The Tempo Run is one of your most important training elements. Note how I used the term, elements. For an athlete to be successful in the middle and long distances, they must train themselves to handle the tension and stress of racing. They must know when and how to react, and most importantly, they must be confident enough in their system and their coach, to stay alert in each racing situation, which is unique.
Tempo workouts callous you for the hard times ahead. Embrace tempo workouts.
Saucony Kilkenny, photo by PhotoRun.net
Tuesday: 1-mile warm up, 20-minute tempo run, 1-mile cool down.
To determine your tempo run pace, add a half-minute to your present mile pace for a 5K. For example: if you currently run 18:50 minutes for a 5K, that’s 6:05 pace. Add 30 seconds and your tempo run pace is 6:35 per mile.
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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by Larry Eder
