What is fartlek and how to include it in your training
Miscellaneous / / September 30, 2023
A training regimen for those who love freedom.
What is fartlek
Fartlek is a Swedish word for play of speed. This is the name for a training style in which the athlete alternates running at different speeds. For example, he first accelerates to a pace close to the maximum, and then jogs for some time, restoring his breathing, and repeats this several times.
Fartlek invented Gustav Holmer, Swedish decathlete and Olympic medalist. In 1930, he developed this technique to help Swedish track and field athletes win a cross-country race against the then dominant Finns. Subsequently, Swedish runners set several world records at different distances - from 800 m to 5 km.
Unlike interval training, where periods of work and pace are clearly set, fartlek gives the athlete more freedom. He can independently choose at what speed to run and for how long to do it, and also begin a new acceleration only when he feels that he has recovered sufficiently.
In addition, fartlek is often carried out on rough terrain. A runner can choose to train on forest paths or a park, run on the beach, climb hills and go downhill. An uneven surface increases the intensity of exercise, and an unusual environment has a calming effect and relieves stress from prolonged exercise.
What is fartlek like?
Fartlek May be completely free, and also partially or completely programmable. The first one is suitable for amateur runners who train for pleasure and do not chase fast progress, as well as professionals who are recovering from injury, burnout or long-term break.
This type of fartlek is psychologically comfortable and brings a lot of pleasure, especially if you train in beautiful places in nature. A series of short accelerations “from that tree to the post” are reminiscent of outdoor games in childhood, when you happily performed crazy sprints, catching up with friends, and then rested.
In addition to the pleasant sensations, free fartlek helps you understand where the boundaries of your capabilities are. Since you choose work based on how you feel, you can later track how fast you can handle it and how long you can maintain that speed.
Partially programmable fartlek is more suitable for those who need some certainty in their training. In such classes, you can set the time of work and rest, but at the same time choose the pace, focusing on your feelings. Just like the free one, this type allows you to evaluate your capabilities and track your progress. The only problem is that when you're enthusiastic, you may run too fast, so you'll have a hard time in your next workout.
Fully programmable fartlek includes clearly defined periods of work and rest, as well as the intensity at which you need to move. Most often, when choosing speed, they focus on pulse. For example, acceleration is performed at 90% of maximum heart rate, and recovery is performed at 75%.
Programmable fartlek is also possible divide into several subspecies:
- For training maximum speed and power. This fartlek will include sprints of 30–45 seconds with the same recovery time in the form of a calm run. The mode is suitable for sprinters, as well as team sports players - basketball players, football players and anyone who needs to run very fast, but not for long.
- To train the anaerobic system. In such fartleks, longer intervals of speed and recovery running alternate - 1-3 minutes each. The mode is suitable for those who run races from 800 m to 5 km.
- To train the oxidative system. In this case, fartlek involves alternating fast and slow intervals of 3-5 minutes. This option is suitable for those who are going to run long distances - from 10 km.
Why you should try fartlek
Fartlek is suitable for both experienced athletes and amateurs, and even absolute for beginnerswho cannot yet run for long.
This training style will help:
- Increase running speed and economy. Interval training, including hill running, help increase aerobic speed, improve movement technique and running economy - the ability to do the same work, spending less energy on it.
- Increase your stamina. Intensive Intervals increase Maximum oxygen consumption (VO2), the main indicator of the body's endurance, is more effective than long, slow running. Therefore, all plans for preparing for competitions necessarily include not only calm, long training, but also alternating running at different speeds.
- Add variety to monotonous workouts. This is especially important for those who run often and for a long time and get tired of the monotony. Fartlek helps to overcome boredom and restore interest in activities.
- Avoid stagnation. Constantly changing pace and terrain will prevent the body from adapting to training and will ensure constant progress.
- Gradually get used to running. Fartlek is perfect for beginners - they can alternate between fast and slow running, focusing on their feelings.
How to Try Free Fartlek in Your Workouts
To start select the area in which you will be running. It’s good if you can train in nature - in a park or forest, on the beach. However, if you are just starting to exercise, you should find something more or less level so as not to trip and get injured.
Try the following plan:
- Do a warm-up - run for 15-20 minutes at a calm pace.
- Select the distance at which you want to accelerate. It’s good if you have some landmarks - for example, from a tree to a fence or from the base of a hill to the top.
- Accelerate to somewhere around 90% of maximum effort, rely on your feelings.
- After finishing the acceleration, run at a calm pace until your breathing returns to normal. When you feel that you can speed up again, choose the following landmarks and start running fast.
- Perform 5-6 of these intervals and finish with a cool-down of 10-15 minutes of calm running. Finish your workout feeling slightly tired rather than exhausted.
For beginners, you can try alternating between running at a conversational pace and walking. This will help the body adapt to the stress and will not discourage the desire to exercise due to overexertion or injury.
How to do a programmable fartlek
If you prefer to focus on the clock rather than your own body, try it the following fartlek variations.
3 minute intervals
Do the following:
- warm-up run for 20 minutes at an easy pace, about 70–75% of maximum heart rate;
- 3 accelerations for 30 seconds at 95–100% of maximum speed after 1 minute of slow jogging;
- 3 accelerations for 1 minute at 95% of the maximum after 1.5 minutes of quiet running;
- 3 accelerations for 2 minutes at 90–95% of maximum speed after 2 minutes of recovery;
- 3 accelerations for 1 minute at 95% of the maximum after 1.5 minutes of slow running;
- 3 accelerations for 30 seconds at 95–100% of maximum speed after 1 minute of recovery;
- 15 minutes of quiet running as a cool down.
Fartlek with reduced acceleration time
The lesson is structured like this:
- warm-up - 10-15 minutes of quiet running;
- 2 intervals of 90 seconds of fast running followed by 90 seconds of slow running;
- 4 accelerations of 60 seconds after 60 seconds of a calm pace;
- 4 intervals of 30 seconds of fast running followed by 30 seconds of slow running;
- 4 boosts of 15 seconds with a 15 second cooldown;
- cool down - 10-15 minutes of slow running.
Fartlek step by step
In this option, intervals are determined not by time, but by the number of steps.
Do 10 fast steps and 10 slow ones, then 20 fast ones and 20 slow ones, 30/30 and so on until you get to 100. Then start decreasing the number of steps by 10 per interval until you again reach the 10 fast and slow steps you started with.
Fartlek with extended rest time
Perform 10 accelerations for 45 seconds with a rest of 1 minute 15 seconds. Thus, one interval will take 2 minutes, and the entire workout will take 20 minutes.
Don't forget to warm up before the fartlek - 15-20 minutes of calm running and cool down - 10-15 minutes of jogging after.
Pyramid with unequal rest
After 15 minutes warm-ups run at this pace:
- 30 seconds fast, 30 slow;
- 1 minute fast, 1 minute slow;
- 1.5 minutes of acceleration and 1.5 minutes of recovery;
- 2 minutes fast, 1 minute slow;
- 2 minutes of acceleration, 1 minute of calm;
- 1.5 minutes fast, 1 minute slow;
- 1 minute fast, 1 minute slow;
- 30 seconds acceleration, 30 seconds calm.
After training, do a cool-down - 10-15 minutes of quiet running.
How often and for how long to do fartlek
Incorporate fartlek into your training plan 1-2 times a week, alternating it with long, gentle runs. Do not do interval training two days in a row; there should be 2-3 days of rest between them.
Start with 30 minutes of 5-6 intervals and gradually increase to 10-12. After a month, you can increase the fartlek duration to 45-60 minutes.
Run, Forrest, run!🏃♂️
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