Can someone please give me the reasoning for tempo runs? What is the pace they should be?
What is it that I am working? Heart? Lungs? Legs?
Does something like 6 x 1000m at tempo pace with 1:00 rest do the same thing?
How about something like 20 x 400m with very little rest?
What about the difference between tempo runs and their effect and Aerobic Threshold Runs?
Looking for answers!
I would suggest reading Road to the Top(Joe Vigil) or Jack Daniels book.
The purpose of a tempo-run is to improve your LT. This is done by running a sustained effort at, or slightly below, you LT. For most people, this is somewhere around 88% MHR. The key to it is being a sustained effort, so your workouts would not really work that system.
I agree with buying Daniels book to research the subject.
So if I can average 5:30 per mile for a 10k race what would a 10 mile temp pace be?
A tempo run is.....
...a hard run of varying distance...
...not easy...
...not really hard either...
...somewhere in between...
...not at a prescribed pace you get from a table...
...just go out and run somewhere between 3-10 miles at a hard effort...
...that's a tempo run...
This should help you out....