December 21st, 2010. Several more training runs back in North Carolina and the first one last Thursday was my introduction to “tempo” loops. This is another nuance for me, and as much as I try to march to my own drumbeat, I confess gladly dismissing any reluctance over accepting the training modules from those in the know.
The gist of tempo loops is to run for ten minutes at an easy pace, then ramp up to a pace “just above your comfort level” for five minutes. You walk briskly for a minute after this to catch your breath and repeat the routine twice. The tempos get accelerated as the training progresses, bumping up to two ten minute intervals and finally a single twenty minute burst.
I want to convince myself that I ran harder than “just above my comfort level” (it sounds so meek), and whether I did or not I can share that I was struggling during the final five minute acceleration! But I do applaud the authors of the training regimen, as this strikes me as a brilliant method to encourage anybody to improve their long distance pace.
Confess great uncertainty over my earlier stated goal to log a full marathon in four hours. Really didn’t feel too bad logging that pace for the half, but a bit silly to think I can double that effort. The litmus test might prove to be the ten mile run scheduled for next Sunday. I typically tackle the long runs at a nine minute pace, but I can clock off six miles at an eight minute pace these days and perhaps it is time to push things for the longer routes?
My training manual provides little guidance beyond running briskly for these extended voyages, so it is up to me. I need to balance any aggressive pace with consideration for how it might impact my blood sugar levels, so the tentative plan will be to pay extra-special attention to how I’m feeling and be sure to pack plenty of calories in my water belt!
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