Should feel quite fast but also very manageable, basically you should feel very good after you finish, and confident that you can go much faster.
Manageable, very good, and confident are not likely to be the experience of a novice tempo runner at those paces. Especially if OP is in HS, aerobic fitness is underdeveloped.
I'd run threshold intervals at 6:20 (e.g. 10x3' w/ 60" jog recover). Most programs run tempos sub-threshold and for longer than 20'. Maybe try 30' around 6:40 as part of a longer run.
Note that I'm basing this on 17:45 as a realistic goal pace or previous-season PB. A runner opening a season in 17:45 would be a little faster.
Should feel quite fast but also very manageable, basically you should feel very good after you finish, and confident that you can go much faster.
Manageable, very good, and confident are not likely to be the experience of a novice tempo runner at those paces. Especially if OP is in HS, aerobic fitness is underdeveloped.
I'd run threshold intervals at 6:20 (e.g. 10x3' w/ 60" jog recover). Most programs run tempos sub-threshold and for longer than 20'. Maybe try 30' around 6:40 as part of a longer run.
Note that I'm basing this on 17:45 as a realistic goal pace or previous-season PB. A runner opening a season in 17:45 would be a little faster.
High school was a long time ago for me but I haven't done many tempo runs in recent times. I could do 30 minutes at 6:40 easily. My last 5k was 3 weeks ago, 17:56.
Threshold to MP might be 6:00-6:30. Whether that's true or not for you I have no idea. 20:00 should be done closer to T but maybe effort-wise you shoulder be higher up on that scale.
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My old HS coach was a very knowledgeable guy when it came to development of runners; he always said 6:10 for 4 miles is right in line with 17:3X running, so 6:15ish for 25 min is probably about right. Obviously these workouts shouldn’t be a race effort, but it might feel fairly strenuous if you are new to tempos. Best of luck!
That’s like marathon pace. 20 minute tempo pace is more like what you could run for an hour race. 6:10ish is doable for a 17:45 runner, even a smidgeon faster if they’re feeling good.
OP, it'll vary based on the conditions and terrain as well as the type and experience level of runner you are, but broad strokes and assuming relatively normal conditions, 6:10-6:30 is very likely the pace range where a 20-minute tempo run will be the appropriate perceived effort (progressing from a 7 to an 8 out of 10, you can speak in short bursts but not hold a full conversation). I would tend to start toward the slower side of that (6:25-6:30) and pick it up about 10s/mile from there if you're feeling good for your first couple efforts at this workout. Then if those go well, start around 6:20/mile and see if you can drop to around 6:10. But don't push to make that happen--it's more important that these types of workouts are run at the right effort than it is that they're run at the fastest pace possible.
That’s like marathon pace. 20 minute tempo pace is more like what you could run for an hour race. 6:10ish is doable for a 17:45 runner, even a smidgeon faster if they’re feeling good.
You’re applying professional standards and mileage to an amateur runner. 6:10 is about his 10k pace.
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I remember spending a lot of years at 17:30-17:45 running 50mpw before sucking it up and having to run a bit more to break 17.
I would do a lot of 4 mile tempos between 6:05 and 6:15 pace. My very best 10k was 38:10 because I was absolutely terrible at anything above a 5K race. Some people are not suited for distance events and I’m one of them.
I’m always impressed by my runner friends who could run sub-87 in the half but I would stomp them in the mile.
I remember spending a lot of years at 17:30-17:45 running 50mpw before sucking it up and having to run a bit more to break 17.
I would do a lot of 4 mile tempos between 6:05 and 6:15 pace. My very best 10k was 38:10 because I was absolutely terrible at anything above a 5K race. Some people are not suited for distance events and I’m one of them.
I’m always impressed by my runner friends who could run sub-87 in the half but I would stomp them in the mile.
Your tempos / 5K times correspond quite closely to mine. But I could regularly run 36:00 and a little faster--5:50-pace for 10K--when I was in that shape. My best mile, though, was 5:02. So every runner has strengths and needs to figure them out and play to them.