Three people I have recently spoken to (an ex XC/TF coach, an ex XC/TF athlete, and an experienced runner who ran with Kenyans and talked to a lot of elites) all have referred to a tempo run as a fartlek. When I asked each of them independently what a tempo run is they would say "Oh a fartlek, speed play, it was invented by the Russians." Something along those lines.
Have I been misinformed throughout my running career or are they two different things like I had thought?
The Swedish. sorry.
Conventionally, the two are different. "Tempo"
generally refers to a longer sustained, straight effort. "Fartlek" originally was simply surging on a run however the athlete wants to, but in modernity has taken more structure.
But it's not so black and white. Example: 2 x 2 miles @ tempo w/ 2.5 min float. Is it a tempo or a fartlek. Looks more like tempo, but has elements of both definitions.
What about 5 x 5 min ON @ tempo/10K effort w/ 60s OFF? Looks more like fartlek, but has elementa of both definitions.
I'm talking about even more extreme situations. Like these people believe 1 min on, 1 min off for 20 minutes is considered a tempo run. or 10 x 2 on 1 off. Like NOOOO.
Phrases get thrown around with different meanings based on the philosophy of the coach and the training style.
For a marathoner, going on a tempo run may mean an 8-10 mile run at marathon pace.
For me, an 800 guy, tempo can mean anything from 400m reps at 5k pace to running 3-5 miles at what I like to call “not so fun” pace
Don’t get wrapped up in words and definitions. The way I see it, it comes down to this:
-Sprinting short very fast to build power and make race pace feel slower and more controlled
-Running a fast lap or two around the track over and over to make my legs get used to the ouchy
-Running longer distances like 2 - 4 laps to make my lungs get used to the ouchy
-Running 3-6 miles easy to make my legs and lungs heal from the ouchy
-Running 5-10 miles easy-medium to make so my lungs and heart get less of the ouchy
CopperRunner wrote:
Don’t get wrapped up in words and definitions. The way I see it, it comes down to this:
-Sprinting short very fast to build power and make race pace feel slower and more controlled
-Running a fast lap or two around the track over and over to make my legs get used to the ouchy
-Running longer distances like 2 - 4 laps to make my lungs get used to the ouchy
-Running 3-6 miles easy to make my legs and lungs heal from the ouchy
-Running 5-10 miles easy-medium to make so my lungs and heart get less of the ouchy
this makes so much sense
If hills or electric poles or trees aren't involved, then you didn't run a fartlek.
fastboy77 wrote:
I'm talking about even more extreme situations. Like these people believe 1 min on, 1 min off for 20 minutes is considered a tempo run. or 10 x 2 on 1 off. Like NOOOO.
Those are called repeats, or intervals.
A tempo is continuous 8/10 effort (IMO).
Fartleks are when you change the speed randomly.
Thanks for the update and quick reply. I'll be sure to keep an eye on this thread.
CopperRunner wrote:
Phrases get thrown around with different meanings based on the philosophy of the coach and the training style.
For a marathoner, going on a tempo run may mean an 8-10 mile run at marathon pace.
For me, an 800 guy, tempo can mean anything from 400m reps at 5k pace to running 3-5 miles at what I like to call “not so fun” pace
Don’t get wrapped up in words and definitions. The way I see it, it comes down to this:
-Sprinting short very fast to build power and make race pace feel slower and more controlled
-Running a fast lap or two around the track over and over to make my legs get used to the ouchy
-Running longer distances like 2 - 4 laps to make my lungs get used to the ouchy
-Running 3-6 miles easy to make my legs and lungs heal from the ouchy
-Running 5-10 miles easy-medium to make so my lungs and heart get less of the ouchy
Great post. Runners overcomplicate running. There's a lot of terms/charts/programs that get thrown around. They all basically boil down to 5 objectives.
To improve, you must:
1. run more
2. sometimes run faster
3. sometimes run faster than that
4. sometimes run faster than that
5. rest and recover
Great post.
- 100s
-400s
-800s, 1ks, 1200s, 1600s
- easy distance
- tempoish effort
Yeah. Makes sense.
Tempo is a continuous paced run that is faster than an easy day. It's the rate of speed of an activity, the "tempo" you run at. Tempo runs are mostly called steady state runs and the pace usually is around MP down to even 10k pace depending on how long or short you go.
Break a run up with a rest interval, it's not a Tempo run, but then becomes a broken Tempo, or cruise interval- from Jack Daniels.
A Fartlek is speed play, and not continuous but broken run, more like intervals on the track but without so much structure. Usually the tempo or pace of the speed of fartlek is faster than tempo pace, but for shorter periods. And usually it is done away from the track.
Fartlek is unstructured fast and slow training. You make it up as you go along.
So by this definition it can't be a group training session, but something you do on your own.