THOMAS' TEMPO TORTURE

So, it's been no secret that recently I haven't been quite as fast of runner as in the past. After setting a new 10k PR in early November of last year it was a slow downhill slide to my two week break due to over training syndrome. Now that I am back, I'm feeling better, but my speed is nowhere near what it was during my peak fitness. I just recently got a personal worst in the 15k despite trying my best, so I know I have to buckle down if I want to get anywhere near where I used to be.

I'm not sure I'm 100% dedicated to getting all the way back, but I do know I want to improve my fitness from it's current level. I'd like to get back to being able to run a sub 1:40 half marathon and still be in the 3:30s should I run a full. I've been getting in miles recently, but I've needed to introduce the dreaded run type that will help me to get faster... the tempo run. I can go out and run 9:00 miles without complaint (okay, I'll still complain), but these faster runs require a greater level of commitment.

Anyways, the last two weeks I've gotten out there and ran a fairly uncomfortable pace. I'm still not quite sure what an "official tempo run" is, but I've always just figured it as a pace that is uncomfortable and where I can only get one word out at a time if I try to speak. Usually that means the low 7:00s, a little higher if I'm running the hills near my house. I dread that uncomfortable feeling, where your brain is screaming at you to stop, but that is the pace necessary to get faster.

Good idea of how I feel after a tempo run.

Fortunately, once I get running I realize it is not that bad. I've only been doing four miles at a time and to be honest it's nothing to dread. I still agonize over the run all day and really don't want to do it, but during I always think "this isn't that terrible" and afterward I feel like a million bucks. Long story short, while I don't look forward to them, I'm happy to re-introduce the tempo run to my weekly routine in hopes of someday possibly getting back to my old self.

Mile	4/9/2015	4/17/2015
1.00	7:34	7:12
2.00	7:39	7:37
3.00	7:18	7:27
4.00	7:42	7:32
Total (Avg pace)	30:13 (7:34/mi)	29:48 (7:28/mi)