Archives for Tempo Runs category
Posted on Mar 25, 2010 under 5 miles, Milestones, Season's Best, Tempo Runs |
Today’s effort was a 5 mile tempo run. Ran the first kilometre in 5:27 as a warmup, and then increased the pace, intending to run around 5 mins/k or better pace, remembering that in my intervals the other day, I had “slowed” to 4:30/k and felt it was reasonably sustainable. Powered up the hill near Sainsbury’s and the 2nd k clocked in 4:59 – so I just decided to see how long I could hold that pace, and apart from a couple of k’s where I slowed a little, I managed to hold it all the way, over 5 miles.
Kilometre Splits:
5:27
4:59
4:55
4:53
5:05
4:56
5:13
4:50
Was interesting that the last k was the fastest, I did push, but felt I was barely moving as by that point I was keeping going by sheer will power and really hurting! But the split shows I managed to keep up the pace until the bitter end! The slower penultimate k had a big uphill over the motorway bridge which slowed me a bit – if not for that and the warm up k, I may have gone sub 40.
Still, a season’s best by over 2 minutes – and gives me confidence I can hold that kind of pace in a 10k race, despite not having done any big long runs as of yet. In fact it’s made me rethink my strategy, as my injuries have always seemed to coincide with long runs – and so far, I seem to be doing fine without them, though need a few 8 milers to improve 10k stamina. Will see how Salford 10k goes, just over a week to go, eek 
Posted on Mar 17, 2010 under 5 miles, Season's Best, Tempo Runs |
Been doing some hard runs lately with the Park Run Adventure on Saturday and the mile PB yesterday. Wanted to do something longer today so opted for a 5 mile tempo.
Set off at a sedate, just under 6 mins/k jog pace and gradually got quicker. Felt flying in the early and mid stages but started to hurt in the later stages. However, managed to somehow maintain pace and averaged 5:20/k, but very definitely hurt.
43:00 is a season’s best but nowhere near the PB of 40:01 I set last year – probably need fresher legs to go that fast for that length of time, but felt this tempo run really did me good as I kept running on some very tired legs and screaming lungs!
Posted on Feb 20, 2010 under 5-10k, Tempo Runs |
This run started off as a see how I feel kind of run after yesterday’s hard going – after 2k I felt good so turned it into a tempo run and ran around 5:30 average for the next 5k, which is the hardest I’ve run for the longest so far since my comeback last month, and felt good to keep the pace up and keep pushing when it was hurting bad! Knocked 1:11 off my last 7k effort, and that was with a slightly slower last half a k to wind down as I was starting to feel it by then!
Posted on Aug 28, 2009 under 10-15k, Long Runs, Tempo Runs |
For a while, building in more easy runs seemed to help my improvements, and slowing down the pace of long runs. But then the improvements stopped, and a good friend with a lot of running experience suggested running some longer runs at a harder pace. So I did a 12.1k effort today, with no reference to time, just ran how I felt – felt I was going at race pace at points, but refused to check out the time. Turns out I wasn’t going hugely fast, but I did go through the 10k split in 52:21 – so faster than Sunday’s race, and by that point I was at death’s door, but forced myself to go through another 2k at the best pace I could manage, and managed the 12.1k in 1:03:33, which is almost exactly the same time I did the same distance last time round – several months ago, and I found it easier back then… So something has gone wrong!
In actuality I think doing the easy runs has harmed my mental toughness. I can see that occasionally running a week where most of the running is easy will help – but I read an article that said 90% of your running should be at easy pace. Well I’ve tried that, and it seems to be load of tosh Harder runs ahead then, the stopping feels nicer though
Posted on Aug 18, 2009 under 5 miles, Tempo Runs |
Tempo run – finding these definitely work better with a slow couple of k’s warm up so managed not to blow up this time!
Did 2k at slow 6/k pace, then aimed to run between 5 and 5:20 per k, managed to stay around 5:07 so was running comfortably but actually not far outside PB pace and certainly inside 51 minute 10k pace – so flat out with race adrenaline etc, who knows what may now be possible. Sub 50 seems inevitable on Sunday now, but am not counting the chickens yet.
