What is Fartlek Training?

October 20, 2016

Hi and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

If you read my guide to runner’s lingo, you’ll have seen the phrase ‘fartlek training’.  So what is it exactly, and how will it improve your running speed?  In this blog post I’ll go through everything you need to know about fartlek training.

What does fartlek training mean?

Meaning ‘speed play’ in Swedish, fartlek is a training method that blends continuous training with interval training. Simply put, fartlek training is periods of fast running intermixed with periods of slower running. For some people, this could be a mixture of jogging and sprinting. However, this can work for beginners also, simply combine walking with jogging sections when possible.

How does fartlek training work?

When you do fartlek training, you ‘play’ with speed by varying the intensity level and duration over distances of your own choice. So this would work by sprinting, jogging, speeding up again and then repeating.

Runners often use items or landmarks when they are using fartlek training. A basic example of this for the average run around the block is to:

1. Sprint all out from one lamppost to the next
2. Jog to the corner
3. Give a medium effort for a couple of streets
4. Jog between four lampposts
5. Sprint to a stop sign

You would the normally repeat this for a set total time or distance.

The variable intensity and continuous nature of the run places stress on the aerobic and anaerobic systems. Fartlek training differs from traditional interval training in that it is not as structured – the speed and intensity can vary as the athlete wishes.

What are the benefits of fartlek training?

There are many benefits of adding fartlek training to your routine. These include:

• Speed and endurance – as it stresses both the aerobic and anaerobic energy pathways
• Killing boredom and repetitiveness – If you’re a recreational runner, fartlek training offers a creative, less structured form of interval training that shakes your training program up.
• Sheds calories – as fartlek running forces you to work at a higher energy level, the level of calorie burn and energy expenditure is greater.

When should I do fartlek training?

It is recommended that you do at least one fartlek workout per week, depending on your current fitness level and your training goals.

If you have never done any speed work before, then an easy fartlek session every other week will be enough to help you improve without doing too much too soon. However, if you’re a regular runner who’s looking to race your best, then the best time to start fartlek runs is when you are making the transition to more challenging running.

Until next time,

Mohsin Salya