26 replies to this topic

[lgrombach]

Ive been running for a while and usually go for 5-10km runs during the week and longer runs on the weekend. I know there is loads of info on fartlek but how exactly does it work, like how would I incorporate it into my 8k runs for example and what are the benefits of it. my 5k times are around 26mins my 10k times are around 55mins and I would like to drop those significantly, any other tips on how to make me faster?

thanks Lars

[Gordo31]

Fartlek and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) are great ways to increase speed, strength and lose fat.

Basically they are a way of teaching your body to work in an anaerobic state. Your body switches from using fat and oxygen as fuel to using glycogen (carbohydrates). By running hard for various times and distances and then resting in between you're learning how to run fast. Intervals can vary between 400m sprints to 3km hard sections.

You'll easily be able to slot it in to replace your normal runs. Start with an easy 10min warm up jog... then do 5 sets of 400m with 400m rest (walk or jog) and then an easy cool down jog. Of the 8k you'll have done, only 2k will be at a high intensity. Go easy initially till you get the hang of them. Don't forget all your sections should be the same pace. Don't wear yourself out in the first one and have nothing left for the last. The intervals will then get longer or more repetitions, just mix it up a bit.

Your paces (going on your 10K time) will vary from 4:50m/k's to 5:20's depending on distance. Check out this page for paces.

I'm sure there will be other people that can explain it further/better, but it's the best I could do at 5:30 in the morning before work.

Enjoy them and good luck.

Edited by Gordo31, 21 October 2010 - 04:30 AM.

[lgrombach]

Thanks a lot Gordo31, much appreciated will definitely try this out on my training run tomorrow

[McKnickers]

You'll easily be able to slot it in to replace your normal runs. Start with an easy 10min warm up jog... then do 5 sets of 400m with 400m rest (walk or jog) and then an easy cool down jog. Of the 8k you'll have done, only 2k will be at a high intensity. Go easy initially till you get the hang of them. Don't forget all your sections should be the same pace. Don't wear yourself out in the first one and have nothing left for the last. The intervals will then get longer or more repetitions, just mix it up a bit.

Your paces (going on your 10K time) will vary from 4:50m/k's to 5:20's depending on distance. Check out [url="http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm"]this page for paces.[/url]

I'm sure there will be other people that can explain it further/better, but it's the best I could do at 5:30 in the morning before work.

Enjoy them and good luck.
[/quote]
Can i check the distance....I'm probably thick! You've said do 5 sets of 400m with 400m rest, this totals to 4km....am I missing something...also a newbie Fartleker  

[Tony123]

McKnickers, on Oct 21 2010, 10:40 AM, said:

Can i check the distance....I'm probably thick! You've said do 5 sets of 400m with 400m rest, this totals to 4km....am I missing something...also a newbie Fartleker  

There is only 2km at high intensity (5 x 400m).  The 400m rest between sets is recovery and is not counted as part of the high intensity

[LukeF]

Tony123, on Oct 21 2010, 11:17 AM, said:

There is only 2km at high intensity (5 x 400m).  The 400m rest between sets is recovery and is not counted as part of the high intensity

This is sounding a lot like an interval session - I thought fartlek, 'speed-play', was building adhoc quick sections into an otherwise 'normal' run. For example, running quick to the next corner, taking it easy, running quick to another landmark, and so on.

[Gordo31]

LukeF, on Oct 21 2010, 03:27 PM, said:

This is sounding a lot like an interval session - I thought fartlek, 'speed-play', was building adhoc quick sections into an otherwise 'normal' run. For example, running quick to the next corner, taking it easy, running quick to another landmark, and so on.

They are pretty much the same thing.

[toddstar77]

newbie here and loving the wealth of information... thanks for this thread as it's exactly the same mission I am on. 5km times are 24mins and 10km times 52mins but looking to take those to a sub 24/50.....

[lgrombach]

just went sub 24 today (by 1 second) but hey it counts, you can check out my runs at www.larsgrombach.com

[Tony123]

lgrombach, on Oct 30 2010, 09:07 PM, said:

just went sub 24 today (by 1 second) but hey it counts, you can check out my runs at www.larsgrombach.com

Well done on the sub 24.  Was there a 5km run on today in Melb?

