In this episode, we unpack why lactate threshold is one of the most useful predictors of ultra performance, not because you race at threshold, but because it sets the ceiling for what “sustainable” feels like for hours. A higher threshold means your steady effort costs less energy, surges hurt less, and you drift into the red less often on climbs, headwinds, heat, and technical sections. You’ll learn a simple mental model (threshold = your red line), the three most common training mistakes (turning threshold into a weekly race, using wrong zones, living in the grey zone), and a practical weekly approach: one controlled threshold session, lots of truly easy running, plus durability work to hold effort late in long runs. The key takeaway: raise your threshold, and your “easy” pace gets faster, that’s real ultra performance.

Motivation is a mood, it comes and goes. Consistency is a system, it keeps you training even when life gets messy. This episode explains why relying on “feeling like it” leads to stop-start training, and why the runners who improve most are the ones who reduce friction, pre-decide their sessions, and protect a minimum standard on low-energy days. You’ll learn practical tools like a “minimum viable run” (short, easy, just show up), “if–then” plans for busy or bad-weather days, and simple habits that make starting easier.

The key takeaway: don’t build your plan for your best days, build it for your worst week.

VO₂max measures your maximum aerobic capacity, but ultra races are not performed anywhere near that intensity. What decides performance is not how big your “engine” is, but how efficiently and sustainably you can use it for many hours.

Ultra success depends on factors like lactate threshold, aerobic efficiency, fueling tolerance, muscular durability (especially for long descents), and disciplined pacing. Chasing VO₂max through frequent high-intensity sessions often adds fatigue without improving race-day performance.

Instead, effective ultra training prioritises sub-threshold work, long aerobic sessions, strength for resilience, and practicing nutrition under load. In ultras, the winners aren’t the runners who can go the hardest. They’re the ones who slow down the least.