7 replies to this topic

[PhilT]

Hi guys, just a quick question.

I'm just getting into Fartlek training, now assuming I'm running the same course/distance as my normal runs, should the overall time it takes to complete the distance be longer or shorter than normal?

[Tony123]

I dont think it matters, as long as you run hard 5-6 times at approx 1-2 mins each then you will get the benefit of the fartlek session.  I wouldn't worry about overall time, your main concern should be holding your form during the fast bits.

[KarmaPolice]

Theoretically your fartlek overall time should be slower than running the same distance as hard as you can.  Having said that, it can be faster than your steady run speed.

Fartlek is often done rounds big parks, so it's hard to measure times and distances.  It's all about the effort, and how knackered you want to be at the end of each hard bit.  Go too hard too early and you'll go into oxygen debt and ruin the session.  Better to start slightly too slow and build to a faster pace on each one.

Look up the Mona fartlek - that's a good solid 20 min one.  The Kenyans do a 2-1 fartlek (2 mins hard 1 min easy) and sometimes a straight 1-1 fartlek.  The classic one at the track (call it interval or fartlek, there's not much difference) is 400s hard (say 3km pace) and a 200 float (long run speed).

Work out what you want from the session.  Is it to get used to running at a certain race pace?  And make sure the recoveries aren't too slow.

[Victory11]

KarmaPolice, on 20 April 2011 - 10:56 PM, said:

Theoretically your fartlek overall time should be slower than running the same distance as hard as you can.  Having said that, it can be faster than your steady run speed.

Fartlek is often done rounds big parks, so it's hard to measure times and distances.  It's all about the effort, and how knackered you want to be at the end of each hard bit.  Go too hard too early and you'll go into oxygen debt and ruin the session.  Better to start slightly too slow and build to a faster pace on each one.

Look up the Mona fartlek - that's a good solid 20 min one.  The Kenyans do a 2-1 fartlek (2 mins hard 1 min easy) and sometimes a straight 1-1 fartlek.  The classic one at the track (call it interval or fartlek, there's not much difference) is 400s hard (say 3km pace) and a 200 float (long run speed).

Work out what you want from the session.  Is it to get used to running at a certain race pace?  And make sure the recoveries aren't too slow.

yeah we do monafartlek probs every 3rd saturday, a good workout when done properly. usually alternate with short (2-3min) and long (5-10min) intervals.
if you dont know already, is 2x1min30s hard w/ 1min30s floating (fast jog) recovery between each, 4x1min hard w/ 1min floating recovery, 4x30s hard w/ 30s floating rec, 4x15s hard w/ 15s floating rec for a total of 20mins.
and agree, our coach places a real emphasis on making sure the recoveries arent too slow, would probably aim to do recovery 30-45s/km slower than the efforts.

Edited by Victory11, 23 April 2011 - 09:29 PM.

[Bellthorpe]

Sounds good.

Of course, it's not fartlek ...

[osmium]

When I do a Fartlek it's completely unstructured and covers a range of paces for a range of times. For example, I will warm up for ~10mins then just start picking random points ahead and decide to run a bit harder, then slower for a bit. That tree is a good distance away, I'll sprint, slower to recover until I feel ready and then faster again. I thought the whole point of a Fartlek is that it is "speed-play". If you start prescribing times and paces it's more like a standard interval session. The overall pace of my Fartlek runs tends to be slightly quicker than my easy pace. This is due to the warm-up and cool-down sections and the recovery being slower, but the faster intervals pulling the pace down overall. But I don't focus on my overall pace at all on Fartlek days. It's a good run to do on trails too.

[Bellthorpe]

Aha! Someone who actually understands what fartlek is.

[AlunDavies]

Bellthorpe, on 24 April 2011 - 09:31 PM, said:

Aha! Someone who actually understands what fartlek is.

'Speed play' if I recall, the whole point of it being that it's not as structured as, dare I say, the intervals outlined above