Pace calculating
A handy VDOT pace calculator can be found here.
Just enter the distance and time and it will calculate your race and training paces. It’s really good to know them, especially as track training includes a variety of effort levels (tempo/threshold, VO2max, hard reps, etc…)
Your VDOT number, is a measurement Jack Daniels, Ph.D. came up with to reflect a runner’s fitness level. Specifically, your VDOT is the amount of oxygen you consume during a minute of running. (VDOT is shorthand for “V-dot-O2 max”)
You can use your VDOT to determine precisely how fast you should do your training runs. That’s because at every level of fitness there are particular training speeds that provide optimal benefit.
The pace chart in the below link shows the different training paces based on your race times.
How to use the pace chart
1) Look for your most recent race time in one of the columns on the left, then move across to the middle to find your VDOT number. (If you’ve run more than one race distance lately and your corresponding VDOTs aren’t the same, use the higher one.)
2) From your VDOT number, look across the chart to find the training paces you should run for your EASY, TEMPO/THRESHOLD, and INTERVAL and HARD REPS workouts. Easy workouts will strengthen your running muscles. Tempo/threshold workouts will boost your lactate threshold, meaning you’ll be able to run faster for longer. Interval sessions will increase your VO2 max level, which will enable your body to process oxygen more efficiently. Note: 400 meters (1 track lap) is roughly equivalent to a quarter-mile.
Track training
We often do efforts at 5k and 10k race pace on the track, but we also do threshold pace work (this is roughly the fastest pace you could hold for an hour). Here are 2 pace charts based on your 5k or 10k race times and race paces. The coaches will always have pace charts, but you can check them out here and be prepared when you turn up!
(A downloadable version is here).
Threshold pace based on 5k time and race pace
5k | 5k/mi, /km | 5k/400 | TH/400 | TH/800 | TH/1200 | TH/1600 | TH/2000 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
00:15:00 | 04:50, 03:00 | 01:12 | 01:18 | 02:36 | 03:54 | 05:12 | 06:30 |
00:15:30 | 04:59, 03:06 | 01:14 | 01:20 | 02:41 | 04:01 | 05:22 | 06:42 |
00:16:00 | 05:09, 03:12 | 01:17 | 01:23 | 02:46 | 04:09 | 05:32 | 06:55 |
00:16:30 | 05:19, 03:18 | 01:19 | 01:25 | 02:50 | 04:16 | 05:41 | 07:06 |
00:17:00 | 05:28, 03:24 | 01:22 | 01:28 | 02:56 | 04:24 | 05:52 | 07:20 |
00:17:30 | 05:38, 03:30 | 01:24 | 01:30 | 03:01 | 04:31 | 06:02 | 07:32 |
00:18:00 | 05:48, 03:36 | 01:26 | 01:33 | 03:06 | 04:39 | 06:12 | 07:45 |
00:18:30 | 05:57, 03:42 | 01:29 | 01:35 | 03:10 | 04:46 | 06:21 | 07:56 |
00:19:00 | 06:07, 03:48 | 01:31 | 01:38 | 03:16 | 04:54 | 06:32 | 08:10 |
00:19:30 | 06:17, 03:54 | 01:34 | 01:40 | 03:20 | 05:00 | 06:40 | 08:20 |
00:20:00 | 06:26, 04:00 | 01:36 | 01:42 | 03:24 | 05:06 | 06:48 | 08:30 |
00:20:30 | 06:36, 04:06 | 01:38 | 01:45 | 03:30 | 05:14 | 06:59 | 08:44 |
00:21:00 | 06:46, 04:12 | 01:41 | 01:47 | 03:34 | 05:21 | 07:08 | 08:55 |
00:21:30 | 06:55, 04:18 | 01:43 | 01:50 | 03:39 | 05:29 | 07:16 | 09:08 |
00:22:00 | 07:05, 04:24 | 01:46 | 01:52 | 03:44 | 05:36 | 07:28 | 09:20 |
00:22:30 | 07:15, 04:30 | 01:48 | 01:54 | 03:49 | 05:43 | 07:38 | 09:32 |
00:23:00 | 07:24, 04:36 | 01:50 | 01:57 | 03:54 | 05:51 | 07:48 | 09:45 |
00:23:30 | 07:34, 04:42 | 01:53 | 02:00 | 03:59 | 05:59 | 07:59 | 09:58 |
