Training paces from VDOT
What it answers
How fast should your easy runs, tempo runs and intervals be, given how fit you are right now? Enter a recent race and this page gives your five training paces from Jack Daniels’ tables in Daniels’ Running Formula.
How to use it
Pick the distance of a recent race or hard time trial and type your finishing time. Use the + pill for a distance that is not listed. You get a VDOT, one number for your current running fitness, and the paces that go with it. A 20:00 5K is about VDOT 50. A 3:30 marathon is about 45.
If you already know your VDOT from somewhere else, type it in directly.
What the paces mean
| Pace | Feels like | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Easy (E) | conversational | most of your weekly running |
| Marathon (M) | long-race sustainable | steady long runs and marathon work |
| Threshold (T) | comfortably hard, about a one-hour race | tempo runs and cruise intervals |
| Interval (I) | hard, VO2max | 3 to 5 minute repeats |
| Repetition (R) | fast | short reps for speed and form |
Easy is a range, and anywhere inside it counts. The others are single targets.
What people get wrong
Using a race that does not reflect today. Daniels assumes you ran rested, on a flat course, in decent weather. A 5K on tired legs mid-block, or a hilly trail race, gives a VDOT lower than your real fitness. An old personal best gives one that is too high.
Running easy days too fast. The easy range feels slow on purpose. Pushing it toward marathon pace leaves you tired for the sessions that count.
Chasing the number. Set honest paces, train on them, and race again in a couple of months to see if it moved.
Limits
Daniels’ tables run from VDOT 30 to 85. Below 30, which is a 5K slower than about 30:40, the page shows the paces for 30.