VDOT Results

1 Introduction

Your VDOT is , which is a measure of your running performance. Below are training paces for the Jack Daniels Running Formula and FIRST training programs, as well a race time predictions.

2 Jack Daniel's Training Pace

These training paces are used in Jack Daniels Running Formula. I have included the purpose that Jack Daniels stated, along with his duration advice though I do not necessarily agree.

3 FIRST Training Pace

These training paces are used in FIRST, (Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training) programs. These paces are calculated, so may differ by a second or so from the published tables

3.2 FIRST Long Run

Paces for long runs based on the FIRST approach of using Marathon Pace (MP) plus a fixed number of seconds per mile.

3.3 Fellrnr's Modified FIRST Long Run

This is my personal modification to the FIRST approach of adding a fixed number of seconds per mile to marathon pace. I believe that adding 15 seconds/mile to a 6:00 pace is a much greater difference than adding it to a 10:00 pace. The figures below add a percentage of the MP to the time. The percentage is calculated so that it the average across the main VDOT values (30-85) is the same as the FIRST values. This gives slower runners a larger offset from MP than faster runners.

3.4 Long Run Difficulty

The table below shows the percentage of Glycogen used on runs of different length and pace. This is one way of evaluating the relative difficulty of different longer runs. The table makes use of a number of assumptions, as listed below, but I believe this is still a useful way of evaluating training runs.

• The calculation assumes that the marathon distance at marathon pace uses are hundred percent of available Glycogen. However the percentages can also be looked at as a percentage of the difficulty of the marathon race.
• The research article by Romijn in 1993 provides the calculation for relative Glycogen use a different intensity exercise. (For those interested, the formula used is y = 0.0021x² + 0.7896x - 21.031, where X is the percentage of V̇O₂max and Y is the relative percent of Glycogen used.)
• 100% of V̇O₂max is assumed to be the one mile race pace.
• The energy cost of running a given distance is assumed to be constant, allowing the percentage of V̇O₂max to be determined by running speed.
• The calculator assumes that the rate of glycogen consumption remains constant for a given pace.
• Remember that All models are wrong.

4 Predicted Race Paces from VDOT with Heat Index Adjustment

The predictions for 40f are the baseline values, with adjustments for higher temperatures. The Impact of Heat on Marathon Performance is based on research for faster marathon runners. These predictions are most appropriate for someone running a three hour marathon. In addition, these figures are a statistical average, so individual performance can be significantly different.

5 Weight Adjusted Race Times

Adjustments based on changing body weight assumes that the change occurs only from body fat, which may not be the case. See Weight Loss and Performance for more details.

6 Altitude Adjustment

This table shows how altitude can impact running performance. The same scaling factor is used for all distances and the calculation assumes you are well acclimated to the altitude.