Broken Tempo Runs: Definition, Benefits, and How to Structure Them

What is a broken tempo run?

A broken tempo run is a structured running workout that segments a traditional tempo pace into shorter, intense intervals separated by brief recovery periods, allowing athletes to accumulate more time at or near their lactate threshold pace than they might in a continuous tempo run.

What is a Broken Tempo Run?

At its core, a broken tempo run is a sophisticated variation of the classic tempo run, designed to enhance an athlete's ability to sustain a challenging pace for extended periods. A traditional tempo run involves running at a "comfortably hard" pace, typically around your lactate threshold (the point at which lactate begins to accumulate in the blood faster than it can be cleared), for a continuous duration (e.g., 20-40 minutes). This pace is often sustainable for about an hour in a race setting, correlating roughly to your 10K to half-marathon race pace.

The "broken" aspect refers to dividing this continuous tempo segment into shorter, manageable intervals. Instead of, for example, running 30 minutes straight at tempo pace, a broken tempo run might involve 3-5 segments of 6-10 minutes at tempo pace, each followed by a short recovery interval (e.g., 1-3 minutes of easy jogging or walking). This structure allows the athlete to hit and maintain the target intensity more precisely and for a greater overall duration than they might be able to continuously, while also providing brief physiological and psychological breaks.

The Science Behind Broken Tempo Runs

Broken tempo runs are highly effective for improving lactate threshold and aerobic capacity. Here's how they work on a physiological level:

• Lactate Threshold Enhancement: By running at or slightly above your lactate threshold pace, you train your body to become more efficient at clearing lactic acid from the muscles. The brief recovery periods in a broken tempo run allow for partial lactate clearance, enabling you to return to the threshold pace for subsequent intervals. This repeated exposure to high lactate levels, followed by recovery, effectively "teaches" your body to better buffer and utilize lactate as fuel, pushing your threshold to a higher pace.
• Improved Oxygen Utilization (VO2 Max): While primarily focused on lactate threshold, the sustained effort at a high intensity also places significant demands on your cardiovascular system, stimulating adaptations that improve your body's ability to transport and utilize oxygen, contributing to an elevated VO2 max over time.
• Neuromuscular Efficiency: Practicing sustained efforts at a challenging pace helps improve your running economy. Your body becomes more efficient at recruiting muscle fibers and coordinating movements at higher speeds, leading to less wasted energy.
• Psychological Toughness: The ability to repeatedly push through discomfort, even with short breaks, builds mental resilience, which is crucial for race performance.

Benefits of Incorporating Broken Tempo Runs

Integrating broken tempo runs into a training program offers several distinct advantages:

• Increased Time at Threshold: The primary benefit is the ability to accumulate more total time at your lactate threshold pace compared to a continuous tempo run, leading to greater physiological adaptation.
• Enhanced Pace Control: Breaking the run into segments makes it easier to hit and maintain the precise tempo pace for each interval, ensuring the workout's intended physiological stimulus is achieved.
• Reduced Mental Fatigue: The psychological challenge of a continuous tempo run can be daunting. The brief recovery periods in a broken tempo run offer mental relief, making the overall workout feel more manageable and sustainable.
• Improved Recovery Within the Workout: The short recovery intervals allow for a partial reduction in heart rate and lactate levels, enabling the body to be more prepared for the subsequent high-intensity segment.
• Versatility: Broken tempo runs can be easily modified in terms of interval length, recovery duration, and total volume, making them adaptable to various race distances and training phases.
• Injury Prevention: By segmenting the effort, the overall stress on the musculoskeletal system might be marginally lower than a continuous hard effort, potentially reducing the risk of overuse injuries for some athletes.

How to Structure a Broken Tempo Run

Structuring a broken tempo run involves defining the intensity, duration of work intervals, and duration of recovery intervals.

