You might find that you are continuously trying to improve your stamina, but it doesn’t seem to be working. How can you improve your stamina to help you run longer distances?
Tempo runs are popular training methods across the world as they can help you to improve your running, but how?
To find out how to perform tempo runs to help your stamina, you can find out more below to make sure that you incorporate them correctly into your training routine.
This article will explain more about what tempo runs are to help you understand more about how they can help your running performance.
You can find out more below to help you understand how tempo runs can help you to run faster in a race!
What Are Tempo Runs?
Tempo runs can help to improve your stamina as you will be running at a fast pace that is more difficult for you for 10-15 minutes.
The usual time for running at this fast pace is 20 minutes, but beginners can find that too difficult to start with and need to build up to running at a fast pace for this length of time.
You then run at a faster pace before slowing down and catching your breath. You can repeat this as many times as you want to help to improve your stamina.
Your body will begin to get used to running at this pace during your tempo runs, so you can then begin to increase that speed. This will help you to constantly see your stamina develop.
Why Are They Called Tempo Runs?
The reason that tempo runs are called this is due to the change in tempo during a training session.
The main goal for changing tempo as you run is to push your lactic acid threshold to help your stamina increase.
You will then see that you can run longer distances as your stamina will have improved from performing tempo runs.
How Often Should You Perform Tempo Runs?
Tempo runs should not be performed every day as your body will become exhausted.
As you will be running at 80% of your full running capacity, you should only perform tempo runs once a week or once a fortnight.
As they are very high intensity, you should not perform them more than this as your body will become overworked.
Once a week or fortnight may not seem like a lot to improve your stamina, but you will see the benefits when you are consistent.
Consistency is important for helping your stamina to increase, and you will also be able to rest.
Performing tempo runs more than once a week will not leave you enough time to rest, so it is important to spread the sessions out to let your body recover.
What Are Tempo Runs Used To Help?
Tempo runs are used to help your running performance, but what do they improve? They help to increase your stamina, but do they provide you with other benefits?
Speed And Distance
Tempo runs help you to run longer distances without getting tired quickly, so they help you to run faster without becoming exhausted.
If you do not perform tempo runs, you will struggle to meet your personal goals or improve your running times. Your body will become used to running longer distances to help you perform well in races.
Keeps Your Heart And Lungs Healthy
By performing high-intensity runs once a week, your heart becomes stronger and your lungs work harder.
This helps your heart to pump blood around your body to ensure that your body is getting the right nutrients and your lungs are making sure that you have enough oxygen to perform well.
Keeps You Determined
Tempo runs help to keep you determined to reach your goals. It can be very mentally challenging to constantly be repeating these high-intensity runs, but you can use this as an opportunity to smash your goals and become more determined to succeed.
Are Tempo Runs Bad?
Tempo runs are extremely beneficial to runners, but they can also have negative side effects if you push yourself too hard.
If you are not used to tempo runs, pushing yourself too hard in a short amount of time can result in an injury. You can also experience an energy burnout, which can take you a long time to recover from.
To make sure that you do not overwork your body from tempo runs, you need to begin running shorter cycles at slower paces.
This will help you to gradually increase the distance and the intensity of your runs to make sure that you are comfortable performing them.
If you are not ready for a high-intensity run, your body will suffer from the impacts.
Should You Stretch Before Tempo Runs?
You should always stretch before you perform any type of exercise as you do not want to injure yourself.
Stretching helps your muscles to prepare for high-intensity workouts, but you cannot just stretch one part of your body.
You should always stretch your entire body to make sure that you are in the best shape for your run.
You should never only focus on stretching only one part of your body, like your legs, before tempo runs, but they are important to pay attention to.
You should perform a variety of stretches that target all of your muscles to help prevent you from injuring yourself.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, tempo runs help to improve your stamina and performance as you are running at a high intensity for a short amount of time before running at a slower pace.
Tempo runs are very beneficial for runners, but they can also have negative effects.
If you push yourself too hard as a beginner, you could risk injuring yourself. Therefore, it is important to gradually build up your stamina to avoid injuries.
Hi, I’m Richard Harris and I have been running for almost 20 years now. Since a young teenager with a little baby fat still clinging on for dear life, I have been obsessed with this simple form of cardio.
Not only have I enjoyed running every single day for two decades, but I have also been fascinated by the countless marathons and races offered around the USA. I love watching these races, and I’ve even participated in some of them too!
