Fartlek

Main Training Techiques Page	Fartlek training was first practiced in Sweden with its literal translation being speedplay. In a fartlek session the athlete will vary the speed at which they are moving at different stages of a run over a set distance. A commonly used session might be to do a 5 mile run at a steady aerobic pace and within that do 8 efforts of a minute each faster which will be far more anaerobic. The speeds of the two sorts of running would depend on the individual, but it is important that there is a distinct difference in the two paces. An athlete will be able to gradually improve this session over time by increasing any of the variables (distance, either of the paces, or the length of harder effort). There is no reason why three different paces should not be included. This kind of session is often more fun than a steady run and can help an athlete psychologically break up a routine, if they feel they are stuck in a rut. As well as being fun it is a relatively easy session mentally since there are no strict targets to worry about.
Running Sessions
Find out about Online Coaching