Hi everyone
Sorry if this has been discussed a lot before, but searching the forum didn't show anything about my specific query.
I've got myself a bit puzzled and confused about what speed I should be doing my tempo runs at. Generally, most things I read say it should be around the pace I can manage for an hour, and that they should mostly be about 20 minute efforts. Some people/websites suggest extending the duration, others say not to go any longer.
My issue with that is that 20 minutes at my 1 hour pace seems fairly easy. I thought tempo runs were meant to be moderately hard, or am I missing something.
I've tried the Mcmillan calculator too, with one of my current targets of a sub 1:30 half marathon. If I put in my current half pb (1:36:42), it says my tempo pace should be 6:58-7:15. If I put in my 5k pb (19:57) it says 6:40-6:57. Not a huge difference I admit, but the difference gets bigger if I use different race distance pbs.
I suppose its two questions really - how long and how fast should they be?
Or am I being too fussy and pedantic and just run somewhere between 6:40 and 7:15 and I'll be fine? Is perceived exertion a better way of judging? I don't tend to use hr for training zones, but I know others do
Thanks for any comments or thoughts
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2-4 mile @7:00 min miles.
4-6m 7:15 min miles
6m+ 7:30 min miles
I always do a mile warm up and cool down.
Yeah, I'd always do warm up and cool down, but hadn't thought about doing longer tempos at a sightly slower speed - might try that out. Good idea, thanks
That's 2 votes for slowing the pace for longer tempo runs. I'd seen that mentioned before as well that going too fast loses the benefit of this type of work out.
I wonder if you wouldn't also lose the benefit by going too slow though. I did a fair amount of MP runs for a recent marathon, but I thought that was meant to be aerobic training rather than lactate threshold.
I wonder if a lot of these zones are quoted without really knowing much for certain, and just training at different speeds covers most bases
Sorry...just hijacking an old thread but I have a very similar question. I have been running 3 times a week (6-8k each and sometimes 10k) for 4 months now (was also running regularly in my past..)
My best 10k time has been 49:24. I have never done any races or never followed any proper training programs. But I would like to improve on that time and maybe do a proper race so thought i should start looking at proper program ! I also have a HR monitor (chest..).
I have read and learned that doing one "tempo" run per week is very beneficial. Using online calculators and if i use the 10k pace above as base for calculation, i should be running at pace 5:03min/km for this and should staying in aerobic zone when looking at HR.
I did one of these run this morning and it seems quite if not too "easy" ?? would that make sense ?
thank you all for advice a "newbie" !!
How far did you run? If you get it right, even 3 or 4m at threshold effort should be a fair way from too easy. Using your HR is only any use if you have a fair amount of data acquired from various training runs at differing efforts and races.
When was your best 10k time run. It'll be faster in a race environment for sure.
> How far did you run? If you get it right, even 3 or 4m at threshold effort should be a fair way from too easy. Using your HR is only any use if you have a fair amount of data acquired from various training runs at differing efforts and races.
>
> When was your best 10k time run. It'll be faster in a race environment for sure.
thank you for your reply !
I ran about 6k but with intervals so not at full Tempo pace all the time (alternating between the 5min/km and easy pace at 5:30-40min/km). it was not too easy maybe but i felt quite fine at the end.
Tempo and threshold pace are the same ? i have been using HR for a while. The point of Tempo is to stay below Anaerobic zone right ?
that 10k time was done about 1months and a half ago. and i finished quite exhausted (HR clearly close to max...)
thanks again for your advice ! just want to make sure that pace is useful and i am building towards doing a better time !