Tempo runs and sustained workouts became part of my lexicon in 1978-1979, as I spent two days a week, the tough days, training at West Valley College in Saratoga, California. We would do sessions like race pace 400m, then six minute pace 400m. We might do 5 times a 1000m at 3:10, with last at 2:55, with 400m at six minutes.
Coach Bob Campbell let my team mate, Paul and I work out with the team at WVC. Coach Dan Cruz taught us about sustained and tempo work. I could handle the two tough days a week and did all the other runs with Paul. We ran twice a day, with a complete schedule at SCU.
Des Linden, photo by Brooks running
I was working out on my own, as I was not as fast as the guys. Sometimes, I did 1000m’s with Sue Monday, a top woman’s marathoner in the 1970s and 1980s. I began to gain benefits with the sustained workouts, like a 200m in 35, and a 200m in 45, and do that to total 4 miles. As I got stronger, I would do the 200ms in 32-33 and the 200m sustained in 42-44 seconds. 4 miles, constant running, changing pace, helped build my strength.
What did this do? I set PBs that season, mile to 10,000m. In the middle of races, I was able to hold the pace, and I was able to develop my last lap.
Tuesday, 28 July 2020: warm up, 15 minutes easy, tempo run, 20 minutes, at pace 30 seconds above your ave mile pace for 5k now. So, if you ran 18 minutes for 5k, you can run 20 minutes at 6:20 mile pace, this is not to exhaust you, but to build you, 20 minute cooldown,
2020 RunBlogRun Spring Track & Field Training program, in the time of the coronavirus, Week 31, day 2
Monday: warm up, an easy 50 minutes, 6 x 150 m stride outs, cooldown
Tuesday: warm up, 15 minutes easy, tempo run, 20 minutes, at pace 30 seconds above your ave mile pace for 5k now. So, if you ran 18 minutes for 5k, you can run 20 minutes at 6:20 mile pace, this is not to exhaust you, but to build you, 20 minute cooldown,
Wednesday: warm up, an easy 45 minutes, 6 x 150 m stride outs, cooldown
Thursday: wam up, 60 minute hilly run, include a long 10 minute hilly grind, and 5×3 minute hilly charge, cooldown
Friday: warm up, an easy 45 minutes, 6 x 150 m stride outs, cooldown
Saturday: warm up, Fartlek: 5 minutes at 5k pace, 5 minutes easy, 4 minutes at 5k pace, 4 minutes easy, 3 minutes at 5k pace, 3 minutes easy, 2 minutes at 5k pace, 2 minutes easy, 30 minutes, 10 x 1 minute, 5 k pace, 2 minutes easy, cooldown.
Sunday: Long runs, 70-75 minutes
