Workout of The Week - Fartlek Session - Competitor PDF

6/9/2015
WorkoutOfTheWeek:FartlekSessionCompetitor.com
Workout Of The Week: Fartlek Session

By Brandon Laan, Published Mar. 28, 2012, Updated Nov. 18, 2014 at 10:09 AM UTC
Fartlek sessions are best done off the track and guided by effort rather than pace.
The name sounds funny, but these workouts are no joke!

You can blame the Swedes for the name, but you also have to give them credit for
creating one of the best running workouts known to man. If you are new to the running
scene you may have heard the term, assumed someone mispronounced the word, and
dismissed it all together.
Fartlek, which translates to speed play, can be a great way to introduce some faster
running into your training, typically in the later stages of the base phase before
venturing into more structured workouts.
RELATEDWorkout Of The Week: The Short Fartlek
One of the best aspects of a fartlek workout is it allows you to tax both the aerobic and
anaerobic systems while running by feel. In other words, you can run everything from
800-meter race pace up to marathon race pace (and various paces in between) in the
same workout. This is an effective and fun way to incorporate some speed work into
your training schedule.
http://running.competitor.com/2012/03/training/workoutoftheweekfartleksession_49932
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your training schedule.
You have to practice running fast in order to run fast., says Bob Vigars of Western
University in Canada.This might seem like a no brainer, but it can be difficult to
perform productive speed workouts when your training volume is high. Fartlek-style
workouts allow you to add some faster running into your training schedule and still get
in the volume necessary to compete over longer distances.
Fartlek workouts can be either structured or unstructured. Traditional fartlek is
unstructured and involves surging from one landmark to another at various intensity
levels. A more structured session would involve surging for a fixed amount of time at a
predetermined effort level. Examples of structured vs. unstructured fartlek can be
found below.
Structured Fartlek
2-mile warmup
2-4 sets of:

4 minutes at half -marathon race pace followed by a 2-minute recovery jog
2 minutes at 10K race pace followed by a 1-minute recovery jog
1 minute at 5K race pace followed by 30-second recovery jog
30 seconds at 1-mile race pace
Take a 4-minute recovery jog between sets.
2-mile cooldown
Unstructured Fartlek
2-mile warmup
20-40 minutes
An unstructured fartlek is less exact to explain and envision, but is still a great workout
to incorporate into the base phase of your training. An unstructured fartlek is just that.
You dont need a track or even a measured stretch of road. Instead, focus on running
by feel at a pace that is comfortable at that particular time relative to the distance. Your
goal is to spontaneously change pace throughout the run. Here are three easy
examples/suggestions:
1) Run hard for 2 minutes when you pass a stop sign.
2) Run hard from street light to street light.
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2) Run hard from street light to street light.

3) If you are running with a slower running partner, run ahead for 1 minute, then back
for 30 seconds.
The distance you cover on your pickups isnt so important, and between those faster
efforts you should run at a conversational pace.
2-mile cooldown
Chantelle Wilder, the assistant cross country and track & field coach at Santa Clara
University, says that the Broncos use fartlek-style workouts with all their athletes. It is a
great way to tackle several different systems in one workout, Wilder says. Wilder
credits these workouts for developing athletes who are not only fast, but strong allaround runners.
Emil Zatopek, also known as the Czech Locomotive, took home three gold medals at
the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. He won both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters on the track
before deciding at the last minute to jump in his first -ver marathon. He won that, too.
He is arguably one of the greatest runners of all time and was widely known for his
brutal training methods, which included many grueling fartlek-style workouts. Zatopek
was famous for saying, Why should I practice running slow? I already know how to run
slow. I want to learn to run fast .
****
About The Author:
Brandon Laanis a runner, coach, and entrepreneur. He is the co-owner
ofRunnersFeed.comand Race Director for Rock The Road 10K. He is a Level II Certified USATF
coach and holds personal bests of 1:06 and 2:21 in the half marathon and marathon,
respectively. He also enjoys running to eat, not eating to runand always will.
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6/9/2015

Workout Of The Week: Fartlek Session

The name sounds funny, but these workouts are no joke!

your training schedule.

2-4 sets of:

2) Run hard from street light to street light.

8 Hot Running Shoe Trends

How To Beat Runners Knee

Workout Of The Week:

When Race Plans Get

Seven Ways To Improve

New Techniques For Treating Plantar Fasciitis

Free Digital Mag

Stay up-to-date on the latest running content.

Shoes & Gear

> I want it all!

Enter Your Email Address

You can unsubscribe at any time. View Privacy Policy

The Run Down eNewsletter

Shoes & Gear

> I want it all!

Enter Your Email Address

You can unsubscribe at any time. View Privacy Policy

Rock n Roll Marathon Series

2014 Competitor Group Inc. All Rights Reserved

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