address he physiological are V02max need ( through s a dist cen ance tralrunner and peripher should al

adaptations) , lactate threshold, speed, and economy. In

chapter 2, I discuss the types of training that best meet
these needs (easy runs, marathon-pace runs, intervals,
threshold running, and repetitions) . The next logical
step in setting up a good training program is to determine your current level of fitness so you can
match your
intensity to your training needs.
You could go to a lab somewhere and get a series of
tests run on yourself to measure your V02max, running
economy, and lactate threshold, but that would probably
cost a lot of money, and such a lab might not even be
available. Or, as I discussed in chapter 2, you could use
another measure of your current fitness-recent race
performances-to establish how hard to train . As the
result of many years of research involving runners of all
ability levels, a former runner of mine, Jimmy Gilbert,
and I came up with a comprehensive book of tables that
associate race performances with a common measure of
distance-running fitness. The book, Oxygen Power, allows
run ners ofdifferent abilities and event specialties to identifywhere they are in their running fitness by
determining
their aerobic profile.
In this chapter, I expand on the idea of using race
performances and their associated VDOT values to give
you an idea of your current fitness with no lab testing
A great coach is the
result ofa coach
and a great athlete
getting along well.
45
46 Daniels' Running Formula
required. I also provide accurate and practical ways ofdetermining how fast to perform
the types of training (intervals, reps, and threshold runs) that you'll be doing in your
quest for improved performance. I note how altitude training and acclimatization
affect training intensities and how you can adjust for these. Finally, I present a few
useful "test session" workouts that you can use to compare your progress at various
stages of a season.
VDOT-A Measure of Your Current
Running Ability
As discussed in chapter 2, an aerobic profile involves identifying a vV02max (velocity at
V02max) that represents the speed ofrunning a race that lasts about 1 0 to 1 2 minutes.
This vV02max reflects the runner's economy and V02max and will be the same for all
individuals of equal race ability-although one runner might accomplish his or her
vV02max with great economy and a relatively meagerV02max and another runner with
not-so-great economy and a high V02max. It doesn't matter how the components vary
if they combine to provide the same result. Basically, Gilbert and I placed every runner
of equal performance ability onto a common economy curve, which meant theywould
also have the same mathematically generated V02max and a similar lactate-response
curve. Equally performing runners are assigned equal aerobic profiles, which means
they would also have an identical pseudoV02max but not necessarily the V02max they
would show in a laboratory test.
Instead ofreferring to this pseudoV02max (the one based strictly on performance)
as V02max, we use the term "VDOT." V02max is properly stated "V-dot-02max." By
placing a dot over the V, we're identifying the rate of oxygen uptake-that is, the
volume of oxygen consumed per minute. We shortened V-dot-02max to VDOT. This
way, each runner has a reference VDOTvalue: a single number that's easy to work with
when comparing performances. This system is also ideal for setting training intensities
because intervals, threshold runs, and even easy long runs and marathon-pace runs
are best performed at specific fractions (or percentages) of each runner's VDOT.
When you know your VDOT value, you can eliminate a great deal of guesswork
from training and can avoid overtraining. I 'll go so far as to say that your VDOT takes
into account your psychological input into racing, because instead ofusing lab tests to
determine your ability level, we're using your race performances, which are affected
by your motivation and willingness to deal with discomfort. VDOT reflects everything
that an individual calls on to perform in a race.
In addition to a generic economy curve we use to fit a variety of runners (figure
3. 1 ) , Gilbert and I came up with another curve that represen ts the relative intensity
at which a runner can race for various durations (figure 3.2 ) . Duration, not distance,
is the key here because the intensity (percentage of current VDOT) at which any race
can be run is a function of how much time it takes to complete the race