Tempo running can help you increase your running speed. It is a very effective way of running.
Many people notice differences within three to five weeks of adding tempo runs to their running program.
Because tempo running can be quite tough experts recommend this type of running not just for the physical, but also for the mental aspects. It will help condition your mind.
Tempo Running: How Fast is Too Fast?
Tempo running is the most difficult running speed to explain, I find. It is faster than easy running, but slower than interval running. It is faster paced, but not that fast that your legs will start feeling heavy after a few minutes.
Usually you’ll find that after trying it a number of times you can find the right pace for you. So expect a little initial frustration during your first two or three runs as you are trying to figure out the exact right pace for you.
Tempo Running and Lactate Threshold
Remember the paragraph before where I mentioned that your legs should not start feeling heavy? That heavy feeling is lactic acid accumulating in your muscles. When you exercise your body creates lactate acid. The faster you run, the more lactic acid it produces.
Your body has a certain ability to clear the lactic acid from your muscles. At a certain speed your body creates more than it can get rid of. This causes a build-up of lactic acid in your muscles, which will make them work less well and makes your legs feel heavy.
Now, tempo running is running at just below your lactic acid threshold (or lactate threshold as it is also referred to). This particular speed trains your body to get rid of the lactic acid. As you train your body to get rid of the lactic acid it becomes better at it.
And that means that after having done sufficient tempo runs, you will have pushed up your lactate threshold. So then, you will be able to run faster without your legs getting heavy. And that’s exactly what we want to accomplish with our tempo runs!
One of the reasons the Kenyans are dominating long distance running is that they do a lot of their running training at or just below lactate acid threshold. So, there is plenty of proof available that shows that it works!
The mental benefits of tempo running are that you are training yourself to run at a faster pace for a prolonged period of time. Even though it is a controlled pace it can be tough because you will need to focus on maintaining your speed.
It is easy to slack off and make your workout less effective. This focus on maintaining the right speed, even when tired, is what helps you become a better runner mentally.
Tempo Running: Types of Workouts
When you start off with tempo running it is probably best to start by doing tempo intervals. So, these are not intervals at interval speed. They are intervals at tempo speed. A typical workout is 4 to 6 x 1k with a few minutes of jogging in between.
As you get used to the speed and to the faster running you can then move on to longer tempo runs. You can start doing 3 x 10 mins with 3-5 mins recovery for example and work up from there to a standard tempo running workout of 2 x 20 mins with 5 mins recovery.
You can play with variations of this, of course. Tempo speed is supposed to be the speed you are able to maintain for about an hour. So, these workouts would typically never exceed one hour.
Tempo running is proven to be one of the best running workouts you can do to increase your running speed as a long distance runner.
Make sure you incorporate it in your running program as well and you will be able to reap the benefits soon!
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