Some Love for the Tempo Run

Posted on 13. Jan, 2012 by Joe in Training

In on of my recent posts, I discussed several of the ways that I have been trying to shake up my routine a bit to drag myself out of a rut.  In my ongoing quest to keep myself on my toes, I decided I would throw another wrinkle into the mix.  I resurrected the tempo run for one of my morning runs.  Mentally, it felt great to just open up for awhile and not worry so much about my effort level.  Beyond that, while I enjoyed the run, I wasn’t quite sure what I accomplished.I’ve always been intrigued by the tempo run.  As a relatively “green” runner, I knew of the tempo run as nothing more than something I was supposed to every so often.  But, what did it really do for me?

Stepping Up the Pace

As I discussed over the summer, with my marathon training behind me, I decided a move back towards a heart rate based training program was in my best interest.  In the weeks after my marathon, it had become clear to me that ignoring my heart rate and running a solely based time based training program had worn on me.  I just didn’t feel right.  Over the subsequent weeks, I found that my inclination was correct.  Sticking to a set heart rate zone was a good way to rein in my runs.  Kind of a built in speedometer, my heart rate monitor was.  What I have found in doing some experimenting is that the heart rate constraints work very well for my “easy” runs.  It is best for those in which I want to stay in a hybrid carb/fat burning zone and also make sure that I am not risking over-training.  Long ago, before I knew of the dangers of over-training, I would go all out each cardio workout I performed.  Soon, I became tired and worn out.  Now, I know why.

While the strict heart rate zone training has helped me avoid over-training and injury, I now know that solely sticking to these heart rate controlled runs takes away from any progression in my speed.  I constantly want to challenge myself and not just maintain a level of fitness.  I’m still in the neighborhood of running 27 minute 5K’s and feeling like I have accomplished something.  Granted, that’s a great feeling, but it also tells me that I have some room yet before I hit my ceiling.  So, how do I ensure that I can improve my speed?  As I mentioned before, sprints are a great way to do this.  The problem I am finding with sprints, however, is to make them work I need to go absolutely all out.  While the great burning lung feeling of doing that is awesome, I really don’t like the complete degradation of form I have when doing them.  I feel like I am headed to some sort of injury eventually.

Enter the Tempo Run

So, if sprints are not the answer for me, perhaps the mysterious tempo runs are.  What is a tempo run anyhow?  What I have found is the definition is quite nebulous.  One person’s tempo run is the next person’s “race pace” run.

Generally, a tempo run can be described as “comfortably hard”.  For those in the world that are decidedly right brained, that may make perfect sense to you.  For those of us more finely tuned to numbers and data, this is of absolutely no use.  In other words, I am completely lost when trying to figure out my level of exertion based on those 1-10 scales.

Another way to define a tempo run for yourself is to use some recent race activity as a guide.  A good rule of thumb is to add about 30 seconds to the per mile pace you ran in your most recent 5-K.  If you have a 10-K pace handy, you can tack on roughly 15 seconds per mile.  This is actually the path I am headed down.  Using my recent 5-K finish of 27:08, my tempo runs are going to be around 9:15/mile or so (27:08/3.1 miles + 30 seconds).

It just seems like advanced math.....

Another way is to use your heart rate as a guide.  Despite my love for my heart rate monitor, I passed on this method.  There is alot of inconsistency out there as to what a good heart rate is for a tempo run.  Surprisingly, to me at least, your tempo pace can be achieved at wildly different heart rates depending on your running prowess.  80 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate might be good for starters.  However, the better you become, it could take an even higher amount of exertion to reach a proper tempo pace.  Since I have a terrible time of judging my actual running prowess, I passed on this method.

The Point of it All

So, you now know how to run at tempo pace, but why bother in the first place?  Well, it all comes down to some previously unknown characteristic we all have.  Our lactate threshold.  I could pull out the science books and try to explain it some crazy technical terms.  Instead, I will try a more layman’s approach.

Lactic acid is the bane of a runner.  At the risk of delving too deep in science, it is a by-product of your body processing glucose.  Once it begins to accumulate in the body, performance degrades quickly.  Once you reach your lactate threshold, the body can no longer process the lactic acid being produced by the body.  It accumulates in your muscles, making them acidic, and you are basically finished.  At this point, fatigue sets in quickly.

What consistent tempo runs do is boost that lactate threshold. Throw in one tempo run a week and you can gradually increase that lactate threshold.  Before you know it, you are able to push harder and farther.  Your results should improve dramatically.

However, the benefits don’t stop there.  There is a mental benefit to doing these runs as well.  For me, to steal one of the worst pro sports cliches out there, it is all about execution.  To do a good tempo run, you need to maintain a strong yet not crazy pace.  In a sense, you are tiptoeing on a fine line.  If you lollygag your way timidly through the run, you won’t see the benefits.  If you blast your way through it, you are risking over-training or burning yourself out before completing the run.

For me, doing an easy or long run doesn’t require much in concentration.  Sprints are just an all out blast of effort.  Tempo runs are more surgical.  They force me to concentrate on pace.  On my effort. My stride.  That’s why I have grown to love them in such a short time.  They are just a bit different from “going out for a run”.  You feel like you accomplished something but you don’t need a three hour nap to recover.  I feel they are going to be an integral part of my quest for the 2:00 half marathon this year.

All in all, just another piece of the training puzzle.

Have you incorporated tempo runs into your training program?  Have you added any special twists?

Lead photo courtesy of Search Engine People Blog via Flickr.com

“Calculus” photo courtesy of lednichenkoolga via Flickr.com

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Tags: half marathon, heart rate, heart rate monitor, lactate threshold, tempo run, training