Long and Short Tempos

Training Advice/Discussion 5k/10k

13 years ago 01/06/2011 8:26pm EST

The tempo run has always been the most confusing thing to me, but maybe that is because it is confusing for everyone.

I'm wondering how I use the ideas of long and short tempos in the larger context of my training. Is running a 10 mile tempo, at a smidge faster than Marathon pace "better" for you than a 4 mile tempo, at 5k pace + 30 seconds? Do they tax significantly different systems? Should a long distance runner (5k/10k) progress from one type to the other over the course of the season? Should both be done, or can a runner do purely one type of tempo and perform well?

I guess my question boils down to:

For a 5k/10k runner, is there a significant reason to run a variety of tempo distances, or can they simply pick one tempo distance and pace (as a function of their fitness) and perform equally as well, when this is done over a long time line?

I tend to think that a progression over the course of time should take long distance runners from shorter tempos to longer tempos. This is not necessarily something that happens over the course of a season, but from year to year, fewer 20-25 minute tempos should be run, and more 45-60 minute tempos should be run. Am I correct?

Any thoughts or clarifications on this topic are welcome. I feel that the training stimulus from 4 miles of "fast" tempo is very very different than the stimulus from 10 miles of a more moderate tempo. I may be mistaken, but if I am, why would anyone ever choose to tempo for further than say, 5 miles?

Open my eyes please!

13 years ago 01/06/2011 8:32pm EST

re: P.Whelan

I don't know all the science behind it, but I've always though that during the base stage you are going to want to do longer tempos, anywhere from 6-8 miles works well for me. As you get closer to races, those from 3.5-4.5 miles should be utilized.

However, I think you can do either kind at any stage, but I personally prefer putting a much larger emphasis on one or the other depending how far into a season I am.

13 years ago 01/06/2011 9:30pm EST

re: Magnum Runner

I was under the impression that all tempos are for the primary purpose of increasing the lactate threshold. What i don't understand (and I think I'm in the same boat as you on this one) is why Jack Daniels for instance recommends longer tempo runs to be at a slower pace. If one level of intensity represents the current lactate threshold for an athelete (and this intensity is decently slower than vV02max) why not just do all the tempos as long as say 45 minutes at that same intensityl level/pace. Is it solely because this would be too taxing on atheletes and compromise future workouts? You would think that since that pace does not cause the blood lactate level to rise at all over time, and does not maximally stress the aerobic system, it would make sense to hold the same intensity even for moderately longer tempo runs

13 years ago 01/07/2011 2:30am EST

re: fghrunner

McMillan wrote a great piece on the spectrum of lactate threshold paces in Running Times.

http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=21403

The gist? Running at a variety of different points along your threshold spectrum may better improve your performance than just running at the "20min tempo" pace.

13 years ago 01/07/2011 2:41am EST

re: eddylee

"Threshold" tempos are supposed to be at half marathon pace. If you are doing 11-13 miles at half pace you are pretty much racing. The point of doing longer tempos (e.g. over 10 miles) is to stimulate other systems that increase lactate threshold without giving a race effort. That's why Solinsky's 18 mile tempos are beneficial: he does them at marathon pace.

VO2max pace is an ANaerobic pace. I'm not even sure if 20 min at 10k pace is aerobic.

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