introduction to fartlek
By K10 Patel / Dec 28th, 2023
Fart is a prefix in the word fartlek, however, the two words are not related at all. Fartlek might sound dirty and smelly but it does not have anything to do with farting.
Fart is an informal way to describe the release of gas. Fartlek is a term in the Swedish language which most Swedes would not recognize by the way. Fart means ‘speed’ and lek means ‘play’, hence the term fartlek means speed play. It is basically a training method for runners to vary their pace throughout the workout. You would mix in periods of fast running with slower running or walking. Fartlek can be adapted by any runner in the community since it is a method implemented at various fitness levels. Varying your speed during a workout can improve fitness and performance because adapting your body to various speeds consistently gets it accustomed to faster paces over a long distance.
How Can Fartlek Training Improve My Running Performance?
Here are three ways that fartlek training can benefit you:
1. For the Mental Push
When I reach towards the end of my half marathon, I know that I’m pushing myself to the end regardless of how tired I feel. With fartlek training, you are pushing your limit by training your mind that you can keep pushing and keep going on. Varying that speed in practice runs allows you to develop a strong mind that you can keep going or change up the speed as you need to. The mental push that fartlek training engrains in your mind is well worth it, so you should try and mix in fartlek training in your runs.
2. For the Boost in Performance Within Other Sports/Exercises
If you are anything like me, running is not the only exercise you perform. I play tennis during the summer months, as well as cycling, strength training, and rowing. Fartlek training boosts your fitness in other exercises where fast running is followed by periods of slow running which can also be referred to as anaerobic (sprinting) periods and aerobic (recovery) periods. Basketball is the first sport that comes to mind since going on offense typically involves high intensity versus going on defense which involves a lower intensity period. The boost in performance is not limited to sports and you can notice a difference in all non-sport activities too such as
3. For the Flexibility
Fartlek training can be adapted anywhere – On your treadmill at home, on the running track at the sports complex, or any hill, trail, or road. It is important to mix up your runs so that the route and the type of run do not get redundant. Mix in some fartlek runs to keep it interesting. The flexibility of fartlek training can be suited for anybody from the rookie level to elite athletes. Over time from doing these fartlek workouts, you will notice the improvement to speed and endurance you have built.
How Can I Incorporate Fartlek Workouts into My Routine?
There are many ways to incorporate fartlek into your training schedule. During a long run, fartlek can be mixed in by running at a faster pace every 10 minutes of your run. During the 10-minute stretch you would be running at your normal pace, then run at the faster pace for approximately one minute before returning back to your normal pace. You can repeat this process for the entire long run.
If one minute is too long of a time to run at the faster pace, then you can adjust the faster pace duration to anywhere between 30 to 50 seconds. The faster pace can be anything from 15 seconds to 30 seconds faster than your normal pace. Over the course of consistent fartlek training, you can build up the faster pace durations to two minutes or more.
During short runs, you can pick landmarks. From the point you are at to the landmark you have selected, run at a faster pace. This only works if you are running outdoors, so if you are using a treadmill, I recommend changing the speed from 0.3 mph to 1 mph faster than your normal speed. This faster pace can be maintained for approximately one minute. If one minute at the faster pace cannot be achieved, then shoot for a shorter duration.
An alternative to adjusting the treadmill speed is to increase the incline percentage. For example, run five minutes at 2% incline at 6.0 mph, then run one minute at 4% incline at 6.0 mph, followed by five minutes of running at 2% incline at 6.5 mph. Repeat this process by increasing the speed by 0.1 mph with each round.
Whether you are fartlek training on a long run or short run, you should not stop after the faster pace duration. Try to maintain your standard pace or go at a slower than standard pace because this is not intended to be interval training where you stop to recover. Part of the fartlek training process is to build endurance, so do not overdo the faster pace duration or come to a complete stop during your run to recover.
Final Thoughts
Other than being a cool word to say, fartlek is a great way to mix up your running routine. Consistently using fartlek in your training can build endurance, speed, and most importantly strengthen your mental mindset. Fartlek training is demanding; therefore, it should not be done every day. No more than approximately 20% of your training schedule should include fartlek runs and no more than two runs per week should include fartlek sessions. Try building fartlek runs into your schedule and see how it pans out for you.