[osmium]

Congrats on the improvement in time.  

I'm certainly not an experienced  runner, but when I do a Fartlek run I certainly don't map out the distances and times in advance of the session. It's speed-play, so that is how I treat it. I'll warm-up for 10-15min, then I just alternate faster and slower running and different intensities. For example, ~400m at 5K pace, 2min at easy pace, a few strides, easy jog, 1km at MP, easy jog and so on. Choosing different landmarks to control distances etc. So I end up running a whole range of paces and it's great fun. When I do 400m repeats I consider that an Interval session, rather than Fartlek. Both great, but in my training I certainly do them quite differently.

[MaddRunner]

Quote

I'm certainly not an experienced runner, but when I do a Fartlek run I certainly don't map out the distances and times in advance of the session. It's speed-play, so that is how I treat it.

That's how I treat my Fartlek sessions as well. Constantly varying effort and pace, and definately not 'measuring' the distance as I would in a track/interval session. It's speed-play so I think of it as 'fun', listen to my body and go with what I feel.

[Gordo31]

MaddRunner, on Oct 31 2010, 02:36 PM, said:

That's how I treat my Fartlek sessions as well. Constantly varying effort and pace, and definately not 'measuring' the distance as I would in a track/interval session. It's speed-play so I think of it as 'fun', listen to my body and go with what I feel.

If you go with the 'feel' of your body, then you may not push yourself hard enough. But if you err more on the side of speed PLAY then it sounds like a great exercise to inject some fun into your harder sessions.

[lgrombach]

Tony123, on Oct 30 2010, 09:10 PM, said:

Well done on the sub 24.  Was there a 5km run on today in Melb?

yea it was in Malvern east

[NKOTB]

lgrombach, on Oct 20 2010, 09:50 PM, said:

Ive been running for a while and usually go for 5-10km runs during the week and longer runs on the weekend. I know there is loads of info on fartlek but how exactly does it work, like how would I incorporate it into my 8k runs for example and what are the benefits of it. my 5k times are around 26mins my 10k times are around 55mins and I would like to drop those significantly, any other tips on how to make me faster?

thanks Lars

Lars,
      I'm not sure how long you have been running and how's your weekly runs are like. I suggest you look at the 10km training threads as there are some good info about how to improve your time. Things like different type of runs and pace. As for fartlek, I haven't tried it myself as I tend to like to run at tempo speed until recently where i am now doing long easy run.

NKOTB

[mbev]

Gordo31, on Oct 31 2010, 01:50 PM, said:

If you go with the 'feel' of your body, then you may not push yourself hard enough. But if you err more on the side of speed PLAY then it sounds like a great exercise to inject some fun into your harder sessions.

I use the 'feel' of my body as I don't have a garmin etc to judge speed. Feel is more a way of judging effort, how hard etc I want/need to push myself. I'm not very good at approximating distances so I can't say "I want to make it to the end of the street in 3 minutes, as it's about 800m" (or whatever). If I do know the distance then I will also use time as a benchmark to push my effort.

If I feel I'm going to throw up, I may have pushed myself hard enough  

I don't think I was totally clear before on what I meant.
Edit: I still think I'm not very clear on what I mean...

[rashellybelly]

Another newbie here and I'm so excited!  Been running for about 5 years on and off (uni, kids) and after completing 8km event in Mother's Day Classic this year, I have decided to start working towards higher goals.

Did some interval/hill work with a running group through winter (when I wasn't ill!) and I loved it.  Really improved my performance.  No time right now to do the group again but am really enjoying reading all these tips on how incorporate strength/endurance training into a regular run.

I really like this idea of "speed play", sounds like fun!  I regularly run approx 5.3km in just on or under 30 mins and recently did first 12km event in 01:12 so would really like to get my 5km down to about 25 mins and aiming to do a 10km in December in just on or sub 1 hour.

LISA

[Tiddischer]

Gordo31, on Oct 20 2010, 08:29 PM, said:

Fartlek and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) are great ways to increase speed, strength and lose fat.

Basically they are a way of teaching your body to work in an anaerobic state. Your body switches from using fat and oxygen as fuel to using glycogen (carbohydrates). By running hard for various times and distances and then resting in between you're learning how to run fast. Intervals can vary between 400m sprints to 3km hard sections.