Today will be my last hard run before the race – a few easy runs with a few strides is all I plan to to do, and hopefully the intervals I’ve been doing, the long runs and general mileage will pay off and get me a result but I intend to just enjoy it whatever the time
Posted on Aug 08, 2009 under 5 miles, Tempo Runs |
Attempted a 5 mile tempo run, but got it a bit wrong and it was very very hot and sunny, so I did the first 2 k’s rather too fast and although I maintained it for a while I was on the verge of blowing up at 6k and my heart was really hammering even when I slowed, so just took the last couple of k’s as a cool down.
This will have been my highest mileage week for some time, with a 10 miler and some hard intervals for the first time recently, so have to take into account I may just need a bit of recovery and on reflection an easy run may have been a better idea, with possibly a tempo tomorrow or Monday. May rest tomorrow or do very easy run, will see!
Posted on Jun 26, 2009 under 5-10k, 5k, Tempo Runs |
Have just not been sleeping this week, and felt really tired all day after a night with 2 hours sleep and then a rather hectic day.
However, I had to run for a bus and it felt good, so I decided to get out for a short sharp three mile tempo run. For some reason set off at some weirdly fast pace and fartlekked the first k instead of warming up gently – just felt good so stretched the legs out and threw in a 3:45/k burst but I paid for it later and just ticked round then at just over 5 mins/k to make it an even tempo pace after that, averaging 5:10/k which was just about right, but felt a bit done in and right meniscus was niggling a bit but settled after a bit of a rub. Will rest tomorrow and hope to go for easy run with Laura on Sunday, then may run easy mon or tues before Weds race but if knee is playing up will take the uphills easy as don’t want to ruin chance of a sub 50 in sunday’s flatter course.
Posted on Jun 19, 2009 under 5 miles, 5-10k, PB's, Tempo Runs |
Well the PB’s seem to keep coming in training – this 5 mile tempo run I wanted, after an initial warm up spell, to run at or around 5 mins per kilometer, as I am hoping to run one of my upcoming 10k races slightly faster than that in order to get under 50 minutes.
I set off with a 5:17 k and then sped up slightly, finding it tough to make the pace early on and wondering if I could keep it up for 5 miles. At some points I felt I needed to be going quicker as I felt I was slowing down, but those k’s ticked over in under 5 minutes, so although it was feeling harder, I was actually maintaining the tempo pace as the lactic acid in my legs built up to its threshold. By the last kilometre I thought I may well go sub 40 but that last k seemed quite long and I was feeling maxed out, but maintained the pace and still threw in a 4:48 last kilometre. All in all I had 5 of the 8 kilometres under 5 minutes, and under race conditions I should be able to maintain that pace for another 1.2 miles, which should result in a nice sub 50 either at Offerton (hilly, but who knows!) or the City of Manchester 10k. Did 40:01 for the 5 miles which is 1.5 minutes off my PB a couple of weeks ago
Posted on Jun 07, 2009 under 10-15k, Regular Runs, Tempo Runs |
12.1k run ran nearly 4 minutes faster than the one in the week. Pushed hard and just kept going, went past the 5 mile mark at 5 mile flat out PB pace, and went through 10k in 52:08, third fastest 10k ever, then did another 2k without losing too much pace. Managed to just keep the legs turning over even at the end when I was starting to feel the pain. Didn’t take too long to recover and felt good.
Now plan an easy short run on Tues in preparation for Weds evening 5 mile race – on this evidence, I am hoping for a sub 40 but may have to pray for rain
Posted on Jun 02, 2009 under 5 miles, Tempo Runs |
Not bad in almost 80 degree mid day heat, a five miler I set off at 5:08 and even blasted one sub 5 minute k, had to slow down a bit but all in all kept up a nice tempo (even my jog was at sub 5:30/k pace so managed to just keep it going).
Think it was a good run despite being slower than last five miler – I will consider it warm weather training, certainly made me work hard and I kept going even though I at one point decided to give up at 7k!
