• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Click here to download the  free ebook of Alberto Juantorena’s  detailed training workouts leading up to the 1976 Montreal Olympics

SpeedEndurance.com

Success in Track & Field ... and Life

  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Track & Field
    • 400 meters
    • 800m & Mile
    • 1/2 & Full Marathons
    • Long & Triple Jump
    • Hurdles
  • Training
    • Weight Training
    • Abs & Core
    • Injury Prevention
    • Shoes & Spikes
    • Masters
  • Coaching
    • Freelap Friday Five
    • Interviews
    • Sports Nutrition
    • Sport Psychology
  • Archives
  • Shop
    • My account
    • Checkout
    • Basket

Optimal Speed and Tempo Runs

You are here: Home / Coaching / Optimal Speed and Tempo Runs
4
SHARES
FacebookTwitter

August 18, 2010 by Jimson Lee 2 Comments

I don’t have my 1999 Saturn SL1 anymore.

When a friend drove my car, he noticed that at high speeds above 140 km/hr (85 mph), you can tell the engine was laboring.  Even at slow speeds, in city traffic, it’s not the best sounding car in the world upon acceleration.  (What do you expect for a MSRP of $17,000 CDN?)

But there was a magic spot at around 115 km/hr (70mph) where it just felt right.  The engine was quite.  Efficient in terms of motion (gas consumption is another story, and please don’t turn on the air conditioning!).  Somehow, this car was trained to go at 115km/hr and anywhere 10% faster or slower, you could tell it had to work.

On the highway, you can just feel it wants to go at 115 km/hr.

One of the theories is I never drove past 120 km/hr on the highway because police rarely issued a speeding ticket under 120 even when the posted speed limit was 100km/hr (60 mph). (Heh heh, it pays to have inside information!)  I have zoomed past a police car at 117 km/hr and never got a ticket (though zooming in a Saturn may sound like an oxymoron!)

Basically the car was trained to go at 115 km/hr and it had over 250,000 km (150,000 miles) and it’s still going.  115 was the sweet spot.

What am I leading up to?

The Tempo Runs

Sometimes slower tempo runs at 75% just don’t feel good.  I am big and heavy sprinter (over 185lbs at 6 feet tall).  My foot lands hard.  My breathing is heavy.  Ask any of my teammates.

See also  Ben Johnson, Bruny Surin 1992 Canadian Olympic Trials

But the minute the tempo speeds increase, all of a sudden, my body just clicks.

Cathy Freeman never ran slower than race pace in practice.  With her 49 sec PR and splits of 23.5 and 25.5 for 200m, her 100m tempo speeds are rarely slower than 13 seconds (with a flying start).

The golden rule with tempo runs is let them find their optimal speed.  Maybe start the first 100m run in a funeral 17 or 18 seconds, then slowly increase the speed?

As a coach, you have to rely on your eyes and ears to see flaws and correct them.  Massage Therapists and ART experts also uses “touch” in their toolkit.  There are some things that machines and computers cannot replace.  And that’s the art of coaching.

Category iconCoaching,  Track & Field

About Jimson Lee

I am a Masters Athlete and Coach currently based in London UK. My other projects include the Bud Winter Foundation, writer for the IAAF New Studies in Athletics Journal (NSA) and a member of the Track & Field Writers of America.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anthony Wallace says

    August 18, 2010 at 11:51 am

    I feel this is very true. I feel like it is harder for me to run at slower paces – -running at a higher tempo just feels right. I have tried to start off @ 75% but being that Im a Long Jumper and 100m runner it is very hard too do. I have been really focusing on my strength and too me if feels like I cant run @ 75% because it is just too slow. Good Article – I have a 03′ Maxima 3.5 if i stay @ 73mph a tank of gas will last me 5 1/2hrs of driving go over and pay.

    Reply
  2. Ian Warner says

    August 18, 2010 at 1:39 pm

    This is so true, as tempo runs feel so awful at some speeds. BUT, if you decide to pick it up a bit all of a sudden you get into this feeling where you feel as if you could run all day and never get tired.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Recommended

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xbs-aWxyLk

Shop Our Store

  • Bud Winter (9)
  • Championship Productions (6)
  • Clyde Hart (2)
  • Derek Hansen (1)
  • Electrical Muscle Stimulation (2)
  • Jim Hiserman (6)
  • Jimson Lee (4)
  • Uncategorised (0)

Articles by Category

Products

  • Jim Hiserman - Developing 800m Runners: Identifying, Categorizing and Developing 400m-800m Type Athletes $42.99 $39.99
  • Private Coaching - Monthly Plan $600.00 $525.00
  • Jim Hiserman-Developing-Distance-Runnersv2 Jim Hiserman - Developing Distance Runners Volume 2: A Systematic Approach to Developing Individual Success within a Dynamic Team Culture $34.95 $29.95
  • Feed-the-Cats-Clinic-3-Pack-701 'Feed the Cats' Clinic 3-Pack $64.99
  • Tony Holler's Feed the Cats": A Complete Sprint Training Program Tony Holler's "Feed the Cats" Complete Sprint Training Program $49.99
  • Bud Winter and Speed City presents Arthur Lydiard 509x716 Bud Winter & Arthur Lydiard MP3 [Download only] $9.99

RECENT POSTS

  • Oregon22 Coaches Club now Online
  • IFAC 2022: The Return of In-Person Conferences (with Virtual option)
  • Here is our 400m Discussion Recording… over 2 Hours Long
  • The Best Free Coaching Book – post Beijing 2022 Olympics
  • The Ultimate 400m Track Webinar for Coaches & Athletes
  • NACAC Athletics Coaching Science Series 2022
  • Top Six 400m Predictor Workouts (Number 4 is my Favourite)
  • Best 6 Podcasts for 2021 (and Beyond)
  • Why Karsten Warholm’s 45.94 400mH WR is my Highlight of 2021
  • Sprinting: 10 Research Articles for Effective Sprint Training [Part 23]

Copyright © 2023. SpeedEndurance.com is owned and operated by Aryta Ltd. Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}