Episode 8 - Why Zone 3 Is So Misunderstood

In this episode of The Trail Running Briefing, we unpack why Zone 3 is one of the most misunderstood training intensities in endurance sport. Often dismissed as “junk miles” or the “grey zone,” Zone 3 is frequently criticised simply because many runners use it by accident rather than with a clear purpose.

This episode explains why that view is too simplistic, especially for trail runners and masters athletes. We explore how well-structured Zone 3 work can help build strong, sustainable endurance, improve climbing-specific fitness, and develop the ability to manage lactate efficiently during harder efforts.

We also look at why combining brief periods of Zone 4 with sustained Zone 3 work can be so effective. Instead of seeing lactate as just a problem, this approach helps runners understand how the body can reuse lactate as a fuel source, while avoiding the excessive mechanical stress that often comes with faster, more aggressive sessions.

The key message is simple:

Zone 3 is not junk when it is used deliberately. The real mistake is drifting into it too often without intent.

This episode gives trail runners a practical framework for using Zone 3 wisely within a balanced training week.

Key references:

Brooks GA. The Science and Translation of Lactate Shuttle Theory. Cell Metabolism. 2018.
Faude O, Kindermann W, Meyer T. Lactate Threshold Concepts: How Valid Are They? Sports Medicine. 2009.
Seiler S. What is Best Practice for Training Intensity and Duration Distribution in Endurance Athletes? International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. 2010.
Billat LV. Interval Training for Performance: A Scientific and Empirical Practice. Sports Medicine. 2001.

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Episode 31 - Peak Form: How to Reach It and Why You Can’t Stay There Forever

Peak form is not simply about being as fit as possible. It is the point where high fitness meets low fatigue, allowing an athlete to fully express the adaptations built over weeks and months of traini...

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Episode 30 - The Plateau Problem: Why Ultrarunners Stop Improving and How to Move Forward

In Episode 30 of The Trail Running Briefing, we explore why ultrarunners sometimes stop improving even when they are training consistently and working harder.A plateau doesn’t always mean you need mor...

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Episode 29 - When More Becomes Too Much: Burnout in Ultrarunning

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Episode 28 - Older, Wiser, Stronger: How Ultra Training Should Change With Age

Episode 28 explores how ultra training should evolve with age without lowering ambition. The central idea is the recovery budget: every long run, hard session, strength workout and race creates stress...

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Episode 27 - The Race You Didn’t Finish: Recovering from a DNF

After a DNF, remember this sequence:Feel it. Separate it. Learn from it. Then move forward.Feel the disappointment without shame. Separate the facts from the story you are telling about yourself. Extr...

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Episode 26 - The fitness that survives: How to Build Durability for 100K and 100-Mile Races

Durability is the ability to preserve your performance as fatigue accumulates during prolonged exercise. While fitness describes what you can do when fresh, durability determines how much of that fitn...

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Episode 25 - Carb Loading: Don’t Start Empty

In this episode, we cover why carb loading is not about eating a huge bowl of pasta the night before a race, but about arriving at the start line with full fuel stores. For trail and ultra runners, gl...

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Episode 24 - The Low Point Is Not the End: How to Survive the Dark Miles

In this episode, we look at one of the most important skills in ultrarunning: managing the low points. Every runner will face dark moments during an ultra, but a low point is not necessarily the end o...

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