What is Fartlek?

Fartlek is a Swedish term for ‘Speed Play’ and is basically mixing your pace up during your training runs – sometimes with no specific structure.

Fartlek differs from your regular interval training as it should be flexible and requires continuous running as opposed to structured intervals, for example 10 x 400m with 60 seconds recovery (rest period between intense effort).

What are the benefits of Fartlek?

• Changes in pace – most sports involve a change of pace during participation
• Speed and Endurance – by running both fast and slow during a Fartlek you are using both the aerobic and anaerobic energy pathways so both speed and endurance are being worked on in one session.
• Race Training – you are learning to pace, finding your different speeds for different distances and teaching your body how to recover faster.
• Burns those calories – working at a higher energy level causing you to burn more energy and hence burn more calories.
• Stops the monotony – more creative, less structured so you aren’t counting down those 400m reps one by one waiting for the end!

Things to consider

• Not an ideal exercise for the total beginner but once you have a few miles in the legs get it into your running schedule.
• Also, if returning from injury, build up some endurance before diving straight back into Fartlek Training.
• Best done in large groups or with someone your pace, if you end up doing it with someone who is much quicker or slower than you then difficult to get a consistent effort done – pick your training partners wisely!

So how should I start?

• Start by just adding some faster paced efforts into your normal runs – for example, between lamp posts or canal bridges – short distances in time and distance. Key word is ‘Play’.
• Do not push too hard too soon, build it up gradually – be careful, you will soon find a pace that is comfortable and one that is ‘hard’.
• Make sure you recover properly between the ‘hard’ efforts.

Examples of Fartleks 

45 minute Fartlek

1. Warm up for 10 to 15 minutes – easy running
2. Over the next 20 minutes, run at 80% effort for about a minute, then recover, then 80% effort for another minute – over the 20 minutes vary the efforts from 30 seconds up to about 2 minutes – no set pattern!
3. Cool down for 10 minutes at least – easy running or walking.

Landmark Fartlek

As it says in the title, during your run pick a landmark – a tree, postbox, lamppost, dog walker, absolutely anything then pick up your pace until you reach the landmark, then recover.

When recovered, pick the next landmark and go again! No stopping for the full run.

Race Pace Fartlek

Warm up then do a surge at your 5k pace, then recover, then 10k pace, then recover, then half marathon pace for example – maybe even lengthen the surges for the slower paces – basically just play around with your different paces.

Long Run Fartlek

During your long run, after a warm up – add 60-90 second surge every mile or so – aim to go 20-30 seconds per mile quicker than your normal long run pace during the surges.

Note: if you are struggling after the surge, the surge is too quick.

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So as you can see a Fartlek is a great way to build speed and endurance whilst at the same time mixing it up a bit and having some fun.

Why not throw one into your training plan this month and see how it goes.

Hope you found this interesting, if you have any questions get in touch and I will be happy to help.

Thanks for reading

Paul