Begin Your Journey
Dave's Racing Team encourages local runners, from beginners to veterans, to improve and achieve their personal running goals. Our Racing Team is here To help local athletes reach their running potential on all stages, Dave's Racing provides support and fosters a team environment with valuable training partners.
Benefits of Joining
Our Racing Team membership offers a variety of benefits:
- Discounts on shoes, apparel, fueling, & tech
- Free Uniform, training gear & T-Shirt
- Discounted entries for Dave’s Premier Races
- Discounts on carbon plated shoes
- Family Discount on certain levels
- Possible funding for qualifying to national level competitions
Level Up Your Training: Cardio Strength & Threshold Training
Once you’ve put in the miles and built a solid aerobic base, you might wonder: what’s the next logical step to get faster and run stronger? Enter Threshold Training—the ultimate way to develop what we call "Cardio Strength." Whether you’re aiming for a new personal record in your next 5K or looking to hold a strong pace late into a marathon, understanding lactate threshold training will unlock a whole new tool in your training. What is Lactate Threshold, Anyway? To understand why threshold training works, it helps to look at what’s happening inside your muscles when you push the pace: Glycogen as Fuel: During higher-intensity running, your body primarily burns glycogen (stored carbohydrates) for energy. The Lactate Breakpoint: As you run faster, your body produces blood lactate. Lactate Threshold (LT) is the exact tipping point where blood lactate production exceeds your body's ability to clear it. The Goal: LT workouts train your engine to oxidize glycogen more efficiently while teaching your body to clear lactic acid faster, allowing you to sustain faster speeds for longer periods before fatiguing. How to Structure Lactate Threshold Intervals While there are several ways to target your threshold system, Lactate Threshold Intervals are one of the most effective methods to build this specific fitness. Here are the key parameters to keep in mind when planning your LT interval session: Parameter Target Zone What It Means Effort / Intensity 85–90% of VO2Max Comfortably hard effort—controlled, not an all-out sprint. Heart Rate Zone 150–180 bpm (~88% max HR) Keep HR below 180 bpm to stay strictly within the threshold zone. Interval Duration 2 to 6 minutes Short enough to maintain proper form and stay within target HR. Rest Periods 30 to 120 seconds Incomplete recovery keeps your heart rate elevated between reps. The Secret Ingredient: Incomplete Rest The key to making these workouts work is not allowing full recovery. Keeping your recovery intervals short (30–120 seconds) keeps your heart rate and VO2Max effort within the target window throughout the workout, forcing your metabolic system to adapt and become far more economical. What If You Don't Run with a Heart Rate Monitor? Not everyone tracks heart rate on their watch while running intervals—and that’s completely fine! Time and pace are the next best indicators. Check your personalized Pace Chart to find your calculated Threshold Pace. Run your 2-to-6-minute intervals strictly at that recommended target pace. Resist the urge to go faster early in the workout. Precision matters more than raw speed here; running too fast pushes you out of the threshold zone and defeats the physiological purpose of the workout. Ready to Test Your Cardio Strength? Stop by Dave's Running Shop to get fitted for the right gear, check your pace zones, or grab expert advice on how to build Threshold Training into your current training block. Happy running!
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Running and Accountability
Anyone can download a standard 12-16 week running plan, but sticking to it alone is where most runners fall short. So why do hundreds of people sign up to run with Dave’s every spring? "People find more accountability, more consistency, when other people are running with them," says Bob Masters, Dave's Training Director. "It's a lot easier to get up in the dark and run 14 miles in February when you know someone else is going to be there too." Dave’s Training encompasses more than just a written plan. It is a community of participants of all levels from the beginner runner up to the marathon runner trying to achieve the coveted Boston qualifying time. Guiding participants are coaches and mentors. Coaches lead groups based on goal pace, ensuring participants are able to train with other runners who have similar goals and training levels. It’s the community of runners that makes Dave’s Training program more than a printed plan. Accountability and support beyond practice timesTraining is not just about the miles put in on the day but the consistency and recovery on and off the running path. Utilizing the GroupMe chat app, participants stay connected throughout the training block and continue dialogue with fellow participants and coaches. This allows coaches and participants to meet up for runs not part of the scheduled practices. Some will coordinate runs or workouts at Dave’s Metropark Mondays or even their own runs from an ice cream shop or at any other park. "That's how you know it works," Coach Bob says. "It stops being a training program and becomes their community." The chats enable participants and coaches to support everyone from afar and even provide a recap of their own race. Everyone is invested and cheering on other participants. The GroupMe is so popular that if there are some races participants are running just past when the program ends, coaches will request to keep the chat open. This allows Dave’s Training to support participants beyond them stepping on the start line. Coaching Staff for the Long RunIn person or remote, Dave’s coaches will check in with participants. The remote training plan is just one component of the remote program. Coaches are able to check in on how participants are progressing or if there is a hiccup in their own training that requires them to pivot and adjust the plan. The program also allows for remote participants to join in the weekly long runs and get to know the pace group coaches. Coaches that Care about all levelsTraining together throughout the program, we get to know fellow coaches and participants and want to see each other succeed in their goals. From the beginner 5k participant, to first time half and full marathoners, Boston qualifiers and even top Ironman finishers, Dave’s Training is invested in everyone’s goals. Coaches not only make sure all participants complete the written workouts but also celebrate the milestones with them.
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A Week With Dave’s Spring in Training
What does our Spring in Training look like? With seasoned coaches, support staff, and mapping out your week your training set's you up to meet your goals.
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