4 Tempo Run Workouts to Tune Up Your Training

Are you running several times a week, but don’t seem to be getting anywhere? Slowing down? Endurance waning?  

Your body eventually acclimates to a particular pace and/or distance. So overtime, you won’t get what you used to out of that regular 5-miler every other day. Stagnation sets in. So what’s a runner to do?

Easy! Spice it up with a tempo run. A tempo run is basically a fast run, but just trying to run fast from start to finish usually isn’t very effective. Like most things, a little structure to these “faster runs” will provide you with the results you’re looking for.

Every run doesn’t need to be a tempo run. That will only increase your chance of overtraining and injury. It’s hard to believe, but just adding one tempo run to your weekly routine will quickly begin to increase your speed and endurance.

How does it work? Tempo runs help push out your lactate threshold (that burn you feel in your legs when you run fast). Tempo workouts teach your body to more quickly clear out the lactate buildup delaying or preventing that fatigue-causing burn. Tempo runs also help increase your VO2Max (your body's ability to take in oxygen and use it to make energy in the muscle). Continued use of tempo runs actually signals your body to make more capillaries in the muscle. More capillaries means more oxygenated blood getting to the muscle.

The distance of tempo runs can vary, but 4-8 miles is a good range. If you’re new to tempos, start with a shorter distance and work your way up.

Below are four different types of tempo workouts. Pick one to add to your weekly routine or mix-it-up and try a different one each week:

Traditional Tempo

Begin and end the run with a 1-mile warm-up/cool-down. Run these beginning and ending miles at an easy conversational pace. Run the miles in between at a pace that’s 30-45 seconds slower than your 5K race pace. (Example: 1-mile warm-up; 2-miles @ tempo pace; 1-mile cool-down)

Tempo Intervals

Begin and end the run with a 1-mile warm-up/cool-down. Run these beginning and ending miles at an easy conversational pace. For the miles in between, alternate between a 5-minute fast and a 5-minute slow interval. The fast intervals should be run at a pace that’s 25-30 seconds slower than your 5K race pace. Continue alternating the fast and slow intervals until you reach the last cool-down mile. (Example: 1-mile warm-up; 3-miles alternating 5-min fast pace/5-min slow pace intervals; 1-mile cool-down)

Race-Pace Tempo

This tempo run is particularly good when training for a half or full marathon. Begin and end the run with a 1-mile warm-up/cool-down. Run the miles in between at your half or full marathon race pace. (Example: 1-mile warm-up; 4-miles @ race pace; 1-mile cool-down)

Negative Split Tempo

This tempo run is great for teaching your mind and body that you can “pull-it-out” on the back-half of a run. Run the first half of the run at an easy conversational pace. Run the back-half at tempo pace creating a negative split. (Example: Run out 3 miles @ easy pace; Run back 3 miles @ tempo pace)

(Note: If you don’t have a GPS watch to track your pace, use the “talking test.” If you can easily talk during the tempo portion, then you’re probably not running fast enough.)