I had a great solo Tempo run yesterday – doing about 9.6Km in 50 minutes in my usual CV Raman Nagar route at an average pace of 5:13 per Km. This is pretty good time considering that I had to fend off a few stray dogs and keep constant watch for speeding BPO vehicles and potholes in the road during the run. Over the last few months I have been able to increase the pace of my week day training runs from between 5:45 and 6 minutes per Km to around 5:30. I have also been put in a tempo run of around 5:15 once a week or so – usually the day after the Strength conditioning session. Tempo training is one category of speed training; the others are interval training, repeats, sprints and fartlek. Speed training is required for a distance runner who would like to improve his/her performance. – it is not necessary for someone training for their first marathon. Tempo runs and Strength conditioning sessions have been the two major contributors to the improvement in my Full marathon timings. As per exercise scientists, doing temp runs is the best way to increase the lactate threshold of a distance runner , that is, the ability to run at a fast pace without accumulating lactic acid in the bloodstream.(accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles slows you down). This involves training at the optimal point between aerobic and anaerobic running. A tempo run is one in which you begin at an easy jogging pace, gradually accelerate to near 10K pace(edge of lactate threshold) and then gradually decelerate to the earlier jogging pace. It should last at least 40 minutes. Here are a few links related to speed training:
The basics of speed training
The basics of speed training
Speed training for runners
Speedwork basics
My next full marathon will be during the RFL run on 19th April at Hennur . I had a nice 25K+ run on 5th April with Dharam and Udayakumar at GKVK. I consider GKVK to be the best place in Bangalore to do 2 hour + runs with no traffic and wonderful greenery around. The place is large enough to do 10K+ loops. However, since it is about 20K from my place I have not been able to run there often enough – in fact the last time I ran there was sometime in 2007. With 3 easy paced training runs between now and 19th(12th,14th and 16th)I feel in good shape to do around 4:30 finish in my 9th one– the warm weather is the only concern as of now.
Speedwork basics
My next full marathon will be during the RFL run on 19th April at Hennur . I had a nice 25K+ run on 5th April with Dharam and Udayakumar at GKVK. I consider GKVK to be the best place in Bangalore to do 2 hour + runs with no traffic and wonderful greenery around. The place is large enough to do 10K+ loops. However, since it is about 20K from my place I have not been able to run there often enough – in fact the last time I ran there was sometime in 2007. With 3 easy paced training runs between now and 19th(12th,14th and 16th)I feel in good shape to do around 4:30 finish in my 9th one– the warm weather is the only concern as of now.
