I have done a search on this and I gather special endurance is longer reps than speed endurance. So, we are talking about 250m onwards I guess. What purpose do workouts such as 2x3x150m with 2-3 mins between reps and 8 mins between sets (just an example off the top of my head) have? From this site and CFTS the recommendation for speed endurance workouts is 1 or 2 runs of 200m say off near full recovery. Obviously the example I gave is nowhere near full recovery, so how is it benefitting the athlete? I am also a bit confused with the distinction between extensive and intensive tempo, can anyone elaborate please?
hey maris! I used to be confused aswell…well I still am but I have a better idea. Lance gave me a chart to help me with the difference.
According to the chart, Extentive tempo is:
100-600m (Aerobic Capacity)
40-79% (of predicted peformance)
Rest= 30sec-2min/2-3min
Daily volume 1400-2500 (sprinter)/ 1800-3000m (400m runners)
Intensive Tempo:
100-600m (Mixed Aerobic/Anaerobic)
80-89% (of predicted peformance)
Rest= 30sec-5min/3-10min
dailey volume 800-1800 (sprinter)/ 1000-2800 (400m runners)
I have 3x200m (with full recovery) and 2x3x150m in my programme R=6min/10min for speed endurance? i’m not sure what 2-3min/8min would be tho! 
With that short of a rest you are actually doing a split run. This can be useful too. I’m no expert but there have been a few discussions about split runs on the forum before. I know Charlie has used them in the past.
Hey G, thanks for the feedback. It’s just I have seen elite athletes using recoveries such as 50m walks for 3x150m that are meant to be inside 17 seconds, so you’re talking about moving pretty quick on them. A 50m walk really should be no longer than a minute or 90 seconds maximum. I have also seen another elite athlete do 6x200m in 25 seconds off 200m walk recoveries, but that was no longer than 2.5 mins for each recovery. He was a 400m runner though. What adaptations does intensive tempo work bring about. Extensive tempo it seems would be used more as a recovery tool?
Special Endurance is really for athletes running 400m because the speeds it is done at are lower than what you would do in a 100m race for example. However, it can also be useful for rhythm and practicing relaxation and of course makes you fit through a more general pathway. It’s also lower intensity than SE so you could use it for a lower intnesity week (but be careful not to change the stimulus too much so you don’t get stiff).
Ok topcat, thanks. I was of the understanding that in order to develop speed endurance, runs were done at a high intensity off a long recovery. I am still a bit confused therefore as to the place intensive tempo would have in a training programme?? I can think of athletes, myself included, who tend to perform better when there is this sort of base work done, such as the 150s off a couple of minutes recovery. What stimulus is this causing, and what beneficial adaptations are taking place?
I think all your questions should be answered by the Van’04 download and CFTS as we have covered them numerous times before. In fact they kind of form the entire basis of Charlie’s “system”.
i have read CFTS and i it didn’t really seem to answer my question. i did a search for intensive tempo on here and couldn’t really clarify that either. haven’t seen van '04 admittedly however. sorry, not being lazy, i have tried to find out answers myself.
My understanding is, and I stand to be corrected, that Charlie does not advocate Intensive Tempo, which is defined as performing runs between 80% and 90% intensity. Intensity, as I understand it, is defined mathematically. Divide your current PB for the distance by the time you ran, or plan to run. You will get a number less than 1, unless you run your PB, which you then convert to a percentage.
The breakdown is as follows,
Spec. End II 300m-600m@ >90%-95% Int.
Spec. End I 150M-300m@ >90%-95% Int.
Speed End 60m-150m @ >90% Int.
Intensive Tempo 100m-600m @ 80%-90% Int.
Extensive Tempo 100m-400m @ 60%-80% Int.
As I said, my understanding is that Charlie doesn’t advocate Intensive Tempo training for endurance. Those that do, use it as a precursor to Speed End. and Spec. End., and for lactic acid training.
My understanding is that Extensive Tempo is used for recovery, not Intensive Tempo, which is too taxing.
That’s very helpful thank you. It’s cleared things up for me, and indicated the purpose of intensive tempo.