Stuck in my head,

This weekend has been filled with a lot of things, a VO2 max/LT threshold test, An awesome 10K Mud Run, A bike handling clinic and the rest of the various things that typically happen over a weekend. First my VO2 max test, I'll get to the other bits in time.

VO2 max/Lactate Threshold (LT) test

I've done a VO2 max test before. I did one about 3 years ago and actually when I went to dig up that test I discovered something rather bizarre. I was 8-10% body fat higher (done with a DEXA one of the 'gold standards')and weighed 4 pounds LESS than I do now. The guy doing the test said "that is very unusual"...i'd say!


Last time I did this test I did it on a bike ergometer and had decent VO2 max and considering that my weight isn't that different I wasn't that surprised to see a similar number 45 ml/kg/min. Granted I'm off my ideal body fat at the moment, so with a quick re-calculation I had an idea of what my 'potential' is with VO2 and some people then indicate that can reflect into speed. I am encouraged and seem to have some reasonable potential.

A test is a test. It in itself is a 'neutral' entity, but sometimes our own perceptions of the situation then turn things into their own monsters. So this is sorta where things went from a scientific fascination into my own head game.

There are, apparently, different ways to determine Lactate Threshold (LT). I was under the (false) impression that I was going to have to have my finger stuck every so often to get the concentration of lactate. But apparently you can utilize the information from the VO2 max test to get LT. By analyzing my O2 consumption and how I expel CO2 an inflection point can be seen where this consumption/production goes from a linear graph to something non linear. This inflection point is my lactate threshold. From this information my 'metabolic fitness' and lactate threshold can be calculated. This tells me a few things, how I burn calories and also my HR range where my threshold goes from being aerobic to where I start to increase lactate production which is believed to be a contributor in muscle fatigue.

Professional athletes have been reported to have LT's that are close to 95% of the VO2 max. You typically get to your VO2 max near or at one's Max HR...so we are talking 95% of one's Max HR! Generally trained/age group athletes have a LT about 75-85% of their VO2 max.

So we start going over my numbers and the guy points out my VO2 max...says...that's pretty good, bla, bla, bla...and then...the big BUT came into his vocabulary.

Him:Yes these are reasonable VO2 numbers BUT you have an UNUSUALLY low LT.

Me (in my head): huh? I don't really understand what he means. I mean, I don't really like speed work, but I have done it in my life, I have run hills, I have done intervals, crossfit is AT most of the time. What is this guy talking about??

So I did what most people in my situation do, I stare blankly at him: blink...blink...blink

He goes on to explain that a low LT can sometimes be from what is referred to as 'trashing' where you go too hard ALL the time.

Um...that' s not me.

Or a low LT is from not pushing the LT enough.

Um...sorta still not me, but I would closer to this than than the former. I have a zillion questions about LT that I didn't really have answered mainly because I was stuck on the words unusually low LT.

He then went on to explain that due to my unusually low LT I am, quite metabolically 'efficient' in a manner of speaking. huh? (I do hope I am explaining this correctly) He goes on to explain that I am VERY good at utilizing a calorie. At first glance that sounds like it might be a good thing. Then I come to the realization, well maybe it would be a good thing if I were a freaking polar bear! Maybe I should take up the the Iditarod. I would efficiently utilize every single calorie quite well out in a race...not like all those freakishly skinny people who just burn calories all willy-nilly. But then again...the Iditarod would be COLD...so I've thought better of taking up that sport.

Fortunately, LT can be changed. It's not like one's VO2 max which doesn't really change, LT can change with the appropriate training. And this is where we got talking about crossfit and it's 'role' in my life. There are two zones that should be utilized in order to improve LT, they are the lactate threshold and the anaerobic threshold (AT). LT zone is the zone that tempo work is done, where the AT is that edge *right* before you totally max out...so not quite a full on sprint, but a fine line and close to it. The concern came up that I may actually not be in the lactate threshold area during crossfit or even the AT...but that I could actually be in my anaerobic range...which is akin to doing sprints full out...which surprisingly isn't suggested. (for my situation of wanting to change my LT)

Always doing intense workouts in one's anaerobic range can lead to a situation called 'trashing' where there is little benefit metabolically or with the LT. I know I'm not completely telling the whole story quite correctly as there are some finer nuances, but since all I kept hearing from him was you have an unusually low LT...i was merely taking in the information that was important about how to change my LT. The prescription...1 day of tempo work (LT) and 1 day per week of interval work (AT) and maybe another day in either LT or AT....most of the time most people can't do much more 'quality' days than two to three and actually have their body recover properly.

The crossfit dilemma

The gist of the conversation that was my take home message was that I really, really need to work on my LT for a couple of reasons, to get my body to be more willy-nilly in it's desire to burn calories and to increase my LT so that I can compete at a level so that I am able to not build lactate so easily which will hopefully lead to some improvements in my times. The problem is...crossfit may not support these endeavors the way that I hoped. Now I think that if I had an 'average' LT, i'd just go about my own business...do all kinds of crossfit and then do my own experiment at the end and see how my LT changed with the help of crossfit. But since crossfit isn't shown to necessarily help and has the potential to hurt this endeavor to change my LT...i'm now torn on the situation. I could always wear my HRM to crossfit and make sure i'm in the right ranges or I may chose to reduce my crossfitting in favor of a sole focus on my LT for the rest of the season.

I know many may say...why give up/reduce crossfit? You love it. Do what you want. Yes I love it...but I have also come to some realizations. If crossfit were something that were neutral to my over all personal goals then I would continue to do it...but since it holds the potential to actually work against what I am trying to achieve my goals ...I'm feeling a little conservative on the subject matter.

I've had a few days to continue to mull this one over. I didn't make it to crossfit yet this week. I DID get in a 'on-the-verge-of-puking-yet-why-am-i-still-going-so-slow' interval workout (both with LT and AT mixed in)on the bike today. Yea...not fun.

So...what is my conclusion with training and crossfit? I don't know yet, but my focus with races may have been sharpened, so watch this space for some potential things to actually come onto my calendar.