Tag: tempo run

Tempus Fug It

I wonder how long it’s going to take me to run out of tempo-related puns.  Not very long if today’s effort is anything to go by.

Yesterday I ran home from work, incorporating a 25 minute “hard” tempo run section into a 6 mile route around Islington. I ran about half of the tempo section up and down Liverpool Road because it’s over a mile long and relatively traffic, people and crossing free. It’s not the most beautiful of streets, but scenery wasn’t high on my list of priorities as I scoured the paving slabs with my eyes, longing for the 25 minutes to be up.

Despite my moaning, I coped better with the tempo element than I did on a similar run 2 weeks’ ago, averaging 7 minute miles and feeling a lot more comfortable in the process. Is this progress? It’s possible.

Whilst my glass is half full, I should also note that the run was completed to a joyous soundtrack of Kvelertak, by Kvelertak, which is my new favourite metal album to run to. Recent favourites have included The Blue Album, by Baroness, and Blood Mountain by Mastodon (still the king, in my opinion). They just can’t be beaten for motivation – I think it’s the drums, there’s no way you can slow down when all hell is breaking lose inside your head. Oddly, however, my second favourite album to run to, after Blood Mountain, is Tigermilk by Belle & Sebastian. Make of that what you will.

Ten Mile Run and the Tempo of Doom

The Tempo of Doom was Friday’s run, followed by a day off on Saturday and a 10 miler this morning.

The tempo run was a ‘moderate’ one, 5 miles with a mile warm up / cool down either side. I had no idea how to gauge the ‘moderate’, I’m still struggling with the ‘tempo’. The best definition I can find is here.

It says that a tempo run should be “Comfortably hard; you know you’re working, but you’re not racing. At the same time, you’d be happy if you could slow down.”

Helpful.

To be honest, I think I do get it, I’m just struggling with it because it’s bloody hard. On Friday I happened to run my 5 miles at my goal half marathon pace (7mins 12s/mile), which is either good or worrying. Could I run 8.1 more miles at that pace? That is indeed the question.

I worked hard on the tempo run and it went pretty well, despite feeling like death on every incline. In comparison, today’s 10 miler was a shocker. I felt like an old lady with thighs made out of Edinburgh rock that could crumble at any time. Still managed 8 minute miles so hardly a write-off, but I’m going to have to get a whole lot faster over the next 7 weeks.