Why tempo runs?

By Pete Cooper, Co-Founder of Coopah

At Coopah we have a mission to help people improve their mental and physical strength through running and enjoy becoming better runners. Whether you are a park runner or seasoned marathoner, one of the most important runs to help you improve your running is The Tempo Run. Tempo or Threshold Runs are an essential type of run and should form part of any good training plan.

For those geeks out there - “Lactate inflexion point, is the exercise intensity at which the blood concentration of lactate and/or lactic acid begins to increase rapidly. It is often expressed as 85% of maximum heart rate or 75% of maximum oxygen intake When exercising at or below the lactate threshold, any lactate produced by the muscles is removed by the body without it building up. The 'Lactate turn point', often termed the anaerobic threshold, is the second rise in blood lactate above resting levels and indicates a level of exercise that can not be sustained” - Thanks to Wikipedia!

So put simply, by improving your lactate threshold you help train your body to run at a sustained pace for longer.  Whereas threshold runs are run just below your lactate threshold level, tempo runs are faster and help you to develop that lactate threshold level further. They are not easy but they are really rewarding. Head over to Active’s blog to learn more about the difference between threshold and tempo runs.

The Coopah app is the perfect place to start when trying to identify the right pace and distance for your tempo runs. Coopah plans are tailored to you and take the guesswork out of your training. So if you are trying to hit that park run PB or build up to a marathon, download the Coopah app and get your Tempo Run delivered directly to your mobile phone.