Definitions of TEMPO RUN, THRESHOLD RUN, LONG RUN.......

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[quote]rick wrote: I'm sorry I do not know the answer.

Can someone help 'almost old' cause I'm hardpressed to answer it clearly myself and I am already old, Thanks

I'm not really a whipper snapper(age 46) but since no one else responded to any extent I will supply some short hand, blue collar runner, definitions. Tempo runs are usually at a comfortably hard pace, about current half marathon pace - slower than a 10k race but considerably quicker, crisper than your daily runs. Most sources recommend at least 20 minutes at an even pace, up to 7 miles in Pete Pfitzinger's marathon schedules.

The same 'feel' can be used as a gauge for longer runs as you peak as in 30k at whatever pace feels comfortably crisp for that distance.

The terminology can become murky when using 'threshold' because some folks use the term threshold run or lactate threshold run to also describe a tempo run as you are during a tempo run trying to maintain a pace right on that knife edge where your cells would begin to work anaerobically - the borderline of aerobic and anaerobic metabolism; where your muscles start to take on lactate acid, begin to burn and tie up.

For marathon training which is primarily what I have been doing for the last 3 years,I try to keep it simple, navigate by feel:

1. Typical daily runs,50 to 90 minutes and medium runs(90 to 120 minutes) at a comfortable pace.

2. Long runs: 17 to 24 miles at a comfortable pace. The comfortable pace should become quicker without much effort as you approach your taper and be within 10% of goal pace near race time.

3. Recovery runs, slower even than daily runs.

4. Tempo runs: Up to 5 miles shoot for feeling like your in the comfortable early to middle of a hard 10K(not the all out feeling after mile 4).

On longer tempo runs, even up to 30 K, just aim to go comfortably hard and that may include marathon goal pace or a little faster if you feel good that day. If you don't feel good you will still benefit from running long at a pace between your daily speed and marathon pace.

5. Speed work: On track or road; 800 to 3200 meter repeats that feel like the hard part of a 5k race.

It is easy to find very useful and technical values for the paces you should be running for each of the above runs in many sources like Lydiard, Daniels and Pfitzinger but I have always had trouble using them since my paces change so much throughout a training cycle. Due to advancing age and prior gimpiness, I seldom run tune up races during a marathon training cycle and the pace charts are often based on current times. Forcing yourself to run tempo runs or speed work at paces prescribed for a goal pace is a sure fire plan for injury. That is why I define the above runs by feel.

5k pace is how you would expect to feel if you were running a 5k 'that day,' considering that you may have just come home from work, it is 17 degrees and your right knee hurts.

Comfortably hard is what is comfortably hard that evening, not necessarily the euphoric pace you were unexpectedly able to run 3 weeks ago.