What is a Tempo Run and Why You Should Do It?

Every athlete and runner goes through a series of training routines to prepare them for a race or maybe a marathon run.

They must regulate their endurance level to the extent that the body can use up the oxygen efficiently while running. There are different ways to improve the speed, but most athletes emphasize practicing Tempo running.

If you are hearing this term for the first time, I will help you give a detailed overview of What is Tempo Run?

It is pretty complicated for most runners to grasp the concept of Tempo run appropriately and might find it quite confusing when Threshold runs and Tempo runs are used together or as a substitute for each other. But there is a fundamental difference between them, and we will discuss it later in the article.

But for now, we aim to give you a precise understanding of What is Tempo Run and how it can help you improve your speed, strength, and endurance to reach the finishing line effectively?

What is Tempo Run?

You mustn’t overdo your training while preparing to run at a marathon, and that’s why Tempo runs are the most effective training method that involves running at a pace somewhere between moderate to very hard. It enhances your body’s ability to run faster for a longer duration, which works best for the marathon runners.

The main agenda of adding Tempo runs into one’s routine is to run at a pace appropriate for a 5k distance marathon run for at least 20 minutes. Tempo runs are basically to keep you at bay from where you would not take it back to running at an easy or convenient pace, nor do you take it to a level where it causes you injury or sprints.

All the runners who overtrain their body thinking that they will probably reach the finish line before anyone else are at a high misconception about how your energy levels work to support you to finish your run in a 5k or shorter distance race.

When you go with the Tempo run speed training method, you are scaling your body’s effort between 1-10, where you need to reach the scale between 6-8, ideal for running a marathon.

As The Run Experience describes it, Tempo runs are the method to adjust to an uncomfortable or ‘hard’ run comfortably. You would not want to do it for long enough, but that doesn’t mean it would make you gasp for breath as your body wouldn’t start to feel sore due to overexertion.

As I mentioned to you once in the article, finding a Threshold running plan used in place of tempo runs is often confusing. It’s time we analyze whether there is an existing difference between them or are they synonyms to each other.

Tempo Vs. Threshold: Which one is what?

The best way to understand the difference between Tempo vs. Threshold Run is to know how they affect the physiology of a runner while they are in the process of preparing to reach their goal pace.

Effective Tempo Runs make your heart rate go max to 90%, and in the process, your body uses up the maximum amount of oxygen (VO₂). You would know your Tempo is increasing and reaching sufficient levels while enhancing your aerobic fitness levels too.

Since we do not have physiological equipment to measure the tempo run heart rate, it is safer to assume that you need to adopt an effective speed between 5k marathon and 10k marathon run.

Going beyond this would exceed your threshold limits, and it would be better to conclude that Tempo Training is part of the aerobic threshold run.

Threshold Run

Our body releases lactic acid in the bloodstream while we are running, and at one point, when there is the Onset of Blood Lactate Accumulation, your legs start turning sore, and your energy burns out.

It affects your body’s ability to run, and you may want to give up or slow down just a bit to come down from the threshold limit. That’s why to achieve the Anaerobic Threshold, where you are capable of running longer miles at a particular pace without finding it hard to breathe, Tempo Runs are added in the training session.

While you practice Tempo runs, it helps you release the lactic acid as much as it is producing so that you do not reach beyond the threshold level (due to accumulation of lactic in the blood). If you run past your threshold levels, you would be using too much of your anaerobic metabolism, which means using carbohydrates for combustion when the lungs cannot pump oxygen into the bloodstream. You would not want to do that when you have many miles to go in a 5k Marathon race or even a 10K race, for that matter.

In the difference between Tempo Vs. Threshold run, remember that Tempo training makes you capable of running miles until you reach the pace and hit the threshold limit. But before that, whatever miles you run specifies your actual speed and ability to run in a marathon for longer hours.

If you are reaching a point where your Tempo run heart rate has reached the max of maybe 83-90%, and it’s time you hit the mark and ease back into your training.

How Would You Know That You Have Reached Your Threshold Limit?

You can choose to extend your Tempo training limit as you keep on practicing for your actual race to build the speed. There are two things you can do; level up your pace higher than your average day speed or stretch your training to an extent where you gasp for breath and find it hard to speak.

