Again, be careful not to be pulled away from your pace targets while participating in workout groups. Again Coach Conover's marathon plan illustrates that the volume of VO 2 max work should be monitored carefully, and in most training mesocycles, be kept to a lower volume than LT work. Higher intensity work carries greater recovery demands. VO 2 max needs more recovery than LT work, which in turn needs more recovery than medium-paced distance training. Follow the recovery recommendations in section 1 carefully in conjunction with higher intensity training units.
Foundation increases intensity tolerance.
This principle probably holds true not only for any given macrocycle, but over multiple macrocycles. The tolerance of intensity volume and frequency likely increases proportionate to the mileage base within a macrocycle, and over a period of years. The lower your base mileage, the more careful you have to be with higher intensity work. Again, Coach Conover's advise on the distribution of higher intensity work adheres to this principle by doling out the higher intensity work in terms of percent of weekly volume. Track running poses unique stresses.