Struggle pacing a tempo run? Split it in half

Many runners struggle with pacing their tempo runs. They either go out too fast and aren’t able to maintain their pace, or they go out too slow and finish the workout with too much left in the tank. Not surprisingly, many have the same struggle during a race. The split tempo is a great way to fix this problem and to help runners learn how to properly pace a tempo, and subsequently, a race.

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A split tempo is a simple as it sounds: whatever the distance or length of time your tempo run is supposed to be, just cut it in half and run it in two separate segments with a few minutes of rest in-between. For example, if your tempo run is supposed to be 30 minutes long, break it into two 15-minute segments with two to four minutes’ rest in between. The rest should be just long enough that you can catch your breath a bit and re-focus. The goal is to negative split the second half, which means you run a slightly faster pace during the second segment than you did in the first.

This type of tempo can also be a great way to gradually increase the length of your tempo run if you’re training for a longer race. For example, if you run a 20 minute tempo one week, the next week you could do a 2 x 12 minute tempo. The following week you could run a 25 minute tempo, followed by 2 x 15 minutes, and so on.

Finally, more experienced runners can get a lot of benefit out of a split tempo, because the short break in the middle allows them to push the pace of their tempo run a bit more, and overall run the entire length of time at a faster pace than they might have otherwise.

Split tempo workout

Warmup: 10-15 minutes easy jog, followed by drills and strides

Workout: 15 minute tempo at half-marathon pace; 3 minutes rest; 15 minute tempo at half-marathon — 10K pace

Cooldown: 10-15 minutes easy jog, followed by light stretching

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