Tempo training is a type of workout that focuses on increasing your speed and endurance. It involves cycling, swimming or running at a steady pace, usually slightly slower than your race pace, for an extended period of time. The goal of tempo training is to improve your aerobic fitness and increase your lactate threshold, which is the point at which your body starts producing more lactic acid than it can clear. In this blog, we will discuss the benefits of tempo training and how it can help you improve your running performance.
Increased Endurance
Tempo training is an effective way to increase your endurance. By running at a steady pace for an extended period of time, you will be able to increase the amount of time you can run without getting tired. This will help you to perform better in races and improve your overall running performance.
Improved Lactate Threshold
The lactate threshold is the point at which your body starts producing more lactic acid than it can clear. When this happens, you start to feel a burning sensation in your muscles, which can make it difficult to continue running at a high intensity. Tempo training can help you to improve your lactate threshold by forcing your body to adapt to higher levels of lactic acid. By running at a steady pace just below your lactate threshold, you can train your body to clear lactic acid more efficiently, allowing you to run at a faster pace for longer periods of time.
Better Form
Tempo training can also help you to improve your form. With tempo training your moving at a steady, controlled pace, that's challenging, but still enables you to test and measure your form and posture throughout your swim, bike or run. When you're racing, you're racing, we all know what that feels like. Often in race mode, form can break down as we're moving maximally, but with Tempo training you're stressing your capacity, but you're still very much in control and can sustain harder efforts much longer - but crucially with good form.
Mental Toughness
Tempo training can also help you to develop mental toughness. Training at a steady pace for an extended period of time can be mentally challenging, but by pushing through the discomfort, you can develop a greater sense of mental toughness and resilience. This will help you to perform better in races and overcome any obstacles that you may face during your training.
Variety in Training
Finally, tempo training can provide variety in your training routine. Swimming, Cycling or Running at the same pace every day can quickly become monotonous, but tempo training can help you to mix things up and keep your workouts interesting. By incorporating tempo sessions into your training routine, you can challenge yourself in new ways and make progress towards your training or race goals.
In conclusion, tempo training is a highly effective training method that can help you to improve your athletic performance in a number of ways. By increasing your endurance, improving your lactate threshold, developing better running form, building mental toughness, and providing variety in your training routine, tempo training can help you to achieve your training and race goals and become a better athlete. If you're looking to take your running to the next level, consider incorporating tempo runs into your training routine.
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