difference between tempo and threshold?

They are the same.

Sparknotes: Threshold is producing lactate at the same rate your body is using it so you aren't accumulating lactate. When you run at threshold pace, you are on a tempo run. Sometimes a tempo run is done at a slightly slower pace that is more of a "sub-threshold" for longer periods.

Basically yes they are the same thing.

Depends if you're talking about lactate threshold or aerobic threshold.

Tempo is a spectrum of paces, anywhere between 15K and marathon pace. At lactate threshold, your body begins shifting more towards a more anaerobic state, but there's always an overlap.

a tempo run as 20 minutes at threshold pace, but mentions that other coaches regard a tempo run as a longer run at sub-threshold pace

As stated above- threshold is a scientifically specific pace where your body is clearing lactate at the rate it is being produced.

Tempo is specifically a set pace of any purpose. Marathon pace is a "tempo" but obviously not anaerobic.

Ditto on them begin the same.

The terminology I am familiar with is something like: A tempo run is defined by running at your personal threshold pace for a specific period of time (20 minutes according to Daniels...) .

So - some people just use the phrases interchangeably and call a tempo run a threshold run.

RWL

So how do I know what that pace is?

confused HS'r wrote:

So how do I know what that pace is?

It's the pace you can hold for a 60 min race.

Elite Keyboard Coach wrote:

confused HS'r wrote:

So how do I know what that pace is?

It's the pace you can hold for a 60 min race.

So I gotta go race for an hour? That didn't help.

Nearly everything posted so far is incorrect.

confused HS'r wrote:

So how do I know what that pace is?

Well, as others have said, there are different style tempo runs, such as marathon pace tempo runs.

But, I always think of a "traditional" tempo run as a 20 minute run at a "comfortably hard" pace (about 85% effort). It's finding the "threshold" (sorry, I was trying to avoid that word.) right BELOW huffing & puffing.

Three more things:

1.) What's nice about tempo runs is that they're 'informal' & it makes you perceive effort (85%).

2.) You may want to start with 2X10:00 at a "comfortably hard" pace with 1:00 rest. This will allow you to reset your thinking or even your effort/pace.

3.) Try to do your tempo runs on a flat road/trail. This will allow you to focus on effort & not change that effort because of, for example, hills.

confused HS'r wrote:

Elite Keyboard Coach wrote:

It's the pace you can hold for a 60 min race.

So I gotta go race for an hour? That didn't help.

This is where McMillan will help you choose a one hour time without actually racing something around ten miles.

and by time I meant pace...

The problem is that predicting a 1 hour time for a HS runner from a 1600 time is a guess at best. Kids with better 400 times can hang on for 1600 and the predicted 1 hour pace is not just slightly off but wrong enough to endanger your entire training plan. Further, your tempo pace in the spring when it is cool is significantly different from the summer when it is hot.

The way to think of tempo runs is that you can't do them too slow but you can do them too fast.

As usual, Summer of Malmo has good advice.

http://www.bunnhill.com/BobHodge/rtp3.htm