Today I Did a Tempo Run – I Think

Since I have been running for “a while” now, six 5Ks, three 10Ks, three half marathons, two La Luz Trail Runs, and one marathon, I figured I should work on something other than just running each week. I’ve put 5K events and most 10K events down as training runs, and don’t pay for them with an exception here and there. So, if I’m going to pay for them, why not work on improving the times that I’m going to run them?

Today I attempted a “tempo” run. I looked up an article and read it. See there’s interval training, speedwork, fartleks (which I used in Scattergories when the category was sports terms and was challenged), and tempo runs.

From what I have found on-line about tempo runs a tempo run should start with 5-10 minutes of easy running, then 15-20 minutes of “comfortably hard” then 5-10 minutes of easy running to cool down. You should be able to say something (like “I’m fainting…”) but not have the breathless conversation of an aerobic workout.

Today's run I had a scheduled 40-minute tempo run and, it still being “winter”, it was on the treadmill. So this being my first tempo run, and my three 10K runs have averaged 9:38 minute miles, I chose to do the following:

• 4.2 mph warm-up walk for .25 mile
• 6.2 mph run to 10 minute point
• 7.5 mph run to 15 minute point
• 6.2 mph run to 20 minute point
• 7.5 mph run to 25 minute point
• 6.2 mph run to 30 minute point
• 7.5 mph run to 35 minute point
• 6.2 mph run to 37 minute/4 mile point
• 4.2 mph cool down walk for 3 minutes to 40 minute mark

This was ok for my first tempo run, and I plan on the next tempo run to be 6 minute/4 minutes rather than 5/5 to work up to a full-non stop tempo run. I will then work up to increasing the speed.

Today’s accomplishments: Treadmill tempo run 4.0 miles, 37 minutes (+3 minute cool down), 9:15 pace, 6:49 mph speed; Crunch Fat Burning Ab Attack.

Yesterday’s accomplishments (Jan 27): Crunch Cardio Sculpt using 3-5 pound weights; RealAge “20-Minute Workout” – but I didn’t do every single exercise and it still took 30 minutes.