I started running in Aug-2022, was totally new to running, watched and followed many of your tips, and guess what last week did my first 5k in 34:23 and you have no idea how happy I am 😀. Now my confidence is so high, I think I can fly by just Running ;-) Every Tuesday is my Interval Training day and luckily today is Tuesday, definitely doing Fartlet today, will give you feedback after today's run.
This is my primary way of running. Where I live it is hard to find a route with no hard hills, so I do hard efforts up hills, and recover pace to the next hill. I'm working on some badass hills this autumn, building up my strength and breath. 4 uphills, short flats in between, no downhills before the top. Feels like improvement after every run up those hills, but still have some work to do to manage to run them all with no walking in between.
Same well they don’t look like hills but I know they’re inclines, everywhere 😱 it’s tough . So like you I try to go fast up the incline and when I get to the top, I give myself a break going slower , ready for the next one after a minute or two . I want to move back to my old area if was much flatter . But when there was a hill it was very steep
I knew what fartleks were, but I always treated them as picking random distances and speeds on the fly. I’m going to try this workout tomorrow. Thanks for the video!
Update: I did the workout this morning. It was fun to play around with the different speeds, and I was happy that I could distinguish my different running speeds so distinctly. This has earned a place in my workout regimen. Thanks again!
Yeah, we did a less structured version of this in the military. We did what we called Indian Runs. We'd form 2 columns (of people), normally around 10-20 people total, make an opening between the 2 columns, and the people in the back would sprint up to the front, and you'd just keep repeating this for a while.
I’ve heard of fartlek training but never consciously incorporated it into my running, but this explanation was great and I will for sure be integrating it into my runs! Great job Sarah and TRC crew!
Yes, I know about Fartlek and been implementing in my training. But I just came in to watch to learn something new perhaps I did and also just because I enjoy watching running channels content.
That looks like a good workout, Sarah. I knew about Fartlek and used it a few times before seeing this video. Recently I've been running progressive mile paces for 5k's and even managed a progressive 6 mile run which was really tough. There's a challenge for the channel presenters, how many miles or km's can you run, where each mile/km is quicker than the last.
I really like fartleks. I'm not big on intervals or fast running usually, so fartleks are the only time I really mix my pace up. I enjoy them a lot more than just sprinting then walking to recover that most interval session want you to do.
My God! My daughter has a Diwali party happening with her friends and neighbours dropping in! And here I am secretly seeing this session 🫢 Just shows my commitment to your channel 🤗
know it but i am trained and have to know being a coach myself. I will take cones of different colors to set a course through a stadium including stairs etc. And the colors I use set the pace to go and also the way of jogging could be a backward phase for a couple meters could be sidesteps etc. coordinative skills.... and different grounds to run on from grass to asphalt to tartan...
I did not know what Fartlek is, but it makes a lot of sense. It reminds me of what Arnold Schwarzenegger taught about muscle confusion in regards to bodybuilding. He'd always be changing up the amount of weight he'd lift which gave him much better muscle development. He said that you shouldn't allow your muscles to get used to the same amount of stress being applied to them (even if you're always pushing yourself really hard) because they will become accustomed to it and end up plateauing. It makes sense that this would also apply to running/cardiovascular fitness. I'll definitely be trying this out. Thanks for the info! 🙂
I have used Fartlek for many years, but I like the formal time based structure in this video which is new. My version is always 100% freestyle, of course warm up at the beginning, then use visual markers as goals, so race to the tree, jog to the lamp post after that, then sprint to the rock wall, jog to where the trail crosses the road, etc. Farek is fun and a great way to make shorter runs more focused and sprinkled in on long runs to add more intensity. Thanks for sharing!
My brother introduced me to fart leak about 40 years ago and I’ve been using it ever since. Sometimes I run a planned farther like the one in the video and sometimes I really just do what I feel like while I run.
Fartlek workouts helped build speed for my first 5K. I definitely like fartlek workouts because they are easier on the mind and the miles just tik off.
Fartlek is such a broad term nowadays. My favourite or rather the one I feel is most beneficial is something like 15x 2 min on 1 min off, pacing by feel but usually around 10k pace on the flat sections. I find it far more enjoyable and less mentally taxing than an interval session even though it's almost as structured.
I’ve always done Fartlek like intervals with no strict distance - typically picking something to run harder to (e.g. a sign) then recovering and picking something else out.
