One of our ambassadors asked a question today on our monthly call that a lot of athletes quietly wrestle with.
If your numbers have ever felt out of sync, lab tests versus conversational pace versus modeled thresholds, you are not alone.
Here is the question (paraphrased):
“My VT1 was ~140 bpm from a lab test a couple of years ago. Now, using the conversation test, it feels closer to 130. Athletica has my AeT pace at ~8:40/mile based on a 20:38 5k, but I cannot hold 130 bpm at that pace.
My old VT2 was ~167 bpm. Athletica now has my threshold pace at ~6:46/mile. I am sure my hockey background gives me a strong VT2.”
Before diving in, I shared a thread on athlete profiling, because this only makes sense when you look at how the system fits together, not at single numbers in isolation.
What is happening here is actually very logical.
The 5k tells us his LT2, or threshold, is well developed. That aligns with a hockey background and strong high intensity capacity.
Where the gap shows up is between LT1 and LT2.
Right now, that LT1 to LT2 gap is relatively wide. In practical terms, this suggests his aerobic base and durability in the 60 to 120 minute range have not yet caught up to his top end.
So he performs well at threshold, but struggles to keep heart rate low on easy runs.
Nothing is wrong.
It simply depends on the goal.
If the goal is long term durability and performance, the lever to pull is not more threshold work. It is raising LT1. That means consistent time in Zone 1 and Zone 2.
We talked about parking the ego, using conversational pace, incorporating walk run if needed, and even nose breathing as a simple control tool. Time spent at low intensity builds stroke volume, efficiency, and over time lowers heart rate at a given pace.
On the Athletica side, his Zone 2 heart rate range was 130 to 147 bpm. This is exactly why we recommend using heart rate for Zones 1 and 2.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with running (or walking) at 130 bpm, even if the pace feels too slow right now.
In fact, he is in a great position.
If he commits to the process, LT1 will rise. And when it does, the pace at 130 bpm comes up.
That is when the engine really starts to shift.