Why “Tempo Run” Needs to Die: Redefining Running’s Most Misused Term

Are you really doing a tempo run—or just running in the gray zone without purpose? In this episode, Michael Doyle, Alex Cyr, and Caitlin Tocci take a sledgehammer to one of running’s most overused and misunderstood terms: the “tempo run.” We explore the history of the term, why it’s misapplied in so many training plans, and what terms like lactate threshold, critical velocity, VO2 max, and steady state actually mean. Plus: our “Tempo Run Hall of Shame” and some spicy takes on running culture. Whether you’re training for a marathon, coaching, or just want smarter workouts—this episode will change the way you think about pace. ⏱️ Chapters Below 🗨️ Drop your worst tempo run story in the comments! 📬 Send us questions for our upcoming Mailbag episode at hi@marathonhandbook.com 00:00 - Intro + Boston Marathon Non-Super Shoe Division 04:00 - Shoe Picks for “No Super Shoe” Marathon 10:15 - The Problem With “Tempo Run” 12:00 - Alex’s Tempo Rant: Blob Runs and Gray Zones 13:45 - Origin of the Term: OBLA Study and Jack Daniels 15:00 - Caitlin’s Coaching Definition of Tempo 17:30 - Rebuilding the Glossary: Lactate Threshold Explained 19:55 - What Is Critical Velocity (CV) Pace? 21:20 - Marathon Pace vs Tempo Pace 22:40 - What Is “Steady State” Running? 24:00 - Identifying the Two Gray Zones in Training 26:00 - Easy Runs: Why Most Runners Go Too Hard 28:15 - What’s Your Real Easy Pace? 32:00 - Emotionally Engaging With Easy Runs (And Why That’s Bad) 34:10 - Mileage-Based vs Time-Based Recovery Runs 35:30 - Recap: What Tempo *Should* Mean 36:10 - Rebranding “Tempo”: Blob Runs and Grind Runs 40:00 - Failure Runs and Misjudged Workouts 44:30 - Tempo Run Hall of Shame: Trail Excuses + College Races 48:50 - Final Thoughts: Clarity Over Terminology 49:45 - What’s Next: Vlogs, Reviews, Interviews & Mailbag