What is a tempo run? How do you do a tempo run and how does it help?
I just don't understand what all the fuss is about.
Could you please help?
Answer by Dominique:
Hi there,
Thanks for your running training question.
I can most definitely help you find out what a tempo run is.
I used to think that running is just that - you put on your running shoes and you gallop across the horizon to work up a sweat. I did that the first few times and I didn't get far. My leg muscles froze and I limped home wondering if I could ever do it again.
Well, it turned out there is a science to running and you have to play by its rules. One of the first things I learned -- you have to do a tempo run, or run at tempo pace.
Simply put, a tempo run is the steady pace which you can sustain for an hour. If you're a beginner, the average tempo run speed would probably be about 10k-11k per hour. When you are more experienced it will be faster. For the elite runners it is at about 21k/hour as those guys run the half marathon in that time!
A tempo run helps your body build up a sort of tolerance as it adjusts to the whole running thing. You see, when we run fast, lactic acid builds up in our muscles. That lactic acid stops your muscles from moving properly. Your legs get heavy, you can't continue anymore.
If we run slower than tempo pace, not much lactic acid are produced and so there isn't enough stimulation. But if we run faster than tempo pace, too much lactic acid builds up, you feel your legs getting heavy, and you simply have to stop.
The trick, therefore, is to do a tempo run -- a constant pace that's neither too slow nor too fast so that lactic acid build up is kept under check. This pace will teach your body to more efficiently get rid of the lactic acid. This will allow you, over time, to run faster without the lactic acid build up.
So, a tempo run is important because it helps increase your lactate threshold. It trains your body to deal with lactic acid build up. When that happens, you will be happy to note that you are finally running faster!
Hope this helps.
Kind regards, Dominique
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