I was introduced to fartlek running at high school, my PE teacher would set up cones at set intervals around the athletics track and have us alternate our pace between them over the course of 1500m. Now a days I alternate days between a fartlek session and a 5k run day. I use street lights as visible markers as I'm trying to break the habit of constantly checking my watch
Have always done my fartlek "on the fly" picking 4 paces, and random landmarks to run to... Good to do with a buddy where someone picks the landmark, the other picks the pace... sometimes sustaining sometimes slowing down, sometimes speeding up. Keeps the run varied and interesting.
I do fartleks every month, once, mine is given by my coach is: 5min warmum, 5 min jog, 5 min slowly to hard, 3 min recovery jog and then 2 sets of : - (30 sec fast-30 sec walk, 1 min fast-walk; 2 min fast- walk, 1 min, 30 sec) … followed by 5 min cool down. It’s awesome!
One of my hardest workouts ever I did 2 days ago was a fartlek session, where I alternated 10k and 5k pace with marathon pace short recoveries. Tougher than running all out at 10k pace.
Great video and yes, I have known about Fartlek for getting on for 20 years and our club East End Road Runners in London have done them as well as the more usual interval and pyramid sessions
@@runningchannel Its a good session to add a bit of variety and as you say, using lamp posts or football pitches if you are on your own and dont have a track available.
Looks like a great workout. I do fartlek training and even have a fartlek t-shirt. It’s a good conversation starter 😂 The fartlek I usually do is a 10 minute warm up, 2 min on/1 min off hard easy split, 4/2 hard easy split, 6/3 hard easy split, and then back down the ladder. My brain likes the simple ladder, but will definitely try your workout.
Great video. I’ve just done the Great South Run which I trained for with the help of you guys at TRC from barely doing any exercise at all back in April. Now well and truly been bitten by the running bug and am looking to see how I can get faster for my next challenge! P.S. I’d heard fartleks being mentioned in other TRC videos previously, but aside from thinking it was a hilarious word I didn’t really know what they were…
I knew FARTLEK runs they were my fav speed work...tempo and intervals 🤧🤧😭 not so much and I do include them in my weeks once in a while. Never tried such long intervals... Will be trying for sure!!
I did know what fartlek is, but your session is very disciplined! I usually use land marks or "events" and keep it more random and unpredictible... hard until the next car comes by, moderate to the big tree and such... nice work, love your vids...
These things like Fartlek are cool etc but what I would say after a few years of messing about with this sort of stuff is you still get better overall results and gains with good old fashioned intervals, so in terms of a 5k the old 5 x 1km session, 6 x 800m session, 10 x 400m session, mixed in with the long run and recovery days…for me anyway that’s taken me from 35 mins to sub 20 for 5k and works best (although I know more boring!)
I have used them before in marathon training. What do you think about using strict heart rate zones instead of pace goals for each phase of the workout? Would that work?
@@runningchannel Just completed the fartlek workout and it felt really amazing. Trying this fartlek workout for the first time and would definitely include it in my routine running sessions. I had heard of the fartlek before, but could not really understand it well. Thank you once again for clearly explaining this workout routine in simple terms. Have a wonderful day.
Fartlek is awesome, I'm loving it on my marathon training plan, not only does it challenge you to make you running faster and stronger, but it is fun and enjoyable, BTW is there a way I can download this training to my Apple watch?
Kind of like you mentioned, been doing something similar over the yrs but didn’t realise it… i am going doing this routine tomorrow morning 🏃🏻♂️🏃🏻♂️🏃🏻♂️🏃🏻♂️
I fartlek by street furniture, lampposts, park benches etc. I do have a Garmin, which is brilliant tool, especially for stats, but I find pre-programming it frustrating, and reading it on the hoof awkward, as it requires wearing reading glasses. Messing about with glasses when running is more trouble than it's worth.
That’s HIIT training. I think the hardest form of HIIT where I saw the most effective VO2 max gains came from tabata. For jogging it’s 20 seconds at 90% of max heart rate for your age. Then 10 seconds of rest. Repeat 8 times. I’ve done that so much I have to repeat this session multiple times and up hill grades. From the USA.
Is there any evidence of the benefits of timed Fartleks versus just continuous speed play using landmarks etc. Yes I have heard of them and used them before but it’s the above question I’d like to know the answer to so that I don’t have to spend time programming my watch.
Actually, Fartlek is Swedish for, "you'll be in a heap" 🤪Garmin's marathon plan (for this weekend's Dublin race 😬) threw in a couple of fartlek runs, which you had to make up yourself. Hint from experience, do them on a shorter looped course, so you're never too far from home, as they will be a shock to the system, if you've never done them before, but as Sarah said, they are really worth it.