• Pace: The work intervals should be run at your tempo pace, which is typically a "comfortably hard" effort, often corresponding to your 10K to half-marathon race pace. On a scale of 1-10 for perceived exertion, this would be around a 7-8. You should be able to speak in short sentences, but not hold a conversation.
• Work Interval Duration: These can range from 3 minutes up to 15 minutes, depending on your fitness level and the total volume desired. Common intervals include 6-10 minutes.
• Recovery Interval Duration: The recovery should be short and active, typically 1-3 minutes of easy jogging or walking. The goal is to allow for partial recovery, not full recovery, before the next tempo segment. The recovery should be roughly 25-50% of the work interval duration.
• Total Tempo Volume: The sum of all your work intervals should be similar to or slightly greater than a continuous tempo run you would normally perform (e.g., 20-45 minutes total tempo time).

Example Structure:

• Warm-up: 10-15 minutes easy jogging, followed by dynamic stretches and a few strides.
• Main Set: 3-5 repetitions of (6-10 minutes at tempo pace + 1-3 minutes easy jogging recovery).
• Cool-down: 10-15 minutes easy jogging and static stretching.

Who Can Benefit from Broken Tempo Runs?

Broken tempo runs are a valuable tool for a wide range of athletes:

• Endurance Runners: Particularly those training for 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and marathon distances. They help improve the speed-endurance necessary to maintain a strong pace throughout a race.
• Triathletes: Useful for developing the sustained speed needed for the run leg of a triathlon.
• Athletes Returning from Injury: The segmented nature can be a good way to reintroduce higher intensities without the sustained stress of a continuous tempo run.
• Beginner to Intermediate Runners: Can be a more approachable way to introduce tempo work, making the pace feel less daunting.
• Advanced Runners: Can be used to push the total volume at threshold or to fine-tune specific race paces.

Key Considerations and Tips

To maximize the effectiveness and safety of broken tempo runs, keep the following in mind:

• Proper Warm-up and Cool-down: Always begin with a thorough warm-up to prepare your body for the intensity, and end with a cool-down to aid recovery.
• Listen to Your Body: While challenging, these workouts should not leave you completely drained. If you feel excessive fatigue or pain, adjust the intensity or duration.
• Pace Accuracy: Avoid starting too fast. The goal is a controlled, sustained effort at your tempo pace, not an all-out sprint. Use a GPS watch or track to ensure consistent pacing.
• Recovery Quality: The recovery intervals are crucial. Keep them active and easy to ensure partial recovery without losing the physiological stimulus.
• Integration into Training: Incorporate broken tempo runs into your weekly schedule as one of your key quality workouts (e.g., 1-2 times per week, depending on your overall training volume and goals). Avoid doing them on consecutive days with other high-intensity sessions.
• Progressive Overload: As you get fitter, you can progress by increasing the duration of the work intervals, decreasing the duration of the recovery, or increasing the total number of repetitions, or slightly increasing the pace.

Sample Broken Tempo Run Workouts

Here are a few examples tailored for different goals:

• For 5K/10K Speed-Endurance:
  • Workout: 5 x (5 minutes at 10K race pace + 2 minutes easy jog recovery)
  • Total Tempo Time: 25 minutes
• For Half-Marathon/Marathon Specificity:
  • Workout: 3 x (10 minutes at half-marathon race pace + 3 minutes easy jog recovery)
  • Total Tempo Time: 30 minutes
• For Lactate Threshold Pushing:
  • Workout: 6 x (4 minutes at slightly faster than 10K race pace + 90 seconds easy jog recovery)
  • Total Tempo Time: 24 minutes

Conclusion

The broken tempo run is an exceptionally effective training tool for runners and endurance athletes seeking to elevate their performance. By segmenting sustained efforts at lactate threshold pace, it allows for greater accumulated time at intensity, leading to superior physiological adaptations, improved mental toughness, and enhanced race-day performance. When integrated thoughtfully into a well-structured training plan, broken tempo runs can be a cornerstone of progress towards your running goals.