You'll easily be able to slot it in to replace your normal runs. Start with an easy 10min warm up jog... then do 5 sets of 400m with 400m rest (walk or jog) and then an easy cool down jog. Of the 8k you'll have done, only 2k will be at a high intensity. Go easy initially till you get the hang of them. Don't forget all your sections should be the same pace. Don't wear yourself out in the first one and have nothing left for the last. The intervals will then get longer or more repetitions, just mix it up a bit.

Your paces (going on your 10K time) will vary from 4:50m/k's to 5:20's depending on distance. Check out this page for paces.

I'm sure there will be other people that can explain it further/better, but it's the best I could do at 5:30 in the morning before work.

Enjoy them and good luck.

Gordo, the initial question was about fartlek and you suggest interval training, as if it was the same. What for? There's a great difference.
So please, don't confuse it.

Gordo31, on Oct 21 2010, 07:31 AM, said:

They are pretty much the same thing.

Definitely not!

LukeF, on Oct 21 2010, 06:27 AM, said:

I thought fartlek, 'speed-play', was building adhoc quick sections into an otherwise 'normal' run. For example, running quick to the next corner, taking it easy, running quick to another landmark, and so on.

This is a right explanation of fartlek.


The difference between intervals and fartlek is that the intervals are very planed programs, with exactly defined lengths and intensities of workbouts and recoveries (moreover most times all intervals are of the same length and intensity, e.g. 15 x 400 m at 5 km race pace with 200 m jog recovery), whereas the fartlek is very unplanned, with very different paces/intensities and durations build in into a continuous run of an hour or even longer, and the decision for pace and length of the next section is made just while completing the previous one. And you can mix all the different paces/energy systems from easy jogging, marathon pace, threshold, VO2max, fast strides and even real sprints.

A second aspect where intervals and fartlek differ: an interval session is a very demanding workout and should not be used to often (not more than 1-2 times a week) and not in every phase of training (for example not during base building), whereas the fartlek is more a kind of sub-quality training and could be done every day all year round.

Edited by Tiddischer, 01 November 2010 - 09:20 PM.

[Gordo31]

Tiddischer, on Nov 1 2010, 10:12 PM, said:

Gordo, the initial question was about fartlek and you suggest interval training, as if it was the same. What for? There's a great difference.
So please, don't confuse it.

My bad.    I'm still learning too.

[Morley]

My thoughts are that Fartlek is a less structured approach to performing quality sessions. You don't need to run them on a track or other measured course or with a watch, heartrate monitor, garman, etc.  To me they are still a quality session with a specific goal such as improving sustained running speed and VO2 Max as with long Fartlek 'sections' of 3 - 5 minutes during a run (some would sustitute 'interval'). With short Fartlek runs aimed at improving anaerobic metabolism and running mechanics such as running more relaxed and comfortable at race pace. These are typically 'running to the end of the street or between trees' at a higher pace than the long Fartlek runs and with a full recovery between efforts. The intensity of the quicker paced section of the Fartlek run, however, is critical in terms of HR, duration (short or long Fartlek) and pace to achieve the intended benefits of the session.

Fartlek purists can have fun with their 'speed play' while others may use the subtle differences to interval training that Fartleking can offer for a more relaxed session but somewhat structured run. My session today after a warm-up was 5 times about 3 min on with about 2 min off and a cool-down for a total run of 7Km. Quicker 3 min sections were about 5K pace and I wasn't concerned at what the recovery pace was other than enough to do all 5 quicker sections at about the same pace. Cheers.

[marf]

I'm a little bit confused  

So, if I run, say 8km, then I just do some speed sessions at random times during my run? Eg: run 1km, then run as hard as I can for a little bit, then ease off, then anothe intense burst, etc etc? No timing or distance checks while doing them?

[Bellthorpe]

That is fartlek at its most basic, yes. Although not necessarily running 'as hard as you can'.

[lactatehead]

If you are inexperienced its all too easy to end up doing very short bursts with long recoveries which is not ideal. I think the best way to do it is to run for certain lengths of time so you ensure that you are doing some high quality aerobic running, eg. 5 x 5 minutes with a 3 minute jog between efforts.

