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What if the key to getting faster isn't running harder — it's running smarter at the right effort? In this episode, we sit down with esteemed running coach Laura Norris of Laura Norris Running and co-host of the popular Tread Lightly Podcast, to dig into one of the most misunderstood tools in a runner's toolbox: threshold training.

We cover:

🌀The science behind why threshold work improves your body's ability to clear and buffer lactate — and why that matters for every distance, not just the 5K

🌀How threshold training builds a bigger aerobic engine without the wear and tear of constant hard efforts

🌀Why so many runners run their threshold sessions too fast (or too slow) — and how to actually find the right effort

🌀Different ways to structure threshold work: steady tempo runs, cruise intervals, and progression runs

🌀How often to include threshold sessions in a training week without overloading your system

🌀Common mistakes runners make when they first start training at threshold

🌀How to know threshold work is actually making you fitter and faster over time

Whether you're new to structured training or looking to fine-tune your approach, this episode breaks down the "why" and the "how" of threshold training so you can train with purpose — and see the results in your next race.

RESOURCES:

Website: Laura Norris Running

Podcast: Tread Lightly Podcast

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Whitney Heins is a mom of 2, a lifelong runner, a VDOT-certified running coach for moms who run, and founder of the resource, themotherrunners.com. When training for her first marathon as a mom, she found a dearth of information related to running and motherhood. She also felt extremely isolated as a new mom. As a former TV journalist and a freelance writer she decided to use her skills to fill the void with an online resource and community, called The Mother Runners. Whitney also recognized a need for run coaches who understood the demands of motherhood, so she also became a running coach—unearthing a passion for helping moms reap the rewards and empowerment of running. Coming out of a long injury cycle, she ran a 2:54 marathon and 1:20 half marathon in her 40s. She lives in Knoxville, TN with her husband, two kids, and three dogs.

• www.themotherrunners.com
• Instagram: @themotherrunners
• YouTube: The Mother Runners
• whitney@themotherrunners.com