Key #2 - Threshold Training

One of the most important workout staples of every runner is the Tempo or Threshold Run. I might get some people up in arms with the fact that I ut both of those types of runs as the same type of workout because many feel they are different. I prefer to believe that Threshold running is more of a grey area of running in that it has an upper and lower limit.

First of all lets describe what Threshold running is...is my books thresold runs are those where the body can no longer "keep up" wth the production of lactate. As a result the blood level of lactate continues to increase until either the runner stops or the runner slows down so that he/she can flush the lactate out of their blood.

When lactate first starts to accumulate this is what I call the slower end of the threshold pace. I usually associate this pace with 1/2 marathon pace. It's challenging to maintain for about 60-70 minutes. However if you quicken your pace by about 15-20 seconds per mile then this would be close to 10K pace but not quite. This would be the faster end of the theshold running. It's a pace that you can hold for about 40 minutes.

So now that we have defined the training zone lets see what kind of workouts we would use these paces in.

The tempo run really is the bread and butter of any competitive distance runners workouts. They are typically done every 7-10 days and keep you fit enough so that you are never too far off from competitive shape.

I find the type of tempo run or threshold run do depends largely on the race I am training for. If I am training for a 1/2 marathon then I like to do tempo runs in the range of 5-8 miles with the 8 mile tempo at the end of a long run about 2-3 weeks out from the race. For 5K training I find that quick 4 mile tempo runs at about 10K pace to be excellent.

I find the tempo run best if it is done as a steady 20-60 minute run however some prefer to do them as intervals...also called cruise intervals or tempo intervals. I don't do tempo intervals all that often but I beleive they hav their purpose. I have experimened with them and find that if I am out of shape a little and not ready for a full blown 4mile tempo run at 10K pace then breaking it up into 4x1miles or 2x2miles to be a little better until I am ready to handle the longe more challenging workout. The other timeI use them i when I am "moving up a level". If I am trying to improve my maxmimum tempo pace from 5:30/mile to 5:20/mile then rather then do a 4 mile tmpo one week in 22 mins and the next week in 21:20 I would opt to do the intervals as the change from 22 to 21:20 would be a fairly significant stress to the system and would require some extra attention to nutrition, external stresses, etc. in order to prevent potentially overtraining. Teh other thing is I would use this option only if I was trying to pull myself to a new level fairly quickly. More often I would rather snip 10 seconds off of the run over 4-8 weeks.

The Tempo Run has many advantages as well. As I said before it always keeps you close to race readiness, it also is a run that doesn't leave you all that sore...unlike VO2 intervals which can cripple the best of us for 2-3 days at times! They also serve as a good transition from base training to highly intense running such as VO2 intervals and track workouts. The other and perhaps most important aspect of them is injury prevention. I see so many runners go into the winter months and just run the typical long slow distance run and thenwhen they try to get ready for teh racing season they get injured two or three weeks into it....then they are off for 3-4 weeks and a season is lost. It is better to keep some form of quality in your program year round...such as 4 mile tempo runs (1K pace) once every 7-10 days or tempo intervals(at 1/2 M pace) on long hills. Those two workouts will keep the injury bug away if you keep them in your schedule year round.

Anyway that's it for tonight as I am falling asleep and sorry for not writing in a while but I was thinking this was a monologue rather than a debating forum on running. I will do better. Good night Newfoundland.