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Tempo Runs on Trails? (Read 554 times)

    I've got a Tempo run scheduled for tonight and typically do them on the roads to make sure I'm hitting my target pace... However, I've been loving how much better my legs feel when I go on trail runs and am tempted to do it there.... Problem is, I'd be doing the workout based on effort/heart rate -- certainly not pace. Thoughts on doing tempo or interval workouts on trails?

    Go to http://certainintelligence.blogspot.com for my blog.

    Ed4


    Barefoot and happy

      I think it's fine to do tempo work based on heart rate instead of pace. Just be careful... trying to run too fast for the terrain can be hazardous to your health. I was speeding through a downhill (trying to keep my HR in zone) on a trail this past Sunday and took a nasty fall. No permanent damage. Big grin
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        Yeah no problem. I'd go by time and effort not distance.

        Runners run


        Go Green Wave!

          When I do my tempo runs I do my warmup and cooldown on the trail and the run on roads, maybe that can be an option for you too?
            Thanks to all for the advice... in the end, I did the workout on trails and it was very interesting... Because I wanted the effort to have some sort of rhythm to it, I found a loop on the trail that was just under 1/2 a mile.... heavily wooded, technical footing, but only 1 short, steep hill.... after a warm-up, I did 3 miles of loops on it, keeping the Garmin on just two settings: HR and distance. It was a cool work-out, all in all: I saw 6 deer (well, really 2 deer that I saw on 3 different loops)... stayed out of the heat and had to stay wide awake with my eyes on the trail (your were right, Ed - definitely not used to cruising the trails at that speed). I've been doing a lot more trail running over the past few weeks -- and think it's a good thing. I'm several weeks out from my next key road race and think that I can stay fresher if I do more build up on the trails.

            Go to http://certainintelligence.blogspot.com for my blog.


            #2867

              I am trying to increase my trail miles. I've been doing 5-10 once a week for the past couple of months, but since I am now considering running a 50k trail race in less than a month and a half I think that it is time that I started bumping that up a bit. Thanks for the ideas on the fast trail runs.

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