Fart-lek is also where u can fart without worry as its natural n thats only time when this nature is accepted.. I suck at jokes but everytime I hear it I'm like.. farts 😅
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
What’s your favourite running workout? Are you going to give this one a go?
I thought it has something to do with the onions.
I started running in Aug-2022, was totally new to running, watched and followed many of your tips, and guess what last week did my first 5k in 34:23 and you have no idea how happy I am 😀. Now my confidence is so high, I think I can fly by just Running ;-)
Every Tuesday is my Interval Training day and luckily today is Tuesday, definitely doing Fartlet today, will give you feedback after today's run.
This is my primary way of running. Where I live it is hard to find a route with no hard hills, so I do hard efforts up hills, and recover pace to the next hill. I'm working on some badass hills this autumn, building up my strength and breath. 4 uphills, short flats in between, no downhills before the top. Feels like improvement after every run up those hills, but still have some work to do to manage to run them all with no walking in between.
Same well they don’t look like hills but I know they’re inclines, everywhere 😱 it’s tough . So like you I try to go fast up the incline and when I get to the top, I give myself a break going slower , ready for the next one after a minute or two .
I want to move back to my old area if was much flatter . But when there was a hill it was very steep
I knew what fartleks were, but I always treated them as picking random distances and speeds on the fly.
I’m going to try this workout tomorrow. Thanks for the video!
Update: I did the workout this morning. It was fun to play around with the different speeds, and I was happy that I could distinguish my different running speeds so distinctly. This has earned a place in my workout regimen. Thanks again!
Lovely, might try this tomorrow! We Swedes haven't exported many loanwords, but I'm glad fartlek is one of them :D
Yeah, we did a less structured version of this in the military. We did what we called Indian Runs. We'd form 2 columns (of people), normally around 10-20 people total, make an opening between the 2 columns, and the people in the back would sprint up to the front, and you'd just keep repeating this for a while.
I’ve heard of fartlek training but never consciously incorporated it into my running, but this explanation was great and I will for sure be integrating it into my runs! Great job Sarah and TRC crew!
Eat more beans
Yes, I know about Fartlek and been implementing in my training. But I just came in to watch to learn something new perhaps I did and also just because I enjoy watching running channels content.
That looks like a good workout, Sarah.
I knew about Fartlek and used it a few times before seeing this video.
Recently I've been running progressive mile paces for 5k's and even managed a progressive 6 mile run which was really tough.
There's a challenge for the channel presenters, how many miles or km's can you run, where each mile/km is quicker than the last.
I really like fartleks. I'm not big on intervals or fast running usually, so fartleks are the only time I really mix my pace up. I enjoy them a lot more than just sprinting then walking to recover that most interval session want you to do.
Did it today, two rounds. VO2max jumped from 53 to 54! :)
My God! My daughter has a Diwali party happening with her friends and neighbours dropping in! And here I am secretly seeing this session 🫢 Just shows my commitment to your channel 🤗
You are always fun to watch. Yes I knew what Farlek meant.
know it but i am trained and have to know being a coach myself.
I will take cones of different colors to set a course through a stadium including stairs etc. And the colors I use set the pace to go and also the way of jogging could be a backward phase for a couple meters could be sidesteps etc. coordinative skills.... and different grounds to run on from grass to asphalt to tartan...
I did not know what Fartlek is, but it makes a lot of sense. It reminds me of what Arnold Schwarzenegger taught about muscle confusion in regards to bodybuilding. He'd always be changing up the amount of weight he'd lift which gave him much better muscle development. He said that you shouldn't allow your muscles to get used to the same amount of stress being applied to them (even if you're always pushing yourself really hard) because they will become accustomed to it and end up plateauing.
It makes sense that this would also apply to running/cardiovascular fitness. I'll definitely be trying this out.
Thanks for the info! 🙂
I have used Fartlek for many years, but I like the formal time based structure in this video which is new. My version is always 100% freestyle, of course warm up at the beginning, then use visual markers as goals, so race to the tree, jog to the lamp post after that, then sprint to the rock wall, jog to where the trail crosses the road, etc. Farek is fun and a great way to make shorter runs more focused and sprinkled in on long runs to add more intensity. Thanks for sharing!
My brother introduced me to fart leak about 40 years ago and I’ve been using it ever since. Sometimes I run a planned farther like the one in the video and sometimes I really just do what I feel like while I run.
