Assessing your fitness is a great way to start a fitness program as well as evaluate your progress to stay on track. Here is an easy to follow running fitness assessment you can perform on a treadmill.
The goal of this assessment is to find your redline, or your lactate threshold, the point at which you shift from using a higher percentage of oxygen and fat to burning glycogen due to the demands of the higher intensity activity.
The value in this assessment is you can base your training zones (yellow, orange, red) on this threshold and thereby begin to train and race based on what is going on metabolically in your body. It takes the guess work out of training and allows you to train below it for your easy to moderate runs, and at or above it for high intensity intervals.
There are many ways to find your redline. I happen to like this method because it guides you into learning what it feels like, is easy to perform, and is great for newbies who may be unfit and unable to perform the more standard 20-minute hard-effort protocol.
1. Warm up
Warm up by walking easy for three minutes. Begin to tune into your breath and watch your pace.
2. Pick up the pace
Pick up the walking pace for two minutes, again tuning into your breath.
3. Try to talk
Recite the words of any 2-3 sentences you know by heart (a prayer, quote, the Pledge of Allegiance…)out loud, paying close attention to your breath and how easily you are able to speak the words.
4. Increase the speed
Increase the speed to a very easy run (very easy) for two minutes and recite the 2-3 sentences again at the end of the two minute set.
5. Increase the speed, again
If you can recite it easily, increase the speed very gradually, run for two minutes at that speed, then recite the sentences again to assess your effort level. If it’s still easy, repeat this step.
6. Test the limits
When you reach the point at which you can no longer say the words out loud easily, and can only get out one or two word responses, you are at, near, or close to your red line. This is also the point many describe as “comfortably hard,” an effort where you can hear your breathing but you’re not gasping for air.
7. Take notice
Along the way make note of your pace, heart rate, and, most importantly, how it feels at each set of two minute intervals.
8. Find your redline
Once you find your redline, you can determine three effort zones for training. The easy Yellow Effort Zone is well below your redline and an effort where you can easily talk out loud without reaching for air. This zone is for easy or longer runs. The Orange Effort Zone is at or below your redline, and an effort that is outside your comfort zone, and one that you can talk only in a word or two word response. And the Red Effort Zone is the effort that is above your redline, and one where you can’t speak at all, and your breathing is vigorous and labored.
9. Re-assess
Re-assess your threshold every four-to-six weeks.
Coach Jenny Hadfield is a published author, writer, coach, public speaker and endurance athlete. To find out more, visit our Meet Our Writers page or visit Coach Jenny’s website.
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