![Can You Keep Time?](https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/10190/410946/5e3d15c654751/Tokyo-Olympics.jpg)
It is summer 1964 and with the Tokyo Olympics still a couple of months away, a New Zealand athlete in his mid-twenties is about to move into a new phase in his periodised training cycle which has been set by his famous coach Arthur Lydiard.
Having spent months on both aerobic base building and hill training, Peter Snell, the reigning Olympic 800m champion is heading off to the Waikari range in northern Canterbury for a tempo run.
Snell is closing in on one of the most audacious double attempts in Olympic history. Fifty-five years later – and with another Tokyo Olympics on the horizon – coach Lewis Moses joins the Steve Cram Training Camp in Rutland to explain why tempo training can produce such world beating results.
What is tempo running?
“It goes by a number of names - ‘steady state’, ‘LT1’, ‘threshold running’ and ‘lactate running’,” explains Moses. “It’s the one area athletes fall down on because either they don’t understand it or are not comfortable unless they are running flat out.”
In physiological terms, a tempo run is conducted at the level at which the body has the ability to clear as much lactate as it produces – it’s basically the fastest pace at which you can run aerobically. When further explaining the continuous nature of this mode of running Moses, who during his career ran for Britain at the World Indoors in 2012, adds: “It involves a prolonged duration of activity at 80-85% of your maximum effort.”
What are the benefits of tempo running?
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
![Carbon Footprint](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/10190/431194/5e9879946ea05/crp_Carbon-Footprint.jpg)
Carbon Footprint
You'd have had to have been running on a different planet to miss all the recent debate about carbon-plated shoes. The talk of bans and performance enhancement has been so widespread that even non-runners are asking their running friends about the potentially magical footwear.
Trail time
WHEN looking for a trail or off-road running shoe, it’s often all about the grip. However, given that no two paths are the same, careful consideration is required. What’s the terrain like where you’ll wear the shoes the most? If you’ll be negotiating soft, wet and muddy conditions then look for deeper lugs. For tackling gravel tracks and forest trails then more evenly spaced lugs will work better. When it comes to cushioning, consider how hard the ground will be; if it’s soft then you’ll be fine in low-profile shoes, but on those firmer tracks reasonable cushioning will be called for.
![Stay neutral](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/10190/431194/5e987de3ac26f/crp_Stay-neutral.jpg)
Stay neutral
EVOLVING every year, if not month, neutral cushioned shoes are seeing developments in cushioning materials and dynamics at a pace which is nothing short of astonishing. The latest models feature new polymers in the midsoles to give them a cushioned feel while at the same time keeping their weight to a minimum. Give them a spin and choose the most comfortable for mile after mile of shock absorbing running.
![Support network](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/10190/431194/5e988047bef5f/crp_Support-network.jpg)
Support network
WHEN it comes to ‘over-pronation’, a common question is ‘how much is over?’. With no hard and fast rules, it’s best to choose a shoe that instinctively feels right. Gait analysis can often assist in helping you make this choice and your specialist running store is always a good place to start if in doubt. To help you make that choice, here’s a selection of some of the best ‘support’ shoes around.
![Need for speed](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/10190/431194/5e98817863f44/crp_Need-for-speed.jpg)
Need for speed
THE racing shoe segment of the market is becoming somewhat split. This is partially due to the rise of carbon-plated footwear but also the fact that many shoes are becoming much lighter. Here we take a look at some of the leading contenders to toe the line in.
Gadget show
WITH technological products to enhance every area of life, running is now no different. From headphones to treadmills, the devices to aid performance and recovery are endless. Here we take a look at some of the latest gadgets and gizmos to enhance your training.
![What's in a shoe?](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/10190/431194/5e986f5b007e4/crp_Whats-in-ashoe.jpg)
What's in a shoe?
We bust some of the jargon around footwear
![How To Prime Your Immunity](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/10190/431194/5e7cbb7cbbe9c/crp_How-to-prime-your-immunity.jpg)
How To Prime Your Immunity
Taking steps to shore your body’s defences has never been more important. Here’s how to do it, says Peta Bee
![English Schools Survival At Stake](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/10190/428266/5e734ea4c0928/crp_English-Schools-survival-at-stake.jpg)
English Schools Survival At Stake
Covid-19 could lead to ESAA losing thousands this summer
![Covid-19: Athletics Events Are Wiped Out](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/10190/428266/5e734d7d28518/crp_Athletics-events-are-wiped-out.jpg)
Covid-19: Athletics Events Are Wiped Out
Unprecedented calendar changes due to Covid-19