VDOT is a measure of your running fitness level developed by Jack Daniels. It estimates your VO2max based on race performance. A higher VDOT means faster training paces across all zones.

How should I use the training pace card?

Print it out and keep it visible during training. Each workout type has a specific pace range — the key is running the right pace for each session. Easy runs should feel easy; hard workouts should hit the target zones.

How often should I update my training paces?

Update after each race or significant fitness change (roughly every 4-8 weeks). Paces should progress gradually — don't jump to faster paces without a race result to justify the change.

What's the most important training pace?

Easy/recovery pace is arguably most important because 70-80% of your training should be at this effort. Running easy runs too fast is the most common training mistake and leads to fatigue and injury.

What's the difference between this and the Race Predictor zones?

The Training Pace Card includes everything from the Race Predictor zones plus specific workout prescriptions, long run pace, recovery pace, and Yasso 800 target — all in a printable format for easy reference.

Training paces

Five Daniels zones, derived from your VDOT. Every pace you need for a full training cycle — easy through repetition.

No VDOT yet. Enter a recent race below — your zones will appear instantly.

Race distance

Finish time

Training pace zones

Daniels · VDOT 46.9

Zone	Purpose	min/mi	% max HR
Easy / Recovery	Comfortable conversational pace	8:18 - 9:56	65-79% max HR
Marathon Pace	Goal marathon race pace	7:29 - 8:12	80-85% max HR
Threshold (Tempo)	Comfortably hard, lactate threshold	7:13 - 7:34	85-90% max HR
Interval (VO2max)	Hard effort, 3-5 minute repeats	6:30 - 6:47	95-100% max HR
Repetition	Fast, short repeats for speed	5:37 - 6:15	N/A (anaerobic)

Key paces at a glance

Long run

9:56

Recovery

10:30

Yasso 800

3:22

Workout prescriptions

Five staple sessions

Workout	Prescription	Zone
Tempo Run	20-40 min at 7:13 - 7:34/mi	Threshold
Long Run	Up to 20mi at 8:18 - 9:56/mi	Easy
VO2max Intervals	5-6 x 1000m at 6:30 - 6:47/mi with 3min jog	Interval
Yasso 800s	10 x 800m at 3:22	Interval
Recovery Run	30-45 min at 10:30/mi	Easy

METHODOLOGY

How this calculator works

VDOT and equivalent training paces
VDOT is a single number that summarizes your aerobic fitness from a recent race performance. Daniels' tables map VDOT to equivalent times at every standard distance and to recommended paces for easy, marathon, threshold, interval, and repetition work. PaceCalc estimates VDOT from your inputs, then surfaces those equivalent paces.
Jack Daniels, Daniels' Running Formula, 3rd edition, Human Kinetics, 2013. Tables for VDOT and zone-based pacing.
Karvonen heart-rate-reserve method
Zones are calculated as a percentage of heart-rate reserve (HRR = max HR − resting HR) added back to resting HR. This is more individualized than the simpler "%HRmax" method because it accounts for your resting HR, which differs widely between trained and untrained runners.
M. J. Karvonen, "The effects of training on heart rate; a longitudinal study," Annales Medicinae Experimentalis et Biologiae Fenniae, vol. 35, no. 3, 1957, pp. 307–315.
Tanaka–Monahan–Seals max-HR estimate
Estimates max heart rate as 208 − 0.7 × age. Tanaka et al. found this fit observed data better across age groups than the older 220 − age formula. PaceCalc uses Tanaka by default; you can override with a measured max HR if you have one.
H. Tanaka, K. D. Monahan, D. R. Seals, "Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited," Journal of the American College of Cardiology, vol. 37, no. 1, 2001, pp. 153–156.

NOTES

Training paces are derived from your recent race performance via VDOT. As you adapt, your paces should shift faster — re-run the calculator after every 4–6 weeks of training or any tune-up race.

FAQ

Frequently asked

What is VDOT?: VDOT is a measure of your running fitness level developed by Jack Daniels. It estimates your VO2max based on race performance. A higher VDOT means faster training paces across all zones.
How should I use the training pace card?: Print it out and keep it visible during training. Each workout type has a specific pace range — the key is running the right pace for each session. Easy runs should feel easy; hard workouts should hit the target zones.
How often should I update my training paces?: Update after each race or significant fitness change (roughly every 4-8 weeks). Paces should progress gradually — don't jump to faster paces without a race result to justify the change.
What's the most important training pace?: Easy/recovery pace is arguably most important because 70-80% of your training should be at this effort. Running easy runs too fast is the most common training mistake and leads to fatigue and injury.
What's the difference between this and the Race Predictor zones?: The Training Pace Card includes everything from the Race Predictor zones plus specific workout prescriptions, long run pace, recovery pace, and Yasso 800 target — all in a printable format for easy reference.