Episode 71: A Step-by-Step Guide to Tempo Runs

The Strength Running Podcast

Jason Fitzgerald

Health & Fitness, 10k, Beginnerrunning, Marathontraining, Fitness, Injuryprevention, Marathon, Halfmarathon, Running, Sports

4.8 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 13 September 2018

⏱️ 17 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Tempo runs are beneficial for virtually every runner – from milers to marathoners, tempos are nearly ubiquitous.

Of course, they’re a staple for longer distance runners training for the marathon and beyond.

If you’re not familiar with this type of workout, there are three popular definitions:

1. Comfortably hard. A pace that’s faster than “moderate” but not exactly “hard.” If you have a high training age and prefer running by feel or perceived effort, this may be the most helpful definition for you.

2. The pace you could race for an hour. For some runners, their tempo pace is similar to or about the same as their 10k pace.

This definition is best used for more advanced runners.

3. 85-90% of maximum heart rate. If you train by heart rate (learn how to calculate your max heart rate here), this is a valuable way to ensure you’re in the right range for your tempo run.

More scientifically inclined runners know that tempo workouts are run at or near your lactate threshold. This is the pace at which you’re producing the maximum amount of lactate that your body can clear from your muscles and blood stream.

In other words, tempo runs are done at lactate threshold which is the fastest you can still run aerobically.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Ready, set, go.
0:05.0	This is episode 71 about perhaps the most valuable workout a distance runner can do.
0:10.0	This bread and butter workout is the
0:30.0	strength running podcast.
0:32.5	Where it is my job to help you become a better runner.
0:36.1	Now usually I'm speaking with a world-class athlete, a coach, a best-selling author,
0:41.5	or a clinician or scientist who can help us make sense of the sport of running.
0:45.9	To give us a better perspective, more effective tools for improvement, or simply just some
0:51.5	inspiration to endure the grind of training that I think most of us have really come to love so much.
0:58.0	But today is a little different because you're only going to hear from me.
1:02.0	Instead of having a conversation with another coach or a runner,
1:06.0	I'm going to offer my thoughts on what I think is a really important workout
1:12.0	that almost every runner should be doing regularly and in some form and that's the tempo run. Now let me pause and tell you a quick story. When I first started strength running, I thought of the name as a brand name, a proper noun, not necessarily as a descriptor or an adjective.
1:32.0	So, you know, a lot of folks, even my family will say things like,
1:35.0	I love that Strength Running talks about Strength Training,
1:38.0	even in its name.
1:40.0	But I have to say that that's not the case.
1:42.0	The Strength Part of strength running.com isn't just muscular
1:47.1	Strength I didn't name my website strength because I recognize the enormous benefit that strength training can have for runners.
1:55.0	I named it because first is just an awesome name.
1:59.0	Come on now.
2:00.0	But also because good runners are strong runners. Not just your muscular strength, but your
	...

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