A Quality Tempo Run

I knew that I had been running my tempo runs just a little too fast. An estimate for tempo pace is 10k pace plus 10 to 15 seconds per mile. The best estimate for tempo pace, according to Pfitzinger and Douglas is your 15k to half marathon pace. My best 10k is 6:35 pace and my most recent 10k is 6:45. I've never raced a 15k or half marathon. (I've run a half as part of a 20 mile long run.) I'd like to run a 15k or 10 mile race at sub 7:00. If I ran one Saturday, that would be my goal. So, I'm guessing that my tempo pace should be 6:50 to 7:00 per mile. I've been running tempo at 6:35 to 6:45. That's just too fast for me for now.

So today, I was determined to keep it near that pace. Matt came over and we ran over to the track and did 4 tempo miles and ran back home. 8.4 miles total. Much better weather today! Low 70's and not humid at all (well, 65% or so, but that's WAY better than 90+%)! If you're a runner at all, you need to run today. You don't get many of these mornings in July in Alabama.

1. 6:56
2. 6:56
3. 6:53
4. 6:51
   

If I keep doing tempo runs like that, I think I'll see more improvement and less fatigue. I feel like I ran this morning, but I don't feel trashed. I plan to increase the mileage of tempo runs gradually up to 5.5 miles or 40 minutes over the next several weeks.