For those of you who ran cross country and track, you probably already know what a fartlek is. For those of you who don't, athletes often do fartleks to increase aerobic and anaerobic capabilities. The term "fartlek" was first introduced by a Swedish cross country coach, Gösta Holmér, and literally means "speed play."
Fartlek training is different from interval training in that it is continuous with varying increases in intensity. This type of training is ideal for ultimate conditioning because it incorporates varying spurts with continuous moving recovery in between. It's different from interval training in that you are not aiming to run a certain time for a set distance, with a set recovery time. With fartleks, you can run anywhere because you just have to run for a given amount of time.
Some common examples of fartleks that I did in high school are:
30sec on, 30sec off
1min on, 1min off
So what does "on" and "off" mean?
"On" can basically be any upbeat pace that you feel suits your training. Remember, you want to feel like your sucking air throughout this workout, so don't be afraid to push your limits.
"Off" does not mean stop and lean over with your hands on your knees gasping for air; "off" means jog. After you finish your "on" time, bring it down to a easy jog for a set time and get ready for the next "on" interval.
The glorious thing about fartleks is that you can set the pace to your own needs, and still run it with other people. If you're running the "on" intervals faster than the others, then after the interval is over, just start your jog back to pick up the others. Just because someone is running faster, it doesn't mean they are working harder than you, it just means they are at a different level than you, so don't get discouraged if you fall behind when running with someone else.
Here are some fartleks that I think could be beneficial for your conditioning...
- Any workout should start with a good warmup, so start with a nice 10-15min warmup
- Next, you can find a nice neighborhood that you feel like running your workout through. End your warmup at this neighborhood and stretch out any little things that need to be addressed.
- Now the real work comes...
If you're just starting out, you can do the 30sec on/off or the 1min on/off for a good 15-20min. If you feel like you want more speed endurance, you can adjust it to 1min on 30sec off or 90sec/2min on and 1min off. You can even incorporate a ladder type workout: 1min/45sec/30sec/15sec with 30 sec recovery for each. The possibilities are endless; do what you think is benefiting you the most.
For more information on fartleks:
http://www.time-to-run.com/training/methods/fartlek/definition.htm
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/tips/
