What's the most Tempo runs you've done in one week?

7

the recommended 1 (or 2 max) to avoid injury and overtraining- as dictated by our distance coach!

almost every day.

the stag wrote:

the recommended 1 (or 2 max) to avoid injury and overtraining- as dictated by our distance coach!

Really? I've done 6 ranging from 5-7 miles (one 3 miler) in the past 4 days and feel OK. Not fantastic; but not bad either.

Funny you ask: Did a 10k in tempo pace yesterday and a 20km "cross" (better: forest) race today, again in tempo effort.

I am at the end of a lydiardesque base phase and did my 2 hills this week, too. The base is already like Diesel engines used to be: I feel this BIG steady push.

Somehow I am (against better theoretical knowledge) drawn towards these moderate time trials / T-pace runs.

After todays run I feel really great so I might add another 10k tomorrow.

In all runs I am far from getting anaerobic. Also I don't do a surge towards the end.

Possibly I did run my base too slow. Also without strides. Just added those to my routine which might contribute to the freshness.

Worst case is a shallow peak too early for my season highlight and of august (half-marathon).

The sunny may makes me rejoice.

Seems like you're probably being really liberal with the term "tempo"...

R.L. Scribner wrote:

Seems like you're probably being really liberal with the term "tempo"...

Not at all. If you're doing them right you should be able to do 4-5 of them a week if you wanted to.

I went through a phase where I ran tempo every day for about 2 months. Each run probably only had 1.5-2.5 miles of tempo in it. It was right after the birth of my son and the only time I had to run was after every body was in bed. I would just go out for 20-30 minutes, run the first 10 min or so easy then accelerate into what I thought was just steady state, but probably was closer to tempo pace.

It never got really hard, because the runs were so short, but I racked up a pretty good amount of total tempo running during that time (probably around 12-15 total miles of tempo per week).

I ran a 5 mile race toward the end of that period, which I ran surprisingly well since I almost never did runs of over 4 miles.

5-7 milers at ~25-40 seconds above 5k pace are tempo runs right?

Where to start?

I certainly never did "5 x mile in 4:45 down to 4:30". My best sessions back then were workouts like 4X1k at slightly slower then that pace. I probably couldn't even do that session now.

"13 miles at 5:30 pace" I think this is incorrect, although I would have to check my logs to be sure.

"One of these intrepid runners even found and entered the local 5k where Geoff intended to make his attempt" I talked to him and I'm pretty sure he intended to enter the race before he found out I was running it.

"Geoff ran the first mile in 5:10 and then dropped out." Yes, this is true. It just wasn't my day. I didn't have it in my legs. THey were toast. I can't explain it. Now I know 1% of what Webb feels, I guess. I've moved on though. Apparently you haven't however.

"Last week it was 5 miles of high knees to work on form, the week before it was a tempo run with a 4:30 middle mile, and the week before that it was 10x200 in 24-25."

I did a couple miles of high knees. I read that the Ethiopians did that so I tried it too. Isn't that what it's all about? Trying new things, learning and adapting? The "4:30 mile" was actually a 4:36, but it was also 1.01 miles so yes, a 4:30 mile is about right. The 10x200m was actually 26's with a couple in 25, and I was surprised as you are at the times.

"Not that any of those are impossible, but they sure are for old Geoff, whose best times (read: provable, non-made-up times) are around 2:10 for 800 and 18:xx for 5k."

I ran 2:05 and 18xx in high school. I was happy with those times because I started at 2:33 for my first 800 and 23:57 minutes for my first 5k.

"Geoff, I am tired of enlightening everyone as to what a douche you are. Please just stop with the lies."

First of all, I'm a nice guy and I try to be the best person I can. You don't know me so keep your thoughts to yourself.

Second of all, these are not lies. The stopwatch does not lie. I've come a long way. My 800 pace has become my 10 mile pace, my mile pace is now my marathon pace. I actually don't blame you or any others for not believing. I understand why you would doubt. It doesn't make any sense. But I believe, and THAT is what really matters.

Our weekly tempo run is taken as a workout session consisting of a 6 mile 90% effort/race pace to test our speed/stamina and recovery. Our other workout is speedwork session (fartlek, hills) plus the usual 16 mile long run every sunday. This is how we use tempo running in our weekly workout regime. Overall 80ish miles per week.

Does this clarify the term tempo and how it works?