Our lactate threshold testing service has helped hundreds of runners go on to achieve goals they never thought possible, from running their first sub-60 minute 10k and helping injured athletes return to fitness using the correct heart rate zones, all the way to sub-2:45 marathons and being competitive amongst the country’s finest at the national track championships.

However, it was a special day when we got to meet North Derbyshire’s Jonty Parry, who is hoping his recent lactate test with Dave Tune will help him train smarter and achieve his goals of not only a sub-3 hour marathon, but also to qualify for the Deaf Olympics in 2017!

The 31-year-old Sainsbury’s team leader from Chesterfield visited the clinic earlier this month with clear goals to improve his running after completing his first ever race in November 2013, breaking the two hour mark on his first attempt at Clowne.

Since then he has already made inroads on his PB’s, which currently stand at 21:14, 44:41, 79:52, 1:40:49 and 3:35:28 for 5k, 10k, 10m half marathon and the marathon.

These are impressive stats for such a newbie to the racing scene, but Jonty is sure he is capable of even faster times, and this is where he takes up the story of why he felt Blizard Physiotherapy’s lactate threshold testing service would help him achieve his potential.

The Royal School for the Deaf graduate explained: “I had noticed a few club mates’ race times had improved since they had had the lactate test at Blizard, and I was keen to find out if it could work for me.

“I am also a big believer in heart rate training, but I wasn’t sure if my zones were in the correct place. As it turned out, I discovered my zones were 10-15 bpm off when I had my test, which meant I had been training too easy for a while!

“This had affected my training, as I hadn’t been running efficiently enough to improve as much as I wanted to, but now I have clear training and racing goals to work towards.”

Indeed, Jonty has made significant progress since starting running less than two years ago, when he originally entered a race to test his fitness.

The supermarket team leader said: “A mate of mine ran a half marathon in a respectable time on limited training, which inspired me to complete the same distance before my 30th birthday at the end of November 2013.

“I ended up running the Clowne half in 1:59, which I was very pleased with, and since then I have completed ten half marathons and two marathons, as well as numerous shorter distances.

“I have also been a 1:50 pace maker at the Ramathon half marathon, which I managed to time perfectly with a 1:49:59 clocking!”

Dave has given Jonty a training schedule to work from using his lactate threshold test readings which will take him through to Christmas, after which he is planning on having a second test to see how he has progressed in the intervening months.

Despite struggling with the heat affecting his running, he is still on course to race the York Marathon in October, using the Great North Run as a ‘preparation race’ beforehand!

He is also looking forward to running two marathons next year, and would love to achieve a ‘Good for Age time for the London marathon, as well as returning to the Manchester marathon, where he ran his first race over the 26.2m distance.
Jonty added with confidence: “If I can get a good enough time to qualify for the Deaf Olympics it would be a massive bonus!”

Dave said his appointment with Jonty had been a memorable one: “He is a very inspirational guy who has clear goals. The zones and training are now in place to help him achieve these aims, and I am looking forward to him knocking out some new PB’s very soon!”

Perhaps most tellingly about Jonty’s attitude to

I felt that being deaf got no impacted on my running, but on long run it might be boring as I cant listen any music, but I do enjoyed the peace!! :)