Taking a break from his usual blog, Mark Ketley takes us through what a tempo run is, the importance of them as well as giving some examples to help us. Mark is a UKA Level 3 Endurance Coach and North East Runner would like to thank him for sharing some of his wisdom!
The Science Bit
The term “tempo run” generally refers to a constant pace effort lasting for a relatively prolonged period of time, the main purpose of which is to extend the time an athlete can sustain a fast pace. Most commonly a tempo run will take the form of a sustained effort for a given period of time, an example session being a 50 minute run incorporating 30 minutes at tempo pace. Typically the tempo section of the run will be ran at a pace where the blood lactate level begins to bite (the lactate turn point, or LTP).
To fully understand the advice given in this article it is important to recognise the following basic principle: the faster you run, the greater your levels of lactate production and consumption become. Well-trained athletes are capable of clearing lactate just as quickly as their bodies produce it, but only up until a certain point. Inevitably there comes a stage when, either because of running increasingly faster or because of holding a fast pace for too long, your body produces more lactate than it is capable of clearing from the bloodstream. The result, in very simplistic terms, is that the lactate producing hydrogen ions turn off the energy producing enzymes and the muscles' ability to contract is reduced forcing you to slow down. These sensations are what the vast majority of runners refer to as "lactic acid".
To get around these shortcomings an advanced version of the tempo run can be used which works on the basic premise that, instead of keeping the lactate level constant, you should undulate it by alternating the speeds that are being ran within your tempo run. This means that a period of faster running to increase lactate production should be followed by a slower period that allows for lactate clearance to take place. Put very simply, it almost becomes a form of interval training within the tempo run.
The “advanced tempo run” consists of a continuous run during which the pace alternates between a slightly faster section and a slightly slower section. When training for distances ranging from 5k up to the half-marathon, the objective is to have one section within every mile at a pace that is close to your goal race pace, and the remaining section of that mile at a pace that is slightly slower than your traditional tempo pace ie. slightly slower than your LTP. For an athlete targeting a sub 1:30 half-marathon therefore (approximately 6.50 mins/mile), an advanced tempo run may take the following form:
6 miles continuous running, alternating 400m @ 6.50/mile pace with 1200m @ 7.30/mile pace
To develop this session over the course of a training period, gradually speed up both sections of the run, always ensuring that the gap between the paces of the faster and slower sections is never more than around 40 seconds/mile. The length of the faster efforts should also be increased until they are at least equal, if not longer, than the slower sections of the run. Ultimately, the goal should be to reach a point where the faster section is equal to, or longer, than the slower section during the last few weeks before your target race.
Applying these principles over the course of a training period, progression of the advanced tempo run for the sub 1:30 half-marathon runner mentioned above would look like this:
6 miles continuous running, alternating 400m @ 6.50/mile pace with 1200m @ 7.25/mile pace
7 miles continuous running, alternating 600m @ 6.50/mile pace with 1000m @ 7.25/mile pace
7 miles continuous running, alternating 800m @ 6.45/mile pace with 800m @ 7.25/mile pace
8 miles continuous running, alternating 1000m @ 6.45/mile pace with 600m @ 7.20/mile pace
8 miles continuous running, alternating 1000m @ 6.40/mile pace with 600m @ 7.15/mile pace
Used correctly, and at paces that are appropriate to your level of running and goal race distance, the advanced tempo run can significantly improve your lactate clearance rate. That is not to say that it should replace the traditional tempo run. Instead, try adding an advanced tempo run into your training schedule once every couple of weeks, develop it in line with the principles set out above, and ultimately see improvements in your overall running performance.
Marathon runners can also benefit greatly from introducing alternate pace workouts into their training schedules. A good example of a marathon-specific advanced tempo run would be a 4 miles steady warm-up, followed by 8 miles alternating each mile between 10k pace and marathon pace, then another 4 miles steady warm-down.
In the next article of this series, see how you can transform our traditional long run to become more specific to the race that you are training for.
Until then, happy running everyone!