From Dan’s Bench

You’ve probably seen it: that number your watch spits out after a run—VO₂max: 43.
Then a week later, you crush a mountain half marathon with 2,000+ feet of gain… averaging 182 bpm the entire time.
How?

Turns out, VO₂max is only part of the performance equation. What really matters is how close you can get to that ceiling—and how long you can stay there.

Enter: Lactate Threshold.

If you can hold a pace that’s 90% of your VO₂max, you’ll likely outperform someone with a higher VO₂max but a lower threshold.
It’s like driving a slower car that you can floor for hours—while others redline and sputter out.

So what now?
If your threshold is high but your VO₂max is low, the next breakthrough isn’t just more intervals. It’s training your heart.

• Long Zone 2 runs

• Cardiac output intervals

• Building stroke volume

The goal: raise your ceiling so you’ve got even more room to play.

📉 Don’t let a low VO₂max reading fool you.
📈 Train smart, not just hard.

Workout of the Moment

4x4s for VO₂ Gains & Grit

There’s something brutally honest about a hill.

You can’t fake fitness on a sustained incline—and you definitely can’t coast.

The Setup:
4 rounds:

• 4 minutes hard uphill (think 8/10 effort)

• 3 minutes walk/jog back down

This is classic VO₂max training—but the hill adds more than just scenery.

Why It Works:

🫀 Cardiac Output Booster
These intervals push your heart to its upper limits and force it to adapt. The longer you can sustain near-max effort, the better your stroke volume and aerobic ceiling.

🏃‍♂️ Built-in Resistance Training
Hills do what flat ground can’t: they load your legs without the pounding. You’re moving slower, but working harder—especially through your quads and posterior chain. It’s strength training in disguise.

🔥 Effort Without Evasion
No coasting. No false flats. No bluffing your way through it. Hills demand focus. They strip away the noise. Each rep teaches you how to stay engaged when your body starts bargaining.

🧠 Mental Reps
You’ll want to quit after two. That’s when it counts. That’s where capacity builds.

Streaming

The Universe Will Take Care of You – Holden & Zimpel

We spent a month living in Warsaw last summer, and I quickly learned that Poland’s music scene is far more vibrant than I expected.

Vinyl shops tucked into courtyards. Jazz venues that spilled out onto the streets. One night we found ourselves in the middle of a crowd downtown, dancing to a brass band that had just set up and started playing in the street. It was loud, loose, and beautiful.

That memory came rushing back when I heard The Universe Will Take Care of You—a 2025 release from British DJ James Holden and Polish clarinetist Wacław Zimpel.

Not a classic training tracklist. But it captures something I’ve been chasing all year:
Presence. Curiosity. Movement without urgency.

File it under: recovery walks, long drives, or anytime you need to breathe a little deeper.

Spotlight

Last week, I signed up for the Rocket Endurance Hill Challenge.
Six hours. A brutal loop. As many laps as possible.
I registered for the 2-person team version, because I want to suffer—not die.

Meanwhile, clients are out doing incredible things of their own: running and mountain bike races, multi-day wilderness excursions.

What do these moments have in common?

They’re not about perfection.
They’re about expression.

This time of year, the work we've been putting in starts to translate—not just to numbers, but to experiences.
We get to move through the world with more capacity.
We get to use our training.

That’s the point.

Not for social media. Not for race medals.
But because there’s something deeply satisfying about seeing your body hold up when the trail gets steep, the day gets long, or the unexpected demands your attention.