors: LT1, the aerobic threshold at the top of easy training, and LT2, the anaerobic threshold you can hold for roughly one hour. Generic formulas misplace both by 10-20 beats per minute. Train the bulk of volume below LT1, tempo work between LT1 and LT2, cruise intervals at LT2 and short VO2 max intervals above it.

Two Points That Shape Your Week

A step test gives two anchors. The first marks the top of easy training. The second is the pace you can hold for about an hour. Everything in your plan sits above, below or between those two points.

Why Formulas Miss

Age based heart rate formulas can be off by ten to twenty beats. That turns an easy run into a hard one without you noticing. Over weeks that stops progress. A test gives you your own numbers instead of an average.

How to Use Your Zones

Keep most volume below the first point. Use tempo work between the two. Run cruise intervals at the second point. Save short hard intervals for above it. Retest after each training block and update the paces.