Forums >Running 101>Tempo vs threshold workout
What is the difference between these two? From what I can tell the tempo is a little slower and longer, while threshold is right at lactate threshold or just under and supposed to be close to your 60 minute race pace.
My most recent 5k was 22:39 = 7.17 pace. My speed training has been 1 weekly CV workout which was 7.35 pace, now it will be 7.25. But i wanted to mix it up yesterday so I did a 25 minute run at 7.50 which seems around my 60 minute race pace. Is that a threshold run?
Born: 1973
Marathon PR: 3:44 (2000)
5k PR: 22:02 (2022)
1 mile PR: 6:09 (2022)
Goals:
5k - 21:42
Mile - 5:59
400m - 1:10
A lot of people use them interchangeably.
Lactate Threshold is generally considered 1-hour race pace and most people call steady runs at that pace tempo runs. I'd say that a 20-ish minute run right at LT pace is *one* type of tempo run, but tempo runs can be anything from LT pace up to marathon pace.
Runners run
RIP Milkman
Jack Daniels has a handy way of converting threshold workouts into longer workouts. For you, it looks like a 20 minute tempo is 7:44, and a 60 minute tempo is 8:10. In between is a bit of interpolation.
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
Problem Child
What is the difference between these two? From what I can tell the tempo is a little slower and longer, while threshold is right at lactate threshold or just under and supposed to be close to your 60 minute race pace. My most recent 5k was 22:39 = 7.17 pace. My speed training has been 1 weekly CV workout which was 7.35 pace, now it will be 7.25. But i wanted to mix it up yesterday so I did a 25 minute run at 7.50 which seems around my 60 minute race pace. Is that a threshold run?
Check out the Marathon Training thread. Someone created a handy spreadsheet you can use to pick training paces.
Many of us aren't sure what the hell point you are trying to make and no matter how we guess, it always seems to be something else. Which usually means a person is doing it on purpose.
VDOT 53.37
5k18:xx | Marathon 2:55:22