Who among us hasn't marvelled at Paul Tergat's speed in the marathon or Lance Armstrong's power in the Alps? What we're really admiring - from a scientific viewpoint, anyway - is these mega-athletes' VO2 max, one of the best indicators of aerobic

, requires running 30 seconds at 100 per cent velocity VO2max followed by 30 seconds of running at 50 per cent velocity VO2max.Okay, I know, that’s all Greek to you. Well, here’s the translation.Meet your MaxYour VO2max is the maximum amount of oxygen your

to get faster. But there are several different ways to improve average race velocities. For example, increasing VO2max (maximal aerobic capacity) improves race speeds, because as VO2max rises, your previous race speeds will correspond with a lower

VO2 max - the measure of how much oxygen your body can get to your muscles - has tended to  grab all the headlines when it comes to evaluating endurance running performance. After all, it's relatively straightforward to measure, gives quantifiable

:minutes:seconds): : : Display my training paces in: min/mile min/km Your easy run training pace is: Your tempo run training pace is: Your VO2-max training pace

oxygen-delivery machines who know their VO2 max and use the impressive numbers to bolster their confidence. Armstrong knows his VO2 max, too. His long-time friend, confidante, and coach, Chris Carmichael, has had his star pupil tested on several occasions

of Medical Science for Sport and Exercise showed that speed at lactate threshold is the best physiological predictor of distance-running performance. Indeed, Frank Shorter, the 1972 Olympic marathon champion was said to have had a modestly high VO2max

Father Time, but runners do pretty well. In general, we lose our VO2 max at a rate that's 40 to 50 per cent slower than that of non-exercisers, with the result that we tend to live longer and more vigorously.It's relatively simple, in theory, to minimise

weeks to recover, followed by a couple of weeks of normal training before tapering off again. During the two weeks of training you should not attempt anything which is long and hard; instead, work on shorter distances to improve your VO2max, such as fast

oxygen-delivery machines who know their VO2 max and use the impressive numbers to bolster their confidence. Armstrong knows his VO2 max, too. His long-time friend, confidante, and coach, Chris Carmichael, has had his star pupil tested on several occasions