More Tempo Running

I took a brief hiatus there, due to... I don't even know what. A virus of some sort then a small bout of pancreatitus but I am ship shape today! It was perfect running weather today. 20 degrees and sunny when I headed out at around 11AM. Last night I passed numerous runners out at around 9 when I was heading to my second site for work and envying them. As much as I like working nights, I also like running then, especially this time of year when the evenings are noticeably cooler. C'est la vie. You do what you gotta do.

The run I did today was a proper tempo run. I did a warm up and cool down of 1K trying to stay at my average 7'45 pace time. It was difficult to do at the end, trust me. In between I did 2-3 minutes at tempo with 2-3 minutes back at my average pace for the 3K sandwiched in between. I don't tend to focus so heavily on my pace time as tempo running requires. I'm not sure if it was the technique, the weather or the fact that I hadn't been out in a week and a half but I really enjoyed the run.

Given that I had such a good time. Here's some more information on why temp runs are good for you care of Runner'sWorld.com:

"Tempo running improves a crucial physiological variable for running success: our metabolic fitness. "Most runners have trained their cardiovascular system to deliver oxygen to the muscles," says exercise scientist Bill Pierce, chair of the health and exercise science department at Furman University in South Carolina, "but they haven't trained their bodies to use that oxygen once it arrives. Tempo runs do just that by teaching the body to use oxygen for metabolism more efficiently."

How? By increasing your lactate threshold (LT), or the point at which the body fatigues at a certain pace. During tempo runs, lactate and hydrogen ions--by-products of metabolism--are released into the muscles, says 2:46 marathoner Carwyn Sharp, Ph.D., an exercise scientist who works with NASA. The ions make the muscles acidic, eventually leading to fatigue. The better trained you become, the higher you push your "threshold," meaning your muscles become better at using these byproducts. The result is less-acidic muscles (that is, muscles that haven't reached their new "threshold"), so they keep on contracting, letting you run farther and faster."

I am interested in seeing how this will affect my pace time. Especially  as my distance increases.

I always like to share good stories that I come across and here's another one. http://blog.spartanrace.com/team-x-t-r-e-m-e-heroes-heat-heroic-finish/

I'm not sure how familiar you are with Spartan Races but they're kind of an extreme obstacle course. The story is about a team with 3 wounded warriors on it (they focus on one who's missing 3 limbs) that completed the race.