Treadmills are a good way to do tempo runs. Pick a distance and gradually increase the speed on the treadmill until you reach the desired distance. For the last mile you should be running at about and 8 1/2 pe.

My workout from Wednesday: eight minute miles while watching "Texas Justice".

If you can find a training partner, here's something I do on occasion. This works best if you're about the same ability, but you can make it work even if one is faster than the other. Get 2 TM's and you both warm up for a predetermined time/distance (say 20 min or 3 miles). Then, do some intervals. You'll both share one TM - say you want to do 1/4 mile repeats: crank that sucker up to a good tempo/tempo+ pace, and one person jumps on (not literally...the best way is to get on with your feet on either side of the belt, hold onto the hand rail or sides, and then step on - hang on until your feet catch up to the belt). You run your 1/4 mile and then hop off - again, without killing yourself or getting shot across the gym. Your partner then jumps on and does his 1/4. You can also increase the difficulty by upping either the speed or incline for successive repeats. Another good way to make the time fly is to do what I call 'suicide miles'. Basically, you warm up as above and then do mile repeats - start at a good clip, and increase the speed every 1/4 mile - the only stipulation is that the last 1/4 has to be close to balls out. You'll have to decide what pace that last 1/4 will be. Then, recover for 1/2 mile or so and go at it again. A couple of those and you're through 6-8 miles before you know it. I'll be doing either or both of these today after work since we're due for some major snow tonight.

I like 4min/1min intervals, where the 4min is a little faster than my race pace, and the 1min is a little slower.

here are some:

1. hill intervals: every 5 minutes--run 2 uphill, "recover" flat ground for 3, repeat for however long you want.

on the uphill, each time increase the hill by one point. this will really kick your ass.

2. 10/3 repeats: every 10 minutes, sprint for 3, then run 10 again, repeat.

3. duplicate a 5K race like this: "dash out" of the start for 60 seconds, then settle. at the half way point surge for 2 or 3 minutes, settle, then sprint the last minute

4. tempo: run a decent pace for 10 or 15 minutes, then tempo faster for 10 minutes, then settle back to the original pace to finish the run for 10 minutes or so

5. random: listen to some music, run fast every other song. or, run a big uphill every other song. for slow songs "hike" up hill at the highest incline possible, and after run again on flat. get creative do whatever.

6. fantasize: about whatever and let your mind roam. i used to fantasize that I was a lead singer in a rock band..this would interest me for a good 40 minutes.

7. go to the gym: if they have the ear plug in things, you could run when your favorite show is on. when commercials come on take the earphones down and hike up a hill

these are all things I do and it's worked for years. now if I could only get into the dang pool!

great 45 minute workout that will make time go fast.

5' warm up (fast walk/easy jog)

3X (3' fast run, 2' recovery walk/jog)
1' walk recovery
run steady 1'. each minute after, raise the incline 1%, decrease speed .5 for 5 total minutes. 1' walk recovery. repeat.

5' cool down. go home.