The Tempo

I have been running for the last year and would still consider myself a beginner. I have two half marathons and on full under my belt as well as a whole slew of 5k’s, 10k’s and 12k’s. There is a lot to learn about running if you really want to maximize your potential and I am still on the path of learning something new all the time.

For the last year I have read Runner’s World magazine like it was the Bible. I mean I read it all the time. I read about gear and races, I read about workouts and stretches, I even read about celebrity runners. I also read about tempo runs and splits and for the last year I have been afraid to say I didn’t know what the heck they were talking about.

So a tempo run from what I can tell is running a considerable amount of time or distance and a slightly uncomfortable or challenging pace. This is also relates to your lactate-threshold or LT (something else I am learning about). I also learned that there is a correct way to do this and perhaps I have not been doing it right.

From what I have read many runners in the beginner’s category often short change their tempo runs. This is not on purpose, but rather it’s because they don’t understand the concept behind a tempo run. You have to put some effort into it and maintain the effort for at least 20 minutes for general fitness and 6-8 miles for half marathoners. You may not even what to know what kind of distance you need to hold a tempo for full marathons.

Once you figure out where your fitness level is, it gets a little complicated. Thayer lots of sites to help you out, but it might be wise to find someone in your network of friends that is an experienced runner to help you out.