It’s been 15 years since I done fartlex training! Pre season football training! Something I must try again
Fartlek workouts helped build speed for my first 5K. I definitely like fartlek workouts because they are easier on the mind and the miles just tik off.
Fartlek is such a broad term nowadays. My favourite or rather the one I feel is most beneficial is something like 15x 2 min on 1 min off, pacing by feel but usually around 10k pace on the flat sections. I find it far more enjoyable and less mentally taxing than an interval session even though it's almost as structured.
Really awesome Sarah. Might wel do this tomorrow morning!
I’ve always done Fartlek like intervals with no strict distance - typically picking something to run harder to (e.g. a sign) then recovering and picking something else out.
This is what I've been waiting for 🙂 fantastic video
Yes to knowing what fartlek is, long run & hill repeats are my normal go to. Do strides at the end of shorter easy runs.
I was introduced to fartlek running at high school, my PE teacher would set up cones at set intervals around the athletics track and have us alternate our pace between them over the course of 1500m. Now a days I alternate days between a fartlek session and a 5k run day. I use street lights as visible markers as I'm trying to break the habit of constantly checking my watch
Have always done my fartlek "on the fly" picking 4 paces, and random landmarks to run to... Good to do with a buddy where someone picks the landmark, the other picks the pace... sometimes sustaining sometimes slowing down, sometimes speeding up. Keeps the run varied and interesting.
I do fartleks every month, once, mine is given by my coach is: 5min warmum, 5 min jog, 5 min slowly to hard, 3 min recovery jog and then 2 sets of : - (30 sec fast-30 sec walk, 1 min fast-walk; 2 min fast- walk, 1 min, 30 sec) … followed by 5 min cool down.
It’s awesome!
One of my hardest workouts ever I did 2 days ago was a fartlek session, where I alternated 10k and 5k pace with marathon pace short recoveries. Tougher than running all out at 10k pace.
Yes, I knew and also have done it regularly
I think I have misunderstood Fartlek for 15 years! What a great guide and session.
Great video and yes, I have known about Fartlek for getting on for 20 years and our club East End Road Runners in London have done them as well as the more usual interval and pyramid sessions
Great! Are they a favourite of yours?
@@runningchannel Its a good session to add a bit of variety and as you say, using lamp posts or football pitches if you are on your own and dont have a track available.
Love fartlek workouts. Mostly do them by Strava segments on my route. Either try to PR the segments or go for the crown.
Never heard of it. Still learning so much.
I had no idea what it was . Thanks for the video
Looks like a great workout. I do fartlek training and even have a fartlek t-shirt. It’s a good conversation starter 😂 The fartlek I usually do is a 10 minute warm up, 2 min on/1 min off hard easy split, 4/2 hard easy split, 6/3 hard easy split, and then back down the ladder. My brain likes the simple ladder, but will definitely try your workout.
we do Fartlek in the Winter time, it's not monotone training and you stay warm and it's more fun
Great video. I’ve just done the Great South Run which I trained for with the help of you guys at TRC from barely doing any exercise at all back in April.
Now well and truly been bitten by the running bug and am looking to see how I can get faster for my next challenge!
P.S. I’d heard fartleks being mentioned in other TRC videos previously, but aside from thinking it was a hilarious word I didn’t really know what they were…
ooh like the look of this one...i'm gunning for a parkrun PB so definitely gonna give it a try!
I knew FARTLEK runs they were my fav speed work...tempo and intervals 🤧🤧😭 not so much and I do include them in my weeks once in a while. Never tried such long intervals... Will be trying for sure!!
I did know what fartlek is, but your session is very disciplined! I usually use land marks or "events" and keep it more random and unpredictible... hard until the next car comes by, moderate to the big tree and such... nice work, love your vids...
These things like Fartlek are cool etc but what I would say after a few years of messing about with this sort of stuff is you still get better overall results and gains with good old fashioned intervals, so in terms of a 5k the old 5 x 1km session, 6 x 800m session, 10 x 400m session, mixed in with the long run and recovery days…for me anyway that’s taken me from 35 mins to sub 20 for 5k and works best (although I know more boring!)
I have used them before in marathon training. What do you think about using strict heart rate zones instead of pace goals for each phase of the workout? Would that work?
Love a bit of fartlek training. Only started doing it recently but it can really help mix up the speed work and make it a bit funner 😃
You're unstoppable Sarah ^^ ! I love your video it's very motivating ! Great job :)
Glad you enjoyed it Oxim! What's your favourite session?
