A threshold run can be completed as one long interval or several shorter ones with longer recovery periods in between. Additionally, you can incorporate tempo runs into your program which are shorter but faster-paced intervals than your threshold run.

Daniels Running Formula Training Explained: Jack Daniels Running Formula

The training plans in his book are geared towards very serious runners, but the science and training philosophy behind it can be applied to most people on the running spectrum. In the past, setting a training pace was often an unpredictable endeavor. You had to balance how much speed work you were doing with rest time and recovery periods for optimal results. The idea of training focus is centered on the “physiology of performance,” and the key ideas are the seven “principles of training.” The principles are:The acute response is the immediate reaction by your body of pumping more blood, breathing faster, etc. Finally, there are Repetition training runs (R). This is your speedwork, run at your mile pace or slightly faster. These are essentially the inverse of I runs – short intervals with long periods of recovery. The repetition should be less than two minutes, and the recovery period should be long enough to fully recover. For example, 200m or 300m repetitions would be good with 200m or 300m recovery jogs in between. Aerobic capacity defined as the maximal amount of oxygen your body can take in and use during vigorous exercise. The VDOT calculator can help you identify the most efficient and effective threshold running workouts tailored towards your individual needs. However, keep in mind that each plan differs, so you may need to adjust it according to your objectives. The four millimole value is an average and is better defined for an individual as the 20-30 minute accumulation of blood lactate when running at a race pace that can be maintained for an hour (Daniels 23). Similar to this “system” is the aerobic capacity “system.”

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This zone should occur less frequently that E running and generally takes the place of a long run at E pace, becoming a long run at M pace. Hemodynamics is a little harder to evaluate, but is essentially the response and ability of your blood vessels to deliver blood when and where it is needed. In every case, you should start with a base building phase where you establish your weekly mileage and do some strength work to build some injury resistance. From there, you’ll go through three phases until your race. He justifies these breaks by saying “a break gives both the body and the mind some time to regroup from what might have been a pretty strenuous period of training and competition” (Daniels 82). In the Formula, Daniels introduces the idea of training points as a secondary way of measuring training stress.

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The most common type of run is an Easy run (E). This is your typical “conversational pace” easy run. It should form the bulk of your training load. These can be short recovery runs or longer easy runs. These help build your base and lay the foundation for all of your other training. Once these five steps are completed, the season plan is complete. The Formula takes a target running goal (marathon) and shapes a training plan to target and develop specific areas of emphasis. The characteristics of the foundation and injury prevention phase are steady, easy runs while gradually increasing mileage.

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Daniels suggests that you space these quality workouts out so that there are 2 to 2 easy days of running between the quality efforts. This advice jibes with what I see a lot of older elite runners do to avoid burnout and injuries. So ultimately, you need to find the sweet spot between pushing yourself just hard enough to progress, not pushing yourself so hard as to get injured, and to incorporate enough specific training stresses to maintain what you’ve already gained.

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Systems one and two are the only real systems in the normal sense of the word, but for Daniels’ purpose, each of these are systems. I found the book very interesting and informative, and it really helped me understand the “why” and “how” of running training. While I wouldn’t say there was anything earth-shattering in the book, his philosophy offers a good understanding of how to push yourself hard without pushing yourself too hard. Intensity: Generally, in the range of 97-100% of VO2max or 98-100% of HRmax. Intervals are "hard", but not all-out running by any means. Intervals are similar to a pace that you could maintain for about 10-12 minutes in a serious race. Intervals are best if they involve runs of 3 to 5 minutes each (800m and 1000m workbouts are common), with jog recoveries of similar duration (not necessarily, equal distance); relative to the runs they follow. If a workout calls for "hard" runs, then go by feel and, conservatively imagine 5k race pace, as the intensity of each run. The key purpose of this workout is to build endurance by encouraging a positive shift in the lactate threshold of the runner.