Which type of workout is going to produce better results, tempo training or intervals? According to research done by Peter Snell (Olympic sprinter of 1960 and 1964) at the University of Texas Southwestern Human Performance Center, priority should be given to interval training. His research consisted of comparing performance gains between two control groups of runners, one of which did tempo training twice a week and one group that did interval training.
[…] the interval-trained runners gained considerably more physiological and competitive fitness. A key lesson to be learned here is that intensity is always the most-potent producer of fitness; it is a much-stronger stimulus for improvement than training volume and workout frequency. When you conduct your intervals at 90 to 100 percent of VO2max (and at higher intensities, too), the amount of fitness gained per minute will always be greater, compared with the running capacity accrued at lower intensities. As you can see from Snell’s research, each minute of high-quality work can sometimes produce twice as much gain in fitness as double the amount of lower-quality exertion.
For myself, I strive for a good mix. When I am building an aerobic base towards the beginning of a season or after a marathon, I tend to stick to tempo training and easy runs. When I am aiming to peak for a specific race and to get into top-shape, I will mix interval and fartlek work in as well. It seems to work out fairly well. The priority certainly goes to the interval training, but tempo runs are easier to fit in. This is especially true at this time of year when it can be dark and the footing is less than favorable at the times that I run.
(Sources: Tom Ryan – Run Coach – Running Research News)
I think I’m about ready to start doing speed work. Are both tempo training and intervals considered speed work?
Tempo training is a solid pace run where you are going at around 70-80% of your race pace. Note that you should still warm up and cool down before a tempo run.
Interval training is run at 90-110% race pace, or even faster, for short durations followed by either a period of rest (not running) or recovery (jogging).
Don’t take this the wrong way but based on your answer Blaine, it would seem you are not real clear on your definitions.
Tempo training done at 70-80% of race pace does not clarify which race pace. 5k, 10k, marathon?
Also, Interval training by definition is repeated bouts of excercise with recovery periods between work phases. Again, which race paces are you going 90-110% of?
Also, to answer Wes’s question, yes both are considered speed work. Both are very important to any training program as they are designed to train different systems of oxygen processing.
Scott, it was a quick 1 sentence for each type answer. As for which race pace, I would say yes. It depends upon which race you are training for. If you are going to run 5k’s, then you wouldn’t want to tempo off of your marathon race pace. The same holds true for both tempo or interval training.
This isn’t to say that you can’t run workouts at 5k pace when your end goal is a marathon, but I think as a general 1 sentence definition they both work well.
I will certainly flesh them out more, hopefully in the near future.
Good morning,
I came across your website this morning and am interested in asking your advice.
I have been out of running for a couple of years due to injury and am looking to get back into it.
My goal is to go sub 16 minutes for a 5k, hopefully this fall.
Do you think this is realistic and what would your training advice be? My last 5k was about a year ago with no training I ran just over 19 minutes.
Thanks!
I guess if interval stands higher risk to get injury? Tempo seems much better for runners age over 30?
Tempo and interval training serve two different purposes, and both can injure you. I don’t think that whether you are over 30 or not has much to do with what type of workout you should be doing.