Fartlek is a middle and long-distance runner's training approach developed in the late 1930s by Swedish Olympian Gösta Holmér. and interval training, with its “spacing of more intense exercise and rest intervals.” Simply stated, in its widely adapted contemporary forms, Fartlek training is alternating periods of faster and slower running, often over natural terrain, including both “level and hilly terrain.”

While Fartlek training is generally associated with running, it can be incorporated into almost any kind of exercise. The variable intensities and the continuous nature of the exercise stresses both the aerobic and anaerobic parts of the runner's physiology. It differs from traditional interval training by being less structured.<!--Not an encyclopedic source; newspapers are good sources for news, not for facts about the history of sport.-->

An example of its more modern manifestations in the training of serious runners is found in Mona Fartlek, named for Australian distance runner Steve Moneghetti, devised by Olympian Chris Wardlaw. This training style injects speed into a 20 minute session, pairing alternating periods of effort and recovery: 90 seconds on, 90 seconds off (performed twice), then 60 seconds on-then-off, and 30 seconds on-then-off, and 15 seconds on-then-off (each of these performed four times), generally, with intensity (pace) increasing as the effort period shortens, with the specifics determined by coach and athlete.-->

Etymology

The term Fartlek comes from Swedish, Fart the word for speed, and Lek means play, and so “speed-play” It was originally written in upper case, although it now generally appears in lower case. Hence, in its widely adapted contemporary forms, Fartlek training can simply be described as alternating periods of faster and slower exercise (i.e., running), intermixed.

Early uses of Fartlek

In the late 1930s, the decade following Finnish runners' supremacy under Paavo Nurmi, Gosta Holmer was the national coach for Sweden (see Gösta Holmér article), and he devised an approach that has been called as "innovative as any idea in athletics' history", introducing "faster-than-race-pace, simultaneous speed/endurance training" which he termed "Fartlek" (with a capital "f"), meaning "speed play". Described by another, a typical workout might be "seven total miles of running with 4,000 or 5,000 meters worth of lickety-splits [faster-paced intervals], from 40-meter sprints to upwards of 2,400-meter pick-ups".

Fartlek training was, by one account, introduced in the United States, in the 1940s. which was "devised by his&nbsp;... coach Chris Wardlaw&nbsp;... a dual Olympian". has been described as a "cut-down ladder-Fartlek", This would change a normal Fartlek by doing a jog, run, and a full-out sprint.

;Mailbox version

Runners hypothetically "run hard for two mailboxes, recover for three, run hard for three, recover for two." When executing this type, the runner continues like this for the allotted time or distance determined.

;Dog park version

Runners speed up when they get close to a dog in order to pass them; after passing the dog, they would then slow down for the recovery period. Runners can use their music as a template for their Fartlek run by changing their speed according to different parts of a song. For example, they can speed up during the chorus and slow down for the rest of the song.

;Popular beginner's description

Fartlek can simply include periods of jogging combined with short periods of sprinting, or, for beginners, walking combined with jogging; e.g., a person may be asked to "sprint all out from one light pole to the next, jog to the corner, give a medium effort for a couple of blocks, jog between four light poles and sprint to a stop sign, and so on", until the desired distance or running time is reached." Variety can be achieved by changing the amount of distance, time, fast bursts, recovery periods, and even the time at which one does each component.

Race day readiness

For competitive runners, Fartleks and other types of interval runs are key for race day readiness. The alternating speeds that are the defining point of Fartleks allow runners to work "both the aerobic and anaerobic training systems while simulating the ebb and flow nature of competitive running."

Body strengthening

Fartleks keep runners' bodies in top shape so that they can keep racing. Putting Fartlek runs in a workout routine keeps "muscles, tendons, nerves, etc. used in running going at top capacity," keeping their bodies strong enough to maintain the mechanics of racing.

Fat burn

By alternating the "intensity of your workouts, you will burn more calories than you would by keeping a steady pace."

Tempo runs

Tempo runs are typically run for 20 to 25 minutes at a 6 or 7 RPE (out of 10). This exercise is "like an Oreo cookie, with the warmup and cooldown as the cookie, and a run at an effort at or slightly above your anaerobic threshold (the place where your body shifts to using more glycogen for energy) as the filling." Runners warm up at a slow and steady pace, run harder than they would on a normal distance jog for an allotted amount of time, and then do a cool down with a very similar speed to the warm-up.

See also

  • High-intensity interval training
  • Hypoventilation training
  • Long-distance running
  • Long slow distance

References

Further reading

  • What is Fartlek?
  • How do I do Fartlek?
  • Fartlek workout example