Vary your runs by adding some speed play. We talk about how to a run a fartlek session.
What is Fartlek?
Fartlek is probably the running world’s most misunderstood word. It means ‘speed play’ and was devised in the 1930’s by two Swedish runners who were trying to break the four minute mile. Part of their training involved going out into the forest and running according to how they felt on that day. If they were tired they would just jog and do the odd Sparkle but if they felt fresh they would do more faster running. It was a recovery session.
Fartlek is Not an Interval Session
Today fartlek is often packaged as an interval session with timed repetitions and intervals of recovery. This is a long way from true fartlek though. Fartlek shouldn’t be hard as it is designed to be a recovery session where you listen to to your body and run as you feel.
How to Run a True Fartlek
For a Chatty Sparkly runner a fartlek session is a medium length run. This is because a thorough warm up is needed if you are going to do some fast Sparkling. Walk for three minutes and then run gently for at least fifteen minutes before doing three or four Sparkles. By this we mean gradually building your Sparkle speed with each one you do. Then you are ready to go.
Use the Terrain
To make the most of a fartlek session use the terrain. Where there is a downhill section, run a bit faster. Stretch your legs and cruise at ‘breathy’ pace for as long as you feel like. Find out how to run ‘breathy’here. If there is a short hill why not do a ten second up hill Sparkle.
The idea is to try different speeds during the run but without making yourself tired. As a guide you can do up to 10% of any race distance at that race pace and it shouldn’t tired you. For example the first mile of a half marathon isn’t tiring as is the first 500 metres of a 5k race. But it is better just to run by feel.
Don’t Push Yourself – It’s not a Workout
If you are having to push yourself to get to the next tree or lamp post then you are running too hard. Fartlek should be easy and fun. At the end of the session you should finish thinking like you can do it all again.
Fartlek isn’t Structured
As we have mentioned timed efforts like 4 x 1 minute with three minutes recovery isn’t fartlek. If you are someone who likes sticking to a plan then running to feel can be challenging. But give it a try. As a recovery session it doesn’t matter if one day you go out and only do a couple of Sparkles and have to walk a bit. Another day you may feel like a couple of ‘breathy’ cruises downhill on on the flat. It’s refreshing to be able to do whatever you you feel like. Just have some fun!