Forums >Running 101>Basic Tempo Run Question
#2867
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Prince of Fatness
You should always warm up. Tempo runs are speed work and speed work is hard on the body. A pulled quad or hamstring will put an end to your half marathon dreams (ask me how I know). Tom
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Junior Amphibian
I'm pretty new to running, and right now I'm training for a 1/2 marathon. On Thursday I have a tempo run on my training plan that says I have to do 1 mile warm up, 4 miles at an 8:30 pace (I know, I'm slow), and a 1 mile cool down. I find that I do better just running my fast pace right out of the gate rather than running a warm up pace and then speeding up to my fast pace. Is that okay for a tempo training run? Will it hurt my training at all to do 4 miles right off the bat at 8:30, and then do a 2 mile cool down (at probably a 9:45)? That is what I would prefer to do.
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Runners run
I've done a lot of tempo runs and I have no idea what 80-85% of my max HR is.
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Tempo run at the 8:30 pace is nonsense. Tempo runs should be done at 80-85% of your max heart rate, which for most people is where their threshhold is (i.e. where they switch from aerobic to anaerobic running). This means that this number will be different for everyone, especially for beginners. There are methods of precisely estimating your tempo with VDOT calculators, but basically it's the tempo that allows you to run for a 5-6 miles at your top speed. If that tempo is 10 min/mile pace, that's perfect for you and you shouldn't try to run any faster. You should do always do a warmup. You may dislike it because it seems to sap your energy and your main workout is slower, but actually by performing a warmup you'll be able to run much longer than without it.
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80-85% is not true tempo run. Actually that 80-85% of max HR is kind of place where it is too fast for training runs but not fast enough for lactate threshold. I do find that pace valuable in long runs if using long runs as a quality work out. I do occasional long runs with many of the miles at 80-82% of max HR without stress as half marathon approaches and these runs are well over an hour. I count this as a quality work out.