00:24:00 | 07:43, 04:48 | 01:55 | 02:02 | 04:04 | 06:06 | 08:08 | 10:10 |
00:24:30 | 07:53, 04:54 | 01:58 | 02:04 | 04:09 | 06:13 | 08:18 | 10:22 |
00:25:00 | 08:03, 05:00 | 02:00 | 02:07 | 04:14 | 06:21 | 08:28 | 10:35 |
00:25:30 | 08:13, 05:06 | 02:02 | 02:08 | 04:17 | 06:25 | 08:34 | 10:42 |
00:26:00 | 08:22, 05:12 | 02:05 | 02:11 | 04:22 | 06:33 | 08:44 | 10:55 |
00:26:30 | 08:32, 05:18 | 02:07 | 02:12 | 04:24 | 06:36 | 08:48 | 11:00 |
00:27:00 | 08:41, 05:24 | 02:10 | 02:14 | 04:28 | 06:42 | 08:56 | 11:10 |
00:27:30 | 08:51, 05:30 | 02:12 | 02:16 | 04:32 | 06:48 | 09:04 | 11:20 |
00:28:00 | 09:01, 05:36 | 02:14 | 02:18 | 04:36 | 06:54 | 09:12 | 11:30 |
00:28:30 | 09:10, 05:42 | 02:17 | 02:20 | 04:40 | 07:00 | 09:20 | 11:40 |
00:29:00 | 09:20, 05:48 | 02:19 | 02:22 | 04:43 | 07:05 | 09:26 | 11:48 |
00:29:30 | 09:30, 05:54 | 02:22 | 02:24 | 04:47 | 07:11 | 09:34 | 11:58 |
00:30:00 | 09:39, 06:00 | 02:24 | 02:25 | 04:50 | 07:16 | 09:41 | 12:06 |
Threshold pace based on 10k time and race pace
10k | 10k/mi, /km | 10k/400 | TH/400 | TH/800 | TH/1200 | TH/1600 | TH/2000 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
00:30:00 | 04:50, 03:00 | 01:12 | 01:15 | 02:30 | 03:45 | 05:00 | 06:15 |
00:31:00 | 04:59, 03:06 | 01:14 | 01:17 | 02:34 | 03:51 | 05:08 | 06:25 |
00:32:00 | 05:09, 03:12 | 01:17 | 01:20 | 02:40 | 04:00 | 05:20 | 06:40 |
00:33:00 | 05:19, 03:18 | 01:19 | 01:22 | 02:44 | 04:06 | 05:28 | 06:50 |
00:34:00 | 05:28, 03:24 | 01:22 | 01:25 | 02:50 | 04:15 | 05:40 | 07:05 |
00:35:00 | 05:38, 03:30 | 01:24 | 01:27 | 02:54 | 04:21 | 05:48 | 07:15 |
00:36:00 | 05:48, 03:36 | 01:26 | 01:30 | 03:00 | 04:30 | 06:00 | 07:30 |
00:37:00 | 05:57, 03:42 | 01:29 | 01:32 | 03:04 | 04:36 | 06:08 | 07:40 |
00:38:00 | 06:07, 03:48 | 01:31 | 01:35 | 03:10 | 04:45 | 06:20 | 07:55 |
00:39:00 | 06:17, 03:54 | 01:34 | 01:37 | 03:14 | 04:41 | 06:28 | 08:05 |
00:40:00 | 06:26, 04:00 | 01:36 | 01:39 | 03:18 | 04:57 | 06:36 | 08:15 |
00:41:00 | 06:36, 04:06 | 01:38 | 01:41 | 03:22 | 05:03 | 06:44 | 08:25 |
00:42:00 | 06:46, 04:12 | 01:41 | 01:44 | 03:28 | 05:12 | 06:56 | 08:40 |
00:43:00 | 06:55, 04:18 | 01:43 | 01:46 | 03:32 | 05:18 | 07:04 | 08:50 |
00:44:00 | 07:05, 04:24 | 01:46 | 01:49 | 03:38 | 05:27 | 07:16 | 09:05 |
00:45:00 | 07:15, 04:30 | 01:48 | 01:51 | 03:42 | 05:33 | 07:24 | 09:15 |
00:46:00 | 07:24, 04:36 | 01:50 | 01:53 | 03:46 | 05:39 | 07:32 | 09:25 |
00:47:00 | 07:34, 04:42 | 01:53 | 01:55 | 03:50 | 05:45 | 07:40 | 09:35 |
00:48:00 | 07:43, 04:48 | 01:55 | 01:58 | 03:56 | 05:53 | 07:52 | 09:50 |
00:49:00 | 07:53, 04:54 | 01:58 | 02:00 | 04:00 | 06:00 | 08:00 | 10:00 |
00:50:00 | 08:03, 05:00 | 02:00 | 02:02 | 04:04 | 06:06 | 08:08 | 10:10 |
00:51:00 | 08:13, 05:06 | 02:02 | 02:05 | 04:10 | 06:15 | 08:20 | 10:25 |
00:52:00 | 08:22, 05:12 | 02:05 | 02:07 | 04:14 | 06:21 | 08:28 | 10:35 |
00:53:00 | 08:32, 05:18 | 02:07 | 02:09 | 04:18 | 06:27 | 08:36 | 10:45 |
00:54:00 | 08:41, 05:24 | 02:10 | 02:11 | 04:22 | 06:33 | 08:44 | 10:55 |
00:55:00 | 08:51, 05:30 | 02:12 | 02:14 | 04:28 | 06:42 | 08:56 | 11:10 |
00:56:00 | 09:01, 05:36 | 02:14 | 02:16 | 04:32 | 06:48 | 09:04 | 11:20 |
00:57:00 | 09:10, 05:42 | 02:17 | 02:18 | 04:36 | 06:54 | 09:12 | 11:30 |
00:58:00 | 09:20, 05:48 | 02:19 | 02:21 | 04:42 | 07:03 | 09:24 | 11:45 |
00:59:00 | 09:30, 05:54 | 02:22 | 02:23 | 04:46 | 07:09 | 09:32 | 11:55 |
01:00:00 | 09:39, 06:00 | 02:24 | 02:25 | 04:50 | 07:15 | 09:40 | 12:05 |