August 20, 2009 Tempo Runs vs.

Interval Training
With a limited amount of time and effort for intense training, runners must often choose bet een tempo runs and interval sessions in an attempt to get read! to race faster. There are man! elements of a training regimen that help !ou to get faster and using a variet! over a length! period is usuall! the best course of action. "ut hat has a larger effect on !our fitness tempo runs or interval training# $irst e must define these t o training methods. Tempo runs are done based on lactate threshold %&T' pace hich correspond roughl! to one(s )*+ race pace. ,-amples of tempo runs are 20 minutes at )0 seconds per mile faster than &T pace, .0 minutes at &T pace and /* to 00 minutes at )0 seconds slo er than &T pace. Interval training consists of repetitions of a certain distance ith a specific rest interval. 1ome sample interval sessions are four repeat miles at *+ pace, si- repeat 200 meters at .,000 meter pace or eight /00 meter repetitions at mile race pace. The rest interval is e3ual to the time spent running fast. Reno ned coach and author 4al 4igdon(s Intermediate )0+ Training 5rogram for runners ho average )* 2* miles per ee+ and have done several races at distances ranging from *+ to the half marathon includes both tempo running and interval training. 6ne ee+ a runner includes )* 20 minutes at )0+ race tempo in the middle of a /0 minute run hile the ne-t ee+ a session of repeat /00 meters are done at *+ race pace. 1o a runner benefits from a consistent regimen ith variet! from both elements of training. 7uring a marathon training routine, t o8time 9.1. 6l!mpic marathoner 5ete 5fit:inger recommends tempo running of 20 to /0 minutes at !our )*+ to 20+ race pace. $or interval training he suggests running *,000 to )0,000 meters at 9* to )00; of !our <62 ma-imum pace hich corresponds roughl! to !our *+ race pace. $or e-ample, this could be 2,000 meters bro+en do n into 20 - /00 meters or * - ),000 meters. 5ete does point out correctl! that the repeat ),000 meter session results in more time spent in the optimum :one since there are fe er, albeit longer, rest brea+s. =ust li+e 4igdon recommendation for )0+ training, 5fit:inger incorporates tempo running and interval training into a marathon buildup. 5eter 1nell, three8time 6l!mpic >old ?edalist in the ),*00 meter and 200 meter races in )900 and )90/, also has a 5h7 in ,-ercise 5h!siolog!. At the 9niversit! of Te-as 1outh estern 4uman 5erformance @enter, he as+ed some ell8conditioned runners to focus on either tempo running or interval training for a period of )0 ee+s. 6ne group did tempo runs t ice a ee+ hich involved running for 29 minutes at &T pace. The second group did t o interval sessions per ee+ 8 2008meter intervals one da! and /008meter intervals the other da! at 90 to )00; of <62 ma-. After )0 ee+s, the runners ran 2008meter and )08A races. The interval8based runners improved 2008meter times b! an average of )).2 seconds and bettered previous )08A times b! 2.) minutes. The tempo8training devotees cut 0.0 seconds from their 2008meter times and ).) minutes from their )0+ times. 1o hat does all of this mean# $irst it means that both of these elements of training are included in training plans recommended b! those ho are ell8respected in the running communit!. 1econd, it illustrates that over a period of time it can be beneficial to incorporate both in !our training plan, especiall! at longer distances. And finall!, it appears that !ou can get the most

Bbang for !our buc+( ith properl! done interval sessions. 6ver the !ears I have been primaril! a devotee of interval sessions and tend to use shorter races as tempo runs. This is a method that "ill Rodgers, four8time inner of both the "oston and Ce Dor+ marathons, did as he +ept his mileage around ).0 miles per ee+ and trained through man! races. Inclusion of tempo running and interval training should both be a part of an! training program. A good coach can assist ith the critical timing of each. "ut if !ou have to decide bet een one or the other, it appears that interval training can lead to greater success in less time.