February 10, 2020
In today’s world we have a ton of data at our fingertips…and don’t really understand most of it. This is how I found myself trying to explain VO2 Max and the track the other day.
So let’s start with a definition.
V02 Max is the maximum amount of oxygen an individual can use during intense exercise. It is a measurement of the ability of the lungs to take in oxygen and distribute it to working muscles during physical activity.
It needs to be measured in a lab. The number on your watch? It is an extremely rough estimate.
So instead, we are going to look at a different measurement.
vVO2Max, the maximum SPEED at which you would run when finding your V02 Max. It works as a good estimate for how fast you should run during short interval speed sessions.
How do you find that number? Go to the track. Warm up, then run AS FAST AS YOU CAN for 6 minutes.
vVO2 Max is not to be confuse with Lactate Threshold (LT) . This is the maximum steady state effort you can run at before your body starts to create lactate faster than it can remove it. If you are running faster than your LT, the run goes from a comfortably hard endurance effort to an all out anaerobic effort that will eventually stop you in your tracks.
Of course the loudest voice to listen to when it comes to how fast you should be running is the voice of you body. When in doubt, turn off your watch and tune in to you!
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