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Questions about tempo runs/tempo intervals (Read 59 times)

    I have a couple of questions about tempo runs/tempo intervals. Two weeks ago, I did my first "legit" tempo interval workout. The plan was 3 x 1 mile with 800 m recovery. I warmed up for 1.5 miles, ran each of the intervals at an 8:34 pace, ran my first recovery at a 10 mm pace and my second at a 10:54 mm pace, then walked a few minutes to cool down. The first two intervals were pretty good, but the last one was rough. I decided to try the workout again last week before moving on. This time, I warmed up for 2 miles at a slower pace, kept the intervals at the same pace, and slowed down the recoveries (10:54 and 11:36). Again, the first two intervals felt good and the last one was pretty rough.

     

    What I'm wondering is:
    1) Are the intervals supposed to feel progressively harder like this or should I slow down? At first I thought that I needed a longer recovery time or that I just needed to acclimate to less comfortable paces, but maybe I should just slow down in general?
    2) How important is an extended cool down? I had planned on cooling down with a slow mile both times, but by the time I finished my last interval, I just wanted to workout to be over.  Walking for a few minutes seemed to do to trick, but I don't want to cheat the workout.

     

    Thanks!!

    5k - 25:15 (11/18/12)

    10k - 1:01:51 (2/14/15)

    10mi - 1:33:18 (3/2/14)

    HM - 2:06:12 (3/24/13)

     

    Upcoming Races:

    Benched until further notice. :/

     

    Everything you need is already inside. [[Bill Bowerman]]

    onemile


      I think it's normal for the last interval to be the toughest. As long as you can complete it at the same pace as the previous two, I think it sounds just right.  Don't be afraid to run the recoveries slow.

       

      I don't think the cool down matters much - it's more of a way to make the entire run longer (pad the distance, which is good, but it doesn't really matter if you do the miles before or after)

      FSocks


      KillJoyFuckStick

        Are they last intervals supposed to feel harder?  YES, if they aren't you aren't running them fast enough.

        Don't lengthen the recovery time but maybe slow down the recovery pace.  You're training your body to run faster.

        I'm usually good with a .5 mile cool down.  I don't know that an extended cool down has any benefits.

         

        One other note, don't get too hung up on "matching paces" week in and week out on intervals.  Some weeks I'm running intervals at 6:00 pace and other weeks I'm closer to 7:00.  It all depends how I'm feeling that day.  The key is to run by effort and the effort should be hard through the workout.

         

        My perception of intervals:

        First interval: comfortably hard

        Second interval: hard

        Third interval: damn this is hard

        Fourth interval: I'm ready to puke

        You people have issues 

        Jack K.


        uʍop ǝpᴉsdn sǝʇᴉɹʍ ʇI

          For me, intervals of any distance are difficult. To be more specific, if I am doing 6 intervals, the first one is hard because its the first one, the middle four feel really good because I am warmed up, and the last one is really hard because I am tired. I am no expert but I think if you are doing them at your pace, you are going to hurt at least a little bit. As far as the cool down, if you don't want to walk (which I think is fine) jog as slow as you can. Or walk a little bit, catch your breath, and then jog.

          Docket_Rocket


            It is normal to feel that way during the last interval.  And slow the recovery pace rather than the length of it.  Keep at it.

            Damaris

             

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            onemile


              My perception of intervals:

              First interval:  hard (how am I going to complete this workout? I want to cry)

              Second interval: comfortably hard (ok, I think I can do this)

              Third interval: damn this is hard

              Fourth interval: I'm ready to puke

               

              For me ^  I actually find the first one to be a struggle (and often slowest).

                Thanks all! Smile

                 

                I should mention that I'm currently running these on the treadmill due to the weather/road conditions, so it's hard *not to* complete all the intervals at the same pace. I feel as if I could have completed them around the same pace had I been outside, though - or, at least, with more pacing practice I could.