At this very point, your tempo run heart rate goes at max, and the body uses up maximum oxygen level. However, identifying the Threshold limit is essential to not give up on the race while you are still 3 miles left to run.

Over-exerting might prove to be less in your favor, and you might find that when you start to run, there would be a time when you feel like running a 5K race.

You might want to run easy for 1 mile and then Tempo run for 3 miles which would be the Threshold run, and finally easing again at the l mile to finish the race. Hence the 3 miles run would be the actual goal pace in your 5K race.

It’s time to overview some of why Tempo Training is essential for any runner willing to make a mark in a half marathon race or a serious runner keen to increase their endurance by improving their running speed and anaerobic fitness levels.

Benefits of Tempo Runs: Why You Should Do It?

I will give you three perfect reasons to start adding Tempo runs to your workout routine, and we promise you they will improve your speed to the core.

Best to Reduce Lactate Threshold

We have mentioned this many times in the blog, but it’s worth repeating that Tempo runs are the best way to reduce the accumulation of lactic acid in the blood as the muscle pH reduces.

So keeping up Tempo training in your routine would eventually build up your speed and lactic threshold, too, as you would be able to run a more extended mile.

In contrast, your body keeps clearing out the lactic acid keeping the level constant. Thus, your legs would not want to give up just yet, making you finish the target efficiently.

Best to Build Mental Endurance

Running or any Cardiovascular training is all about your mental agility to keep doing something until you reach your goal. But you need to be mindful of the tactics not to overdo them.

Tempo runs help you achieve both parameters effectively. While you try to be consistent with a pace in a particular run time, you push yourself to do something more challenging than your easy daily routine.

The more you push your mental wall, the stronger it gets, and you would not crave to take just a short day on the day of your final run.

Best to prep your Aerobic Capacity and Speed

When you add tempo runs into your training program, you are delaying the onset of Lactic acid accumulation in your blood and improving the supply of oxygen to your blood; in other words, enhancing your aerobic fitness levels.

You hit your threshold limit when you find yourself breathless, which means your muscles are not receiving enough oxygen.

In turn, there is the stimulation of anaerobic metabolism, reducing your speed much earlier than the finishing line.

Tempo Training enables you to reduce the possibility of a Threshold limit and build it. Hence, improving your aerobic capacity, speed, and strength.

How To Add Tempo Run Workout In Your Training Program?

• Start with warming up, which is the essential part of any endurance training program, and Tempo runs are no different. Now here, warming up is not simply stretching up, but beginning to run a mile or 2 of easy running, which is easy for your body to come into form, and it would prepare you to gear up for the challenge ahead.
• Choose the duration you would like to focus on, but mainly to prepare for a 5K or 10K marathon run, base your Tempo Training at 20-60 Minutes. It’s time to start the Tempo run and increase your speed once you have crossed your 2 miles of easy running.
• Find your goal pace per mile and add 15-30 seconds’ worth of speed into it to identify your Tempo run and start with the same. It is essential to determine your goal per pace to prepare for a marathon run or any other race, and it would give you an approximate time you would likely be able to finish the race and train accordingly.
• You should continue with your Tempo Pace for at least the next 20-40 minutes, your set goal. If you try to overdo it, you will exceed your threshold limit initially. Try to follow through with the intent and not exert your body and legs.
• You can choose to do Tempo Training in shorter segments. For instance, for a 30 minutes Tempo run, go for two 15 minutes Tempo pace run, and it would help your body adapt to the pace and challenge gradually.
• As soon as you hit the mark, come back to your easy day running pace and lower your heart rate. You could choose to walk too initially if you do not want to run and exert your body.
• Do not go beyond 2 Tempo Runs in a week because you will run miles for longer and faster. So the critical tactic is not to exert but run smarter only to build endurance and speed.

The Summary

Tempo Training is an effective way to maximize your heart rate, eventually leading to better aerobic fitness and a better speed. Hence, try running more intelligently and faster to make it through the end of your race and make a winner mark.

Author Bio: Ruggero Loda is a triathlete and a proud owner of Running Shoes Guru. His blog generates over 500k+ traffic every month by giving out the best running advice and running shoes reviews on the internet. Being a passionate runner himself, he has been able to make a name of his own when it comes