30 Minute Tempo Run

Who: Alone. Well. I passed Ali on the way back.
What: 30 Minute Tempo Run
Where: Struble Trail

Hey. Here’s the thing about tempo runs. I don’t know what the heck a tempo run is.

A refresher. I’m gaming the system. Actual training with the group starts next month, but I’m doing the first few weeks on my own to prepare myself. I exchanged an email with the coach asking if I should do the beginner or the intermediate, and based on my current running, he recommended the intermediate. But the most distance run I’ve really done group-training-wise with coaching before now was a mile. And THAT was conditioning for basketball. So… yeah. When actualrunningterms like ‘tempo run’ come up, I have no idea what that means, even though I’m doing the intermediate. I (arguably) have intermediate ability with none of the knowledge to go with it.

Luckily, the sheet I have helpfully said a tempo run was “1/4 workout, warmup. Run at challenging pace - 85% of max heart rate. 1/4 workout, cooldown.” I have a heart rate monitor but the strap is broken so I have to use my best guess as to ‘challenging’. After confirming with shubbe that a tempo run is supposed to hurt… I approached it with the right attitude, I think.

Hey, here’s another thing about tempo runs. I think I’m good at tempo runs. At least half hour ones.

I consciously ran very slow for 7:30. Backed myself off consciously several times. This was good, this was right. And 7:30 at that pace put me… right at the start of the struble. Perfect.

The next 15 were… yeah, challenging. But good. Turns out that challenging pace for me, measured by feel, is… 8 or just sub-8 minute miles, according to each quarter timing. I may have had a 7:30 in there somewhere, which is damn fast for me. So… ha. I run my regular 3 mile run like a tempo run. Without the warmup and cooldown! I’m … not smart. I should probably start doing those more in the 8:30 range. All of you telling me that I should run conversationally, this is likely what you’ve been saying. I’m doing my best to learn.

Anyway. Backed off on the cooldown again and ended right at 30 minutes. Overall, was one of my best bits of pacing between the start, the middle and the end. Because I had a clear period where I was supposed to push. This makes perfect sense, to me. Because…. my brain is……………..

… strange.

One Response to “30 Minute Tempo Run”

  1. awise - September 24, 2008

    I bet I could teach you to run slowly. Turns out I’m *really* good at being slow :*)

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