The 10k: A Tale of Lactate Threshold

In a previous episode, we examined the energy systems using a story about my cousin and I in a 5k race. Now, I don’t want to seem too self-centred, so in this story, I will not be the protagonist. Instead, we’ll invent a new runner…Carri. We’re going to examine Carri’s performance in the 10k and how it relates to her lactate threshold. Then we’ll discuss how Carri can alter her training in order to improve her lactate threshold pace and beat her 10k PR. Carri is 37 years old and a big fan of 10k races. She’s done many over the years but has always struggled to get her time under 1 hour. This is a really common barrier. In fact, a 2020 study showed that the average finish time for the 10k in the US is 01:01:00. That’s 1 hour and 1 minute! Very frustrating. As it happens, 1 hour and 1 minute is Carri’s PR for the 10k. It’s been the same for 5 years now. Carri has set her sights on breaking the 1-hour barrier. She’s got 4 months until her goal race so she feels like it’s realistic. First up, she’s going to do a time trial to see where she’s at right now... Click here to read the full in-depth article that accompanies this episode Would you like your running or triathlon questions featured in a future episode? Just click here to leave me a voicemail. Music By The Passion HiFi