                 

                As for the recoveries, I'm currently doing 0.5 miles between intervals. If I slow down my recovery pace, but keep the distance, then the recovery time increases. Should I be going by time instead - say, 5 minutes recovery between intervals? At this level, it might not matter since my recovery times only increased by 54 seconds the first week and 1:36 the second week. Or is that a big difference?

                5k - 25:15 (11/18/12)

                10k - 1:01:51 (2/14/15)

                10mi - 1:33:18 (3/2/14)

                HM - 2:06:12 (3/24/13)

                 

                Upcoming Races:

                Benched until further notice. :/

                 

                Everything you need is already inside. [[Bill Bowerman]]

                Half Crazy K 2.0


                  How did you determine the pace for your intervals? Tempo intervals feel easier to me than other interval workouts.

                    How did you determine the pace for your intervals? Tempo intervals feel easier to me than other interval workouts.

                     

                    Nothing formal. In November, I had tried running a faster mile here and there just "for fun." Those miles were around 8-8:30 depending on how I was feeling, so I figured an 8:30 pace was a good starting place for mile repeats. I haven't done track-type interval workouts in a long time, so it's hard for me to compare. The tempo pace isn't what feels so hard, but the fact that I need to keep it up.

                    5k - 25:15 (11/18/12)

                    10k - 1:01:51 (2/14/15)

                    10mi - 1:33:18 (3/2/14)

                    HM - 2:06:12 (3/24/13)

                     

                    Upcoming Races:

                    Benched until further notice. :/

                     

                    Everything you need is already inside. [[Bill Bowerman]]

                    Jack K.


                    uʍop ǝpᴉsdn sǝʇᴉɹʍ ʇI

                      Nova, take a look at this. This should help. Don't run your intervals too fast. It will lead to injury.

                      LRB


                        My question is what pace is 8:34? Looking at your log your 5k PR pace is 8:09 from two years ago. If that's the case then 8:34 is really close to your current 5k fitness. If that's the case then yeah, 3 x 1 mile at 5k pace is a tough workout and the last mile would be tough as hell!

                        Half Crazy K 2.0


                          Tempo pace should feel comfortably hard. I was doing them at 8:45-9mm based on a 25:50 5k. Daniels2nd edition mentions tempo pace as 24-36 seconds slower than 5k pace.

                           

                          Your recovery pace might be a little fast-- especially after the first one.

                            Jack - Thanks for the link. I definitely don't want to be running these too fast, but I also want to make sure I'm not taking the easy way out. I'm not sure what my 5k time is at this point, but I would guess around 26-27 minutes based on what I ran this past October/November (4-6 weeks after 6 months on the bench). That would put these intervals at 8:55-9:06. I could always give that a go and adjust from there.

                             

                            LRB - My 5k PR was soft at the time. It was my second race and I had only been running for a few months, so I was still figuring out how to pace myself. I'm not quite sure what my current fitness is, but 8:34 is probably a good guess. Good to know I was doing a tough workout. I feel like such a wimp when it comes to speed/stamina. I have a 10k coming up in a few weeks and hope to get a better idea of my fitness/spring HM goals.

                             

                            Half Crazy - The first mile felt doable, the second felt comfortably hard, the third felt just plain hard. Based on all the feedback, I'm thinking I should try something closer to a 9 mm and then see how that feels. And I agree about the recovery pace. I felt decently recovered after the first interval, but not quite after the second. I think slowing them both down is a good idea.

                            5k - 25:15 (11/18/12)

                            10k - 1:01:51 (2/14/15)

                            10mi - 1:33:18 (3/2/14)

                            HM - 2:06:12 (3/24/13)

                             

                            Upcoming Races:

                            Benched until further notice. :/

                             

                            Everything you need is already inside. [[Bill Bowerman]]

                            onemile


                              I disagree that you are running them too hard.  And I don't think you should slow them down.  But I don't think tempo runs ever feel comfortable to me either.

                              Half Crazy K 2.0


                                Was this workout from a plan? The half mile recovery seems long to me. The tempo interval workouts I did last year had 1-2 minute rest between intervals.

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