The tempo run. An excellent type of run that provide great training benefits, spurring key physiological adaptations and giving you confidence to push harder in races.
What is a tempo run?
The definition of a tempo run is a sustained effort that trains your body to run faster for longer. They are the most beneficial speed workout you can add to your programme. ?♂️
Love or loath them they will help! Both mentally and physically you’ll need to stay strong and focused to maintain the required pace. You need to hit the right pace though, running them too fast robs you of the opportunity to promote your body’s efficiency in shuttling lactate and clearing it. You’ll also increase your risk of injury and find it difficult to recover before your next run.
How fast should a tempo run be?
Your pace should be just a bit slower than your goal race pace, and something you could maintain for up to an hour. During a tempo run, you’ll be picking up the pace for a more sustained distance or time, as opposed to the shorter, faster intervals you do in fartlek training or timed intervals.
The pace should be somewhere between goal race pace and 20 to 30 seconds slower, a pace that is difficult.
At the beginning of your training cycle, you’ll be keeping up that tempo pace for 30 to 40 percent of your target race distance, with no rest intervals. In the weeks and months leading up to a race, you’ll work your way up to 60 to 70 percent of race distance. 60 to 70 percent is the most you’ll want to go.
How could a tempo run look?
Take this example, for a half marathon which you may do 2-3 weeks out before your race.
- 3 miles warm-up pace?
- 9 miles tempo (15s slower than race pace)
- 2 miles cooldown
This is longer than a half marathon but we’re really focusing on those 9 tempo miles. If you can find a clear traffic free / cycle path you can focus on staying consistent and smooth.
In summary, the tempo run helps the body prepare for long, sustained efforts at close to goal race pace. We learn how it feels to run at that goal race pace, and we get some practice maintaining that pace. That also helps us figure out how to most efficiently use our body’s fuel.
Tempo runs are just as much about mental preparation as physical. With longer races, it can be difficult to stay focused on good pacing for an extended period of time. It can also be difficult to push your body to keep up a difficult pace when it’s tired or lacking fuel. Running at these harder paces trains our minds to push through fatigue and pain.
See our Tempo Sessions and consider an Online Running Coach, who can work closely with you to implement and progress your tempo runs according to your goals.
