What are some alternatives to the normal tempo workouts. During winter it is too cold to run out side, but I don’t want to neglect my tempo runs. Obviously pool workouts would work, but can the tempo be done inside also? I thought one aspect of tempo was to get on a soft surface for recovery, but that isn’t possible during winter. Thoughts??
If needed, we’ve run in carpeted halls, doing 30m down and 30m back. Recovery was short, or we did crunches or pushups and did it again. You can do as many sets or reps as you want.
I have an indoor track to run on. Is it alright to run my tempo workouts on it or should I cut out some of the tempo and get in the pool more? Charlie??
go by how you feel… early on i usaully substitute one of my tempo days with pool work. then i get back onto the indoor track to do tempo work unless i am sore or having lower leg problems.
I did tempo (and speed-work) outdoor all through last winter and plan to do it again.
Of course last year I was so untrained I could get away with anything, but is there any reason to not do tempo-work in freezing cold weather?
Thor…the surface is the problem. Grass and tracks become like rock…
Damn! That reminds me of the pain I had last winter doing speed-work on asphalt and tempo on an ice covered mud-pitch. And this after being diagnosed with compartment-syndrome in both the lower-legs!
I was used to stretching my calves ten times a day though.
That whole part of the season had become just like a distant dream. An image of me effortlessly striding through the air! To repeat that, seems now to be planning for an injury 
What you can get away with when you are young…
Clemson,
What would you suggest. You share the same thoughts that I had.
How come you can’t to tempo work in the cold? It is done at low intensity so muscle pulls is not an issue. Most distance runners get their mileage done in the winter almost regardless of the temperature. Why can’t sprinters?
Look at Clemsons post…
Injury prevention.
I hope my article http://www.regenerationlab.com/archives/000083.php clears things up for some of you.
MJ I would add more hurdle mobilty with fast skip like movements, medball throws with submaximal effort, and drills that have little or no impact such as marching. Keep one pool session per week, one tempo, and one circuit like and you should be fine.
Big fan/believer/perscriber of the above.
pre-WR LJ, Mike Powell built a pool in his backyard and was in it every day (according to his coach at the time)
Temp, Hydrostatic pressure, low to no impact, lots of good reasons.
I have posted before (here?) that some will express a concern with skin absorption of chlorine and its potential to screw with CNS along with the mentioned departure from traditional running. But once a week the bene’s are well worth it Mental as well as physical. There’s an unspoken reason that Clem coaches a sport where one half of the human race looks good in the (required?) uniform!!!
I don’t buy the charge theory about chlorine Ions…if it was the case then it didn’t hurt Flojo and JJK in 88.
Powell was a Pool fan and I do coach swimming and sprinters. I was a swimmer before puberty so that means the sport was first before the evil intentions!
What post? Where exactly is it?
This is the one:
I aquajog with straight legs to more effectively recruit the hams as in sprinting…hip flexion into extension with only slight knee bend…the quads and calves are not used much in aquajogging anyway; I work these on a sort of jogging machine where the feet remain planted on pedals which allows for a smooth motion…the hams and glutes are not worked much on this and so are then not over worked.
I feel that conventional aquajogging does not use the hams or glutes much and the hip flexors tire first.
I agree Richard…that is why I like doing acceleration work with the pool floor with a forward lean or use the zura foot floats.
Ok well I dont have access to any pools, at least none reasonably close to me. So what would be good to do during tempo days if this is the case?