[Morley]

I have cut and pasted some notes on Fartlek I have collected below:

Fartlek - is Swedish for speed play. Fartlek is an unstructured, fun way to introduce speed training into your workout and consists of bursts of speed in the midst of a training run. There are a variety of ways in which to do fartlek and they can be run almost anywhere.

The benefits of fartlek training include:

• Training your body to run anaerobically (meaning without oxygen).
  
• Preparing your legs to absorb and feel a variety of paces.
  
• Enhancing your awareness of your ability to maintain varying paces at different distances.

A fartlek session consists of:

1. Warm up.
2. Run at an easy training pace.
3. Interject bursts of speed for differing distances throughout your run.
4. Vary speed as well as burst times. Bursts should be maintained from 15 seconds up 2 ½ to 3 minutes.
5. Recovery time should equal two thirds of your burst time but needs to be faster than an interval recovery jog.
6. Cool down.

Some guidelines for fartlek training sessions:

• Pick out a landmark and run your fartlek at a consistent pace until it is reached.
  
• Choosing a landmark to mark the end of a fartlek burst should continue until the end of the training run.

Some Fartlek examples include:
1. Run 30 seconds hard followed by a 90 second recovery. Then run 30 seconds hard followed by 75 seconds recovery. Continue to run 30 seconds hard and reduced the recovery period by 15 seconds each time, i.e. 30-90, 30-75, 30-60, 30-45, 30-30. Do 2 to 3 sets.
2. After a 10 minute warm-up smoothly accelerated up to 10K race pace over 30 seconds every 3 minutes during an easy 40 minute run.

[Tiddischer]

lactatehead, on Nov 4 2010, 06:05 AM, said:

If you are inexperienced its all too easy to end up doing very short bursts with long recoveries which is not ideal. I think the best way to do it is to run for certain lengths of time so you ensure that you are doing some high quality aerobic running, eg. 5 x 5 minutes with a 3 minute jog between efforts.

Ok, but then it is again an interval session - planned number of workbouts with planned length/duration and planned recoveries.

Whereas the nature of fartlek is the unplanned and very variable change of speed.

(That does not mean that fartlek is better than intervals or not - but do not confuse the terms and definitions, especially at giving advice to beginners.)

Edited by Tiddischer, 05 November 2010 - 12:58 AM.

[lactatehead]

Tiddischer, on Nov 4 2010, 07:52 AM, said:

Ok, but then it is again an interval session - planned number of workbouts with planned length/duration and planned recoveries.

Whereas the nature of fartlek is the unplanned and very variable change of speed.

(That does not mean that fartlek is better than intervals or not - but do not confuse the terms and definitions, especially at giving advice to beginners.)

I agree that what I suggested is not fartlek going by its traditional definition, but I still maintain that the unplanned type of running is better for experienced runners and not beginners. Maybe an alternative to using a watch would be using a HRM but you still have to make sure that you clock up enough time where you are not just jogging.

[Jameswm]

There are a lot of ways to do the fartlek work.

There is a very simple one on a trail, where you stretch, then easy jog for 10 mins to warm the body up, then 10-12 x 1 min hard 1 min easy.  Each time you do it make the 1 min hard a bit faster, and the 1 min easy should be at about 30-40min run poace, not a slow jogging warm-up pace.  The recovery is a big part of where you get the benefit from it.

There are different, shorter, faster and more intense fartlek sessions you can do if you're concentrating on 800s for example.

Anlother option if you're working on say 5-10km races is do 10-12 (depending on how fit you are) x 2/1 fartlek - that is 2 min hard, 1 min easy.  Despite what others have said, it's still an aerobic workout, because you couldn't run at anaerobic intensity for that long.  Or else hilly fartleks, where you have a hilly course and do laps going hard up the hills and easier down them.  A lot of these fartlek sessions don't have to be too scientific, but can be fun as you work out the pace.  

And frankly, as I just said elsewhere, don't ignore the classic Billat vVo2max sessions, like 10 x 90 seconds hard (at your anaerobic threshhold) and 90 seconds at half of that speed.  Do it at a big oval, where you can map out your distances relatively accurately.  Then go back and do it a couple of weeks later and compare yourself.

You get big increases quickly with some of those sessions.