If you’ve been looking to boost your ability to perform under pressure, it’s time to take notes from the newest NCAA phenom, Jane Hedengren. On Saturday in Boston, the Brigham Young University (BYU) freshman shattered both the indoor and outdoor women’s 5,000m collegiate records, clocking a staggering 14:44.79–just just two weeks after finishing runner-up at the NCAA cross-country championships.
Her secret? Killer threshold workouts that push her limits while keeping her training smart, building endurance, speed and mental toughness.
Captured by Track: All-Access in Provo, Utah, in April, the session features Hedengren, her teammates and her Timpview High School coach, Jamie Ribera. At roughly 1,400m of altitude, the workout is high-volume, totalling about 11.2 km, designed to stress the aerobic system without overreaching.
“We’re aiming to get a lot of volume within that threshold zone,” Ribera explained. “We want quality volume at a quality pace that isn’t gonna hurt you.”
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The workout
Warmup: 10 to 15 minutes of jogging, plus dynamic drills and four 100m strides.
Intervals:
Set 1: 3 x 3,200m at threshold pace (a comfortably hard effort), with 60 seconds rest.
Set 2: 2 x 800m at a fast but controlled pace (around 5K pace), with 90 seconds rest.
Set 3: 150m at a fast but relaxed pace. Focus on form and driving the elbows and knees.
Take four minutes between sets.
Cooldown: 10 to 15 minutes light jogging to shake out the legs. Follow the workout with good fuelling, hydration and light stretching or rolling.
Hedengren’s splits
Hedengren makes the workout look effortless, even at a quick pace. Here are her splits:
Set 1: 10:40/10:40/10:35
Set 2: 2:29/2:25
Set 3: 21.7
This session is an obvious hint at her potential on the NCAA stage.
Why does it work?
Even if you can’t match Hedengren’s pace, this workout’s structure and intensity can still work for you. It combines sustained threshold running with shorter, faster efforts performed on tired legs. This develops endurance and mental toughness while improving speed and running form under fatigue.