Threshold
4 x 1 km Threshold for Beginners
4 × (1000 m at threshold, 2 min jog)
Threshold Running Workouts
Structured threshold sessions for runners, from cruise intervals and continuous threshold runs to Norwegian style sub-threshold repeats.
Workouts
28 workouts
Threshold
2 x 15 min at FTP
2 × (15 min at threshold, 4 min jog)
Threshold
FTP Over-Unders 3 x 9 min
3 × (2 min at sweet spot, 1 min at threshold), 3 min jog, 3 × (2 min at sweet spot, 1 min at threshold), 3 min jog, 3 × (2 min at sweet spot, 1 min at threshold)
Threshold
5 x 4 min at FTP for Beginners
5 × (4 min at threshold, 2 min jog)
Threshold Workouts
Threshold pace is the pace you could race for about an hour. For many runners it lies between 10k and half marathon race pace. The effort is comfortably hard, with quick but controlled breathing and only a few words at a time. Threshold sessions keep you at that effort for 20 to 40 minutes in total, either continuously or in repeats with short breaks.
Training at threshold raises the speed you can hold before lactate builds up faster than your body clears it. That helps in every race from 5k to the marathon. The category includes continuous threshold runs, cruise intervals in the style of Jack Daniels, critical velocity repeats slightly faster than threshold, cutdowns and over-unders, and Norwegian style sessions with many repeats and short rests just below threshold.
One threshold session a week is a common rhythm in the build phase, and runners with high mileage often do two. Keep the time at threshold in a single session to about 10 % of your weekly running. A common mistake is running too fast, so the last repeat should feel no harder than a strong but controlled effort.
Beginners can start with 4 x 5 minutes or 3 x 1600 m. Intermediate runners move on to 20 minutes continuous, 3 x 10 minutes or 5 x 1600 m. Experienced runners use 2 x 20 minutes or the Norwegian style sessions with ten kilometers of threshold work.
Questions about Threshold Workouts
How do I find my threshold pace?
A recent race of about one hour gives a direct value. Many runners use their 10k pace plus a few seconds per kilometer, or their half marathon pace minus a few seconds. A 30 minute solo time trial also works, with the average pace of the last 20 minutes as a sound estimate. Retest every six to eight weeks.
What is the Norwegian double threshold method?
It is a training model in which runners do two threshold sessions on the same day, usually twice a week, with easy running in between. The morning session uses longer repeats at a lower intensity and the evening session shorter repeats at a slightly higher one. Lactate is kept low and controlled. The sessions here are single workouts based on that structure.
Should I rest or jog between threshold repeats?
Both work. Short breaks of 30 seconds to one minute are often taken standing or walking, which keeps the session close to continuous. Longer breaks of two to three minutes are usually jogged. What matters is that the break stays short enough to keep the overall effort high and long enough to hold the target pace.