Tempo Runs are Critical

I have finished 3 weeks of training for the BAA Half Marathon and am actually feeling pretty good. I was a little bit nervous about the speed work and tempo runs because in my maintenance plan, I was not really sticking to any particular work out to keep my speed and goal pace fitness level. I would basically run based on how I felt and if I felt I could push the pace I would. Otherwise, I would do a comfortable run and get my miles in to maintain my overall fitness. I figured I could ramp up my training at any time and not suffer too bad.

I was a bit anxious about the tempo runs because I learned during my training for the Boston Marathon that the tempo run is probably the critical work out in any long distance runner’s training program. It is the one run that teaches your body how to run for long periods of time at a set pace. In my case, I wanted to run the Boston Marathon at a 9:00 per mile pace and succeeded averaging 9:08 per mile. Since then I have wanted to be able to drop my pace by a full minute which is not easy at my age. I know that training at a pace outside my comfort level is not easy but it is critical for fast racing.

Tempo runs, as any serious runner knows, cause your body to produce lactic acid which accumulates in your muscles and causes muscle fatigue. The goal of a tempo run is to train your body to reduce the amount of lactic acid build up over time as your body gets used to running at this faster pace. If you are successful, you will find that when race day comes you will be able to run at a faster pace with out as much muscle fatigue and soreness in your legs.

I have done 3 tempo runs so far and have found that my muscle memory is really helping me maintain the runs at my goal pace. When I set out on a tempo run, I always run the first mile or so at a slightly slower than goal pace. Once I feel warmed up, I then ramp up my speed to the point where I am clocking in at my goal pace. As I near the end of my run, I always try to drop my pace for the last mile to 10-15 seconds below my goal pace to allow me to try and finish strong.

When I finish my tempo run, I always cool down by walking for at least 8-10 minutes. Then I begin my post run stretching routine to help keep my muscles loose. It is also very important to refuel as soon as you can after a hard tempo session. I will drink plenty of water or a 50/50 mixture of water and Gatorade. I will typically make myself an egg and cheese sandwich or bagel using egg whites or egg substitute to keep my cholesterol in check. I find that if I do this my body recovers much quicker than if I skip the food or don’t replenish my liquids.

I only do one tempo run per week. You should never use them for any of your other daily runs. Tempo runs put a lot of stress on your muscles. I use my recovery run days to allow my body to recover from the hard effort and rebuild. As you have probably noticed, I typically do my tempo run on Thursday. This gives me 2 days of recovery running before I have to log my long run. I am convinced that I was able to reach my goal of running a 4 hour marathon because I trained my body to run at a steady pace for a long period of time. If you are not incorporating tempo runs into your weekly training program, I would highly recommend it if you want to get faster and start setting new PRs.

Here are my totals for this week:

Aug. 29 – 8.50 miles (1:15:27, 8:53 pace)
Aug. 30 – 8.10 miles (1:16:07, 9:24 pace)
Aug. 31 – 5.80 miles (49:11, 8:29 pace) – Speed work, Mile Repeats
Sept. 2 – 7.10 miles (57:08, 8:03 pace) – Tempo Run
Sept. 3 – 7.10 miles (1:05:39, 9:15 pace)
Sept. 4 – 7.10 miles (1:03:22, 8:56 pace)

Total Miles: 43.70 miles
2010 YTD Miles: 1,177.00 miles