Coach ,

A coach’s instinct when training any long-distance runner is to have them run. 

Yet, while running is a crucial component of building up a long-distance runner’s endurance, perhaps the most crucial part of success is building up stamina and endurance. And this requires finding a runner’s ideal training pace.

And there are few people in the world better suited to help you do so than Houston Franks.

Coach Franks is currently the assistant coach for LSU track and field’s mid-distance and distance squads, in addition to being the head coach for the cross-country team. 

Coach Franks prides himself on the training pace that all of his LSU distance runners prepare for their races at. His ‘How to Find the Proper Training Paces for Endurance Athletes’ course discloses some of his best lessons on how distance coaches at every level can help their runners find the perfect training pace. 

Test to Get vVO2

Test to Get vVO2

The first part of calculating a distance runner’s ideal training pace is figuring out what their vV02 is. 

A runner’s vVO2 is the rate at which their heart can pump oxygen to their muscles, and is used to find their maximal aerobic capacity value. 

Coach Franks believes the two best ways to calculate an accurate vVO2 is by doing either a two-mile time trial or a 10-minute running test.  

The two-mile time trial is especially easy to do for an entire team at once because the coach can just wait at the two-mile mark and record what each of their runner’s times are. 

From there, the coach will calculate each runner’s pace per mile. This is how to get each runner’s vVO2. 

From there, a coach will want to use that number to figure out what the ideal training pace for each runner should be, depending on which race they run. 

For a runner who wants to find their ideal training pace for a 10k race, it should be about 92% of their vVO2. While 120-136% of their vVO2 should be used for an 800m runner.  

Aerobic Threshold

Aerobic Threshold

Coach Franks notes that a distance runner’s aerobic threshold will be at around 65% of their vVO2. 

Therefore, a recovery run pace after any demanding workout should be between 65%-70% of their vVO2. 

A longer distance training pace (that isn’t about training for a specific competition) should be at around 75%. 

A coach can recalibrate whether this is an accurate training pace by measuring their heart rate while at their aerobic threshold. If it’s between 130-150 bpm then the runner is in a perfect spot. 

Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts

Coach Franks’ opinion of the age-old debate about whether runners should typically be training for a set number of miles or a set duration/time is that it’s going to differ depending on the athlete, coach, and team. 

But as long as the runner’s ultimate decision blends a balance of effort, individualism, and honesty with themselves about where they’re at in their training journey (whether they’re competing for a specific race or are in the offseason), whichever method they opt for should be sufficient for succeeding. 

Thank you ITCCA and Coach Franks for sharing.

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