Tempo Run

A tempo run is a sustained effort at roughly your anaerobic threshold—comfortably hard, near the pace you could race for an hour—held for twenty to forty minutes. Training at threshold raises lactate clearance, so race pace feels easier and cruising speed climbs without the recovery cost of intervals.

Use the talk test: you can speak in short phrases, not full sentences. Warm up ten to fifteen minutes first, and resist starting too fast—the second half should feel like the workout, not the first mile.

One tempo per week is plenty for most runners.