You know you haven’t been keeping up with tempo runs when…. you suck. Busted.
Tempo runs are meant to improve your lactate threshold. In other words, they will help you run faster.
In the first 7 weeks of my training schedule, my tempo runs are 6k. This week it bumps up to 10k for another few weeks before dropping down to 6k for the remainder of schedule.
I haven’t done a solid 6k tempo in weeks. Today’s 10k tempo was not easy. They are not supposed to be easy. This I know. You are supposed to feel uncomfortable. I have that down pat.
My suggested pace is 5:24. I ran everywhere from 4:45 to 5:50. My pace was all over the map.
I gasped for air for most of the last 5k but I felt pretty good when I finished. I didn’t hit the actual pace. Practice makes perfect, right?