Tempo run

[Nic63]

I’m using the 5to 10K app from Active and it says to do a tempo run. I don’t really understand what this is. Also,what’s the difference between a jog and a steady run?

[Bazza1234 Graduate10]

A Tempo run can be a non-stop run of 20-30 minutes and/or shorter runs of maybe 6-10 minutes with a rest inbetween. They are typically done at a specified pace which is faster than an easy run or long run and just slightly slower than 5K PB pace. Have a look at this calculator - put your very best 5K or 1 mile time into it and it will give you your 4 basic training paces. runsmartproject.com/calcula... Tempo pace is sometimes referred to as Threshold pace.

For me, a jog is a pace which is only just faster than walking pace - something that you could do for many miles. ( at least as far as you could walk) . You really "jog" for a certain time rather than a distance - thinking distance will automatically cause you to speed up - to get it over with) . A steady run is a bit faster than an easy jog, done to a certain distance - and starts to test you. Lots of different terms are used by different running trainers - but remember that probably most of us here train sub-maximally. It simply should be remembered that it is good to run at different paces for different lengths of time. So - somewhere between jogging for as long as you can to sprinting 50-100 metres as fast as you can .

[Nic63 Graduate10 in reply to Bazza1234]

Thanks for that. Maybe I’m not ready for this because I know I can’t jog for as far as I can walk....

[Davoda Graduate10]

A good test whilst you are running, you should be able to say "pace ok" but nothing more - so literally just a couple of words. You could not have a conversation! 😉

[Bazza1234 Graduate10 in reply to Davoda]

No No No!!! - it all depends on what you are training for and what type of run you are doing. For long runs and easy runs , you should be able to converse conversationally. For fast 1 mile repeats, you might run at a pace where you can only say 2 words! But these kind of runs are a minimum part of a training programme.

[Davoda Graduate10 in reply to Bazza1234]

Mmm according to both my running club and this article that is one of the tests

No wonder it's confusing!😉

runnersworld.com/tempo-runs

[Bazza1234 Graduate10 in reply to Davoda]

I apologise - I misinterpreted what you were saying. Of course, the running you were referring to was "running at tempo pace" . I was thinking that you were referring to daily running. That is a good article and confirms my understanding about what tempo runs are.

[Bazza1234 Graduate10 in reply to Bazza1234]

I have followed Jack Daniels "Running for fitness" RED programme in his book. For 4 days per week he has 1 short easy day, one long easy day, one temp day ( basically running 1k or 1 mile repeats at tempo pace)and one fast short intervals day. Any more days in the week are short easy runs.

[Davoda Graduate10 in reply to Bazza1234]

Ah my mistake! I didn't add the "at tempo"! Just assumed it. 😉

[misswobble Graduate10]

Tempo run is quick

Comfortable is just that

Jog is a bit quicker than comfy, but not as quick as tempo

Fast is quicker than tempo

Race pace

i think that's all of em

[Bazza1234 Graduate10 in reply to misswobble]

4 paces -- easy/long, marathon race pace, comfortably hard(tempo/threshhold), and very hard (sprinting) .

[Nic63 Graduate10 in reply to misswobble]

Gosh! I have two speeds - shuffle and slightly faster shuffle. My top distance so far is 6 and a bit k in 50 mins, so maybe I should just forget about the fancy variations and just keep going slowly and try to increase distance a bit.

[Bazza1234 Graduate10 in reply to Nic63]

That is perfectly fine - you can disregard the "fanatics" ( like me ! ) I have only just been reading an article where the WHO recommends that everybody should do 30 minutes per day of "moderate" exercise ( think walking) . You are way ahead of that as the act of running/jogging/shuffling takes you up into the "vigorous" activity zone

[misswobble Graduate10]

Shuffling is fine and all I could manage for quite a while, even on my first race, but it gets you where you want to go. Wears your shoes out though

Picking your feet up is hard but it will come. You will get stronger as you keep plugging away, and faster by degrees.

[IannodaTruffe Graduate10]

This link dropbox.com/s/umq0f04rtcrjr... is to a 5k improver plan which may be useful to any new graduate. There is a useful glossary of terms including different paces.

Let me know if the link does not work.

[Nic63 Graduate10 in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thank you. That’s really helpful.