Strides? tempo?

[Deleted User]

I keep reading in training programmes about "strides" and tempo runs..... can anyone tell what these are and the principles behind them?

ceal

As far as I know, tempo runs, are training runs done at near race pace, but for a distance less than a race.

[Deleted User]

Tempo runs - are done at 1/2 marathon pace or 10 mile pace if your running over 70mpw. The duration of these runs can be anything from 2-5 miles.

Strides - are short efforts of about 50m -100m. Start gently & increase the pace but never flat out. 3-4 of these before a speed session or race.

[Deleted User]

Hope this helps.
Taken from

http://www.timeoutdoors.com/Run/training/4RUNMRS01032901E.htm


TEMPO

Warm up - 10-15 mins.

Training focus - Running economy; lactate threshold.

Effort - Continual even paced effort on flat ground. You should feel capable of maintaining the pace for twice the time.

Key words - Even-paced effort.

Heart rate - 80-90%.

Aerobic/Anaerobic - Threshold.

RPE (6-20) - 14-16.

Cool down - 10 mins.


STRIDES

Warm up - 5 mins gently building heart rate, incorporated in run time

Training focus - Race pace preparation

Effort - Same as Recovery run but after 20 mins, inject 2x1 min relaxed efforts (or 'strides') at 10 km pace concentrating on stride length, arm swing and breathing. Recover with 2 mins easy jogging between each stride. The object is to prepare your body for race pace in the days before race day.

Key words - Race pace strides

Heart rate - 50-65%

Aerobic/Anaerobic - Aerobic

RPE (6-20) - 6-9

Cool down - Incorporated in running pace

Minks

I'd say that tempo runs are just slightly below race pace for the distance you're aiming to race - so if you're targeting a 10K there's not much point in doing tempo runs at half-marathon pace; they should be just slightly slower than intended 10K pace.

For a half-marathon, tempo runs should be just below intended half-marathon pace.

And so on.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the way I've been doing them ...

[Deleted User]

Minkin, your doing them wrong then I'm afraid

[Deleted User]

I'm with BT on this - tempo runs are at or near LT pace - sub 10K race pace is WAY to fast and does not achieve objective - i.e to raise LT.

[Deleted User]

I do mine for 30 mins @ 85% MHR as sugested by Time out doors. Is that about right?
I sort of assumed that LT pace was about 10k pace.

[Deleted User]

LT pace is 85% of WHR - ie your maximum (in my case 199) minus you minimum (45) - so WHR is 154.

So I run at 85% of 154 added onto the minimum, which means I run them at about 170 bpm.

Tempo seems to be an abused term - people use it to mean a run a bit faster than normal.

As people have said, it should be run at a specific pace for a specific purpose.

BTW, I put down a sudden leap in 10k pb partly down to doing lots of these runs over the summer.

BT, we got up to 40 mins (about 7 miles) for our runs. Would you say this is too long?

[Deleted User]

BR, 40min I would say was on the long side. Like you say, they do get you fit quick!

[Deleted User]

Thanks BT, BR, Pizzaman, Pantman, Minkin and Ceal....... now at least I know what the schedules mean.
topbloke

Minks

Err ... now I'm confused! I thought tempo was a pace slightly slower than the intended race pace over a particular distance. I don't have a heart rate monitor so have no idea about percentages of working heart rate and all that stuff - way too complicated for me.

What's 'LT'? And how fast should I be running tempos? My 10K race pace is about 8 minutes a mile, and I aim to run about 5 miles on a tempo run at about 8:15-8:30 pace.

For a half I'm hoping to do about 8:35-8:40 pace so my tempo pace would be about 8:50.

Is this totally wrong?

[Deleted User]

Minkin,

You tempo run should be slow enough for you to talk but fast enough that you need to take breath between words.

Who needs technical words!!!

[Deleted User]

X, if you have enough energy to "moo" at the cows thats fast enough if you hold a long conversation with them your going too slow!

[Deleted User]

Minkin - 10k pace plus 15 -20secs - so about 8:15 in that case, your tempo runs are spot on. Don't slow down, You'll bring your half marathon time down by keeping them up.

The Heart Rate thing may seem `way too complicated' but it is the whole point of running tempo runs.

If you run at 85% of your working heart rate it increases the speed at which your legs start to produce lactic acid so you can run faster without it hurting.

Sometimes they are boring and hard work, but if you run with a club and can gauge your progress against colleagues or even run on your own on the same course and see how much further you get your hard work will pay dividends.

Minks

BR, does that mean my tempo pace should be 10K pace plus 15-20 seconds for half-marathon training as well as for 10K training? Or am I right in thinking that it should be 15-20 seconds slower than intended race pace for a specific distance?

I understand the logic behind percentages of working heart rate etc. but as I don't have a HRM I'm reliant on pace per mile to gauge my speed.

I tend to time myself over a variety of routes and compare results. In which case I probably shouldn't time every run - but I need to so I know what my pace was and whether it was appropriate, if that makes sense!

I'm thinking that investing in a HRM might be worthwhile, although I might wait until after my half marathon debut as I suspect that keeping my heart rate within range on some runs will involve having to almost crawl along until I become more efficient.

Do you use one? Have you found it invaluable?

[Deleted User]

Minkin, I use one. It's certainly not invaluable, more useful.

I use it for Tempo runs and to make sure I'm not working too hard on an easy run. Plus, it's nice to know at what heart rate your eyes pop out during a speed sesion.