Cruise Intervals - Tempo Runs

I'm just returning from a weekend in Pennsylvania where I had the opportunity to run at Lehigh University, the site of the Paul Short Invitational, one of the premier college and high school races in the Northeast. While I'd love to take a team there it has never been an option since it is 5 hours away and held on a Friday. That's not to say some of you won't get the chance since many of the local colleges make the trip.  But being there got me pumped up for XC, especially after running the 8K course!  The finish line looks something like this at 7:00AM:

But if you want a real feel for it, you can check out the following link, which may also get you out the door preparing for the Fall:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epoTPL4OYBs

Last year we introduced cruise intervals into our training regimen.  These sessions of intermittent threshold running and jogging are occasionally used due to the diverse talent of our teams.  It allows a single coach to control the practice and oversee the entire team during a workout.  Where tempo runs customarily include a 15-20 minute continuous threshold segment, cruise intervals can extend the actual threshold running to 24-30 minutes by interspersing short recovery periods of a minute or two of jogging.  Heart rates remain elevated and lactate levels relatively constant.  There is however a downside to this type of training if it is used to the exclusion of the traditional tempo run.  Athletes can physically and psychologically train their bodies and minds to complete the interval knowing a break is coming soon.  An anticipated break motivates the athlete to focus and push through in the short term.  In contrast, the tempo run, like a race, offers two alternatives when the going gets tough . . . focus and go with it or quit!  Continuous tempo running calls for experiencing the same physiological and psychological challenges found in competition.  It prepares you for racing. There are, after all, no breaks during EMass!  Cruise intervals are a great way to inject some quality running into your training and they will have a place in our practices.  They are not a substitute for the tempo run.  The tempo run raises your awareness of the mental tactics required in racing and gives you the opportunity to replicate those grueling 5Ks