Fartlek - Part 1

Although the runner runs 'as he pleases', the runner must ensure that there is a good variety of running at different speeds and over different distances. A runner who uses Fartlek must b honest with themselves and must be able to train hard without supervision.

The key point is to keep your lungs under pressure, never allowing you breathing to either fully recover or be able to talk to someone - keep the intensity of the session above the aerobic threshold at no-talking speed. 55 minutes of jogging and 5 minutes fast running is useless, keep the kettle boiling, keep your heart and lungs working under pressure so that your heart muscle s strengthened and your cardio-vascular system improves- so that there will be a beneficial training effect

The original Fartlek session

Here is a graphic of Gosta Holmer's original Fartlek routine.

Although Halmer's prodigies repeated he whole routine until he end of the time prescribed, personally he author found one cycle of the routine quite enough!

Note that Holmer stated categorically that 'every athlete must remember that he must not feel tired, but rather stimulated by the training.

The benefits of Fartlek

By training with such variety the runner gets to know his abilities and particularly to understand the sensations in the legs. Instead of running a fixed distance and only understanding how to run that distance as if making a science of it, the runner can explore his or her potential in a free spirit. The runner can investigate by running through a rich field of contests, enriching himself with a knowledge of what the limits are to his or her strength, his or her ability to run in which ways, and developing the ability to decide how to run according to the sensations in the legs.

Tactical Applications

In terms of serious racing, Fartlek is very useful because when a rival puts in a sudden hard and searing burst, you can go with him, you will be ready for it, you will be able to do it your self, and you will be able to hold your own in a sprint finish. Indeed, you could structure your Fartlek sessions to develop a tactical armoury.

Psychological Benefits

Continuous running and repetitions running laps of the track can make the runner stale, so a session of Fartlek for a refreshing change when you are stale or jaded is very beneficial psychologically.

Conclusions

You need to be mature runner

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