A Tricky Tempo run !: Today was the kind of... - Bridge to 10K

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A Tricky Tempo run !

Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate10
โ€ข34 Replies

Today was the kind of run I had been avoiding for almost 2 years, The Tempo run !

I have never been a fast runner and I have no ambitions to become one so I have tended to avoid any sort of speed run , except for the occasionall Fartlek which I enjoy !

However , over the last few months my running has become stale !

I have been plodding along at the same old distance and pace and definitely not progressing.

So a few weeks ago now I decided it was time for a change !

Embrace the hills , do some intervals, do some speed work , and equally as important, do some strength work also .

So I have been doing mostly NRC runs and today was a Tempo run .

I was dubious!

Should I have been ? No not really!

It's certainly NOT flat out speed , however a pace that can (or should) be able to be maintained , so we are talking a 6 or 7 effort perhaps.

This was fine at first after the 7 minute warm up run at an easy pace , but as the minutes progressed it became a little tougher to maintain and at times I needed to back off a little.

So, am I disappointed? No !

I just realise my tempo pace needed to be slightly less , or does it ?

Maybe next time it will be fine if I continue to mix and match my runs and continue with the strength training that is the James Dunne 30 day challenge!

I have completed day 6, so that's the first stage done ( or Dunne) ๐Ÿ˜

And I already can feel a little improvement in my running form .

So although I didn't manage to maintain tempo for the whole run today, it's certainly heading in the right direction and these challenges are certainly helping to get me out of the door more frequently.

And for me, that's what it's all about !

Happy running ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ‘

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Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57
Graduate10
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34 Replies
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over61andstilltrying profile image
over61andstilltryingGraduate10

Hello Instructor57, Well done finding new things to try and trying them. I did that exact same run yesterday. My first tempo run ever. Just as Emily was explaining the effort required for the tempo run, I came across a couple of friends out for their morning walk. A very short exchange meant I missed Emily's input! I knew it was less than 5km pace/effort. Note to self: repeat instructions more than once should I ever find myself in that position! I think that Emily did repeat the information, but it was a pity to have missed the first clear explanation.Ah well, such it is.

Happy injury free running to you! ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿƒ๐Ÿปโ€โ™‚๏ธ

Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate10โ€ข in reply toover61andstilltrying

Yes, first one I have done also !I'll try a different one next week , was a little tired today ๐Ÿ˜

Frenc profile image
FrencGraduate1060minGraduate

Sounds as though you enjoyed it, Ian - well done for mixing it up a bit! Note to self try a tempo run ๐Ÿ˜. Enjoy the rest of your day, itโ€™s lovely out there isnโ€™t it ๐Ÿ˜Š.

Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate10โ€ข in reply toFrenc

Yes but I was actually feeling quite tired today ๐Ÿ˜

Frenc profile image
FrencGraduate1060minGraduateโ€ข in reply toInstructor57

I know what you mean - donโ€™t think Iโ€™ve slept that well all week. The one thing on Garmin that seems an accurate reflection is the body battery indicator. Fingers crossed weโ€™ll both sleep better tonight! ๐Ÿ’ค

Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate10โ€ข in reply toFrenc

Actually, I must take more notice of Garmin body battery!Do you need to wear it at night ?

Frenc profile image
FrencGraduate1060minGraduateโ€ข in reply toInstructor57

Yes if you wear it at night it will tell you how you slept and all that gubbins, which will be reflected in your body battery. Also your resting HR will be more accurate. Itโ€™s a double-edged sword really! I donโ€™t know if Iโ€™m tired because my body battery tells me I am or if I actually am ๐Ÿคฃ!!

Jools2020 profile image
Jools2020Graduate10

Great running, Ian! Good to mix it up a bit ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘

Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate10โ€ข in reply toJools2020

Thanks jools , could have done with a better night's sleep though !

Jools2020 profile image
Jools2020Graduate10โ€ข in reply toInstructor57

Next time! ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ‘

Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate10โ€ข in reply toJools2020

I have done nothing all day afterwards , I feel worn out ๐Ÿคฃ

Jools2020 profile image
Jools2020Graduate10โ€ข in reply toInstructor57

Haha, yes, thatโ€™s the drawback of working harder if youโ€™re not used to it! More tempo runs! ๐Ÿคฃ Iโ€™ve felt tired today just thinking about running! Although I did do some digging earlier. It seems that gardening follows me wherever I go, although fortunately Iโ€™ve got much less garden now and can easily manage it on my own.

Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate10โ€ข in reply toJools2020

Oh, I can't get motivated for gardening , I just leave the back garden to the chickens.And think I'll get a goat for the front ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿคฃ

Jools2020 profile image
Jools2020Graduate10โ€ข in reply toInstructor57

Good idea! I have a tiny area of grass now. And my lawn mower is almost bigger than the garden! I like mowing the lawn, though. Itโ€™s relaxing ๐Ÿ˜Š

Yesletsgo profile image
YesletsgoAdministratorGraduate10โ€ข in reply toJools2020

Leave the daisies and dandelions and call it a wildflower lawn

GailXrunning profile image
GailXrunning

Well done! Definitely agree that a variety of run types help whatever our goals and to keep us on our metaphorical running toes. I found all the speed runs great fun even when I struggled (always something to learn). I never had expected to find them so enjoyable (and Iโ€™m especially missing them while Iโ€™m in my rehab phase). Nevertheless, I was still rather frightened of the ones billed as โ€˜tempoโ€™. I neednโ€™t have been; again, they turned out to be really good, carefully paced and phased. Such a sense of achievement too.

Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate10โ€ข in reply toGailXrunning

Yes, the word tempo is a little off putting but it was ok .Would have been better had I slept better !

Indielass00 profile image
Indielass00

Sounds great Instructor57 . Iโ€™m sure you will see a difference in no time ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป๐Ÿ˜€

Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate10โ€ข in reply toIndielass00

I hope so !It's about time ๐Ÿ˜

Beatlesforever profile image
BeatlesforeverGraduate10

Well done! That was also my first tempo run. I can't say I enjoyed it but my legs felt so much better afterwards! I've done another tempo run since then (I think it's called out strong back fast) which I found harder but again, it worked wonders for my legs. Another one coming up this week (the one with Paula Radcliffe), we'll see how it goes and whether that mobility & strength challenge makes any difference! Good to mix things up for sure ๐Ÿ˜ƒ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘

Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate10โ€ข in reply toBeatlesforever

Ooooh, I'm doing out strong back fast next week ๐Ÿ˜

SueAppleRun profile image
SueAppleRunGraduate1060minGraduate

Well thatโ€™s good then, anything to get you out the door is a bonus, the run sounds good too. I signed up but havenโ€™t even started the strength challenge, but maybe this week

Happy Easter

Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate10โ€ข in reply toSueAppleRun

Yes, it was a good run but thinking about it afterwards I realized I was quite tired , hadn't slept too well .I may have today off from the strength challenge ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜ด

SueAppleRun profile image
SueAppleRunGraduate1060minGraduateโ€ข in reply toInstructor57

Easy to overdo it when itโ€™s fun and different to usual. Doesnโ€™t hurt to have a day off enjoy your rest

CBDB profile image
CBDBGraduate10

Well done! Yes, just before I headed to the IC I had started with the NRC HM plan, not because I was planning to go all the way to HM but to experience the diversity of runs. And the NRC audio guided runs showed me a whole other running world to explore, with different intervals, fartleks, tempo runs, hill runsโ€ฆ canโ€™t wait to get back to that level again (but also enjoying the journey immensely, again)

Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate10โ€ข in reply toCBDB

Yes, that's exactly why I'm doing it tbhBut not sure whether I'll get the JD excercises done today though ๐Ÿค”

Cmoi profile image
CmoiGraduate10

Well done Instructor57 ! As far as I'm concerned tempo runs are the work of the devil, even worse than speedwork, and as they make me miserable I only do them if I really have to. So doing one when you're tired is a real achievement.

Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate10โ€ข in reply toCmoi

Work of the Devil ๐ŸคฃI think your right !

Birdlady64 profile image
Birdlady64Graduate10

I think you're brave Ian. I seem pretty content to just bimble along at the moment. Well done for that one, especially as you didn't feel top of your game. ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘

Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate10โ€ข in reply toBirdlady64

I've done next to nothing for the rest of today ๐Ÿคฃ

Yesletsgo profile image
YesletsgoAdministratorGraduate10

Well done on braving the speed run! Running the same way every time gets so stale, it's great to do things a bit differently. Take it easy now, you deserve a day off!

Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate10โ€ข in reply toYesletsgo

Yes today wil be a rest day !Well, a a James Dunne 30 day challenge day ๐Ÿ˜

Reggit profile image
ReggitGraduate10

Ooh, Iโ€™ve just been finding out about tempo runs as well. Theyโ€™ve started appearing on the Garmin plan Iโ€™m in the middle of (trying 5k in 30 minutes - Iโ€™m way off ๐Ÿ˜‚) . Gosh theyโ€™re hard work. Had a 3k at 6min/km as the middle bit on Friday, followed by an easy 12k yesterday- Iโ€™m fit for nothing haha.

Did I see someone else kept chicken? Total subject change ๐Ÿ˜‚

Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate10โ€ข in reply toReggit

Yes, they will definitely need more practice (or ignoring completely ๐Ÿคช)And yes, I just have a couple of chickens, 2 Rhode Island Reds ๐Ÿ˜

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