That was good, it made me chuckle

[quote=pinback post_id=131461 time=1664120054 user_id=5]
Which version is the [color=yellow][i]GOLD STANDARD?![/i][/color]
[/quote]

Apple II.

Which version is the [color=yellow][i]GOLD STANDARD?![/i][/color]

The version hosted on Internet Archive has the following information:
[i]"Regarding keyboard controls in the game: Lode Runner for the IBM PC used an unusual key setup, which is not changeable: The F1 (function 1) key is used for digging to the left of the character, and the F2 (function 1) key is used for digging to the right. In some browsers (Chrome, for example), the F1 key will open a help page. In others (Firefox), it will not. Unfortunately, there is no way to change keys, so this game is only playable by either turning off keyboard shortcuts (not recommended) or playing in Firefox."[/i]

I found a PDF version of the Lode Runner manual for the "IBM PC, PC/XT and PCjr":
https://www.retrogames.cz/manualy/DOS/Lode_Runner_-_Manual_-_PC.pdf
This one says PC users should move using the number pad (8/3/4/6) and dig using 7 and 9. while PCjr users should use I/J/K/L and dig with U/O. It states that by switching from joystick to keyboard mode you have the option to reassign the keys.

I also found a PDF manual for the Tandy 1000 version:
https://www.gamesdatabase.org/Media/SYSTEM/Microsoft_DOS/manual/Formated/Lode_Runner.pdf
It says to use the arrow keys with z/x for digging, and explains how to reassign the keys.

Based on that there seem to be at least three different versions of Lode Runner for MS-DOS machines.

Neither of the manuals I found mention setting the speed before play, but do say you can adjust speed while playing by hitting ESC and then using the left and right arrow keys. At a minimum, I found three different versions of Lode Runner for DOS this morning, and there may be more.

Here is a thread about running Lode Runner on the PCjr. Specifically of interest, it says that on the PCjr, Lode Runner detects the system type and adjusts the speed automatically. Maybe the version you had as a kid was older than the PCjr release, didn't detect the PCjr, and left the manual adjustment in?
https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php?threads/lode-runner-for-the-pc-with-v20.41918/

Unrelated to Lode Runner, but this page has instructions on how to create virtual hard drive images using DOSBox that can be used elsewhere. This page is for a cartridge that allows you to run hard drive images off a cartridge on a PCjr.
https://www.raphnet.net/electronique/sdcartJR/index_en.php

I would take a guess and say it's a cracked version that added the option.

You probably already well know, but many cracked games would also come with "cheat menus" up front. The floppy disk images of Lemmings for Amiga I've used for emulating for years comes to mind, as well as Shadow of the Beast. Look out for some name or title that isn't the original maker and you may discover which crack team released it.

The internet archive has a version of Lode Runner that is here:

https://archive.org/details/msdos_Lode_Runner_1983_1983

In it, you can change the gamespeed. This game is stream-only.

I have found three versions of Lode Runner for the PC, which I am playing on my real PCjr. The gamespeed option is not there! I recall that we could do it on the version I had for a floppy disk, but my floppy disk for the game does not boot any longer.

I am not sure how the internet archive got a version with that gamespeed command. It is a mystery to me at the moment.