Tempo Runs and Speed Work

Running Drills That Will Kick Your Butt

Take your training up a notch with track work and tempo runs that will help ramp up your speed and endurance
By Angela Kwan fitbie
 

Tempo Run: Five 3-Minute Drills

Tempo runs teach your body to use oxygen more efficiently, improving your metabolic fitness. “You can run farther before you hit the painful lactic acid—burning sensation—in your legs,” Juarez says.

Start with a warmup. Walk 5 minutes, then jog 5 minutes and build up to your hard set. Run 90 seconds out and 90 seconds back at a “comfortably uncomfortable” tempo pace. Rest 60 seconds before heading out again. Keep your body moving during the rest period. Repeat 4 more times. Cool down with 5 minutes of jogging, followed by 5 minutes of walking.

Run at 85 to 90% of your max heart rate, a 7 on the perceived-exertion scale of 10. Don’t worry if your speed varies each time you try this run. “You have to find the right rhythm for that day,” Juarez says.

Advanced runners: Try this 8.5 mile tempo run if you’re training for a half-marathon. Warm up with an easy mile. Run 3 miles at the lower end of your tempo range (a 7 out of 10). Then jog half a mile at an easy pace. Ramp up your speed and run at the higher end of your tempo range (an 8 out of 10) for the majority of the last 3 miles. Finish at your normal race pace. Cool down with an easy mile.

Want to run your butt off? Start here.

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