Why are we doing more tempo runs this year?

Why are we doing so much tempo this year?

One of the main purposes of tempo runs is that it teaches your body to buffer the lactic acid that builds up as you drift into the anaerobic zone. Once the level of lactic acid builds up too high you will eventually need to stop running or slow down. This happens to many of us in the third mile of a 5K.

Tempo runs runs are designed to be run right at your lactate threshold which is about 86-90% of maximum heart rate. When you do tempo runs and train at that pace your muscles adapt and overcompensate, generating two benefits. 1) the pace that lactic acid starts to build up will be faster 2) you will be able to train your body to handle higher levels of lactic acid. Ultimately you’ll be able to run at a faster pace longer.

If you do tempo runs at too fast a pace you’ll still get a training effect but it won’t be on this buffering system. To be a fast runner it’s to your advantage to maximize all of your systems.

I will have a chart available soon that will help you determine your tempo pace. Another nice advantage of tempo runs is that they don’t beat your legs up as much as intervals.

If you ever have any questions don’t be afraid to ask.