@@runningchannel "How To Get a 10k PB" (seems really hard) I will try saturday I think :)
Brilliant workout routine, definitely trying out tomorrow morning, thank you so much.
Glad you like it Saif! Have you tried Fartlek before?
@@runningchannel Just completed the fartlek workout and it felt really amazing. Trying this fartlek workout for the first time and would definitely include it in my routine running sessions. I had heard of the fartlek before, but could not really understand it well. Thank you once again for clearly explaining this workout routine in simple terms. Have a wonderful day.
Yes! I love doing fartleks from time to time. Specially when longer distances get boring. 😅
I wonder what perceived effort professional marathon runners aim for during a big race. Maybe moderate-hard?
Like the fartlek method of running.. Thanks for sharing..
I had heard of the word fartlek but didnt know anything about the workouts, looks like fun!
I ll try it already and its incredible☝️
Fartlek is awesome, I'm loving it on my marathon training plan, not only does it challenge you to make you running faster and stronger, but it is fun and enjoyable, BTW is there a way I can download this training to my Apple watch?
I actually heard of Fartlek from Runners World back in the days. It’s a nice way to train especially if you’re getting bored of your usual runs.
Trail running in hills is fartlek itself, so I do it every time. 😃
Did know about fartlek as the running Chanel has covered the subject before, but this is a bit different and an interesting concept. Will try it out.
I have tried fartlek back when I used to run more. I am trying to get back in running shape now, so I think this will be this week's run. :)
Going out this afternoon to try this. Had an agonizing Half Marathon this weekend where I couldn't get comfortable and sustain my goal pace.
Oooo I'll try this out 🙂
Kind of like you mentioned, been doing something similar over the yrs but didn’t realise it… i am going doing this routine tomorrow morning 🏃🏻♂️🏃🏻♂️🏃🏻♂️🏃🏻♂️
Definitely going to give this a go!
Of course I have.
I heard the term but didn’t really look into it! 7 mins moderate hard sounds so tough!
I do know fartlek and it became part of my training. I believe i must try that one: it looks interesting!!
I fartlek by street furniture, lampposts, park benches etc. I do have a Garmin, which is brilliant tool, especially for stats, but I find pre-programming it frustrating, and reading it on the hoof awkward, as it requires wearing reading glasses. Messing about with glasses when running is more trouble than it's worth.
I love the Mona fartlek, you should definitely try it! Named after Australian runner Steve Monaghetti.
That’s HIIT training. I think the hardest form of HIIT where I saw the most effective VO2 max gains came from tabata. For jogging it’s 20 seconds at 90% of max heart rate for your age. Then 10 seconds of rest. Repeat 8 times. I’ve done that so much I have to repeat this session multiple times and up hill grades. From the USA.
My favourite training type, love a bit of Fartlek.
Yes I did
I will try it tomorrow morning, thanks 😊
Let us know how you get on! 😁
I do fatleks. Love them. I'll try this one too. I like the set up and imagine I will love/hate it.....the sign of a good workout.
Is there any evidence of the benefits of timed Fartleks versus just continuous speed play using landmarks etc. Yes I have heard of them and used them before but it’s the above question I’d like to know the answer to so that I don’t have to spend time programming my watch.
Fartleking with a friend is great fun/potentially painful. Take turns to pick landmarks and speeds
What's the difference between fartlek and intervals?
Dulwich Park !!!!
Dulwich park looking lovely :) do you believe there's more to be gained from fartlets over pure interval work?
When i do intervals i never stop, just reduce/increase the speed
This looks like a great workout, and no I've never heard of a fartlek before this and I will be trying out in the morning 👍😁.
You are so cute! 🤗 Thank you for sharing! ✨
how will you modify this workout for a beginner??
Also can you do these with bicycle?
Thank you
Iv heard of fartlek but never really knew what they were. I also have no idea what my 5K, 10k or half marathon paces are.
Yes, but I have always used point to point (usually lampposts). I should take it more seriously 😊
Just Love It Fartlek!!!! 😁
Ja självklart
and some Kenyan Hills please
Had no idea what Fartlek was! My phone obviously did as it was in predictive text!
Filmed in Dulwich park right?
My garmin says i have superior vo2 max at 56 or 57 lol i know thats not correct
I did know. The German word is Fahrtspiel. You might recognize the relationship from the first part of the word.
Actually, Fartlek is Swedish for, "you'll be in a heap" 🤪Garmin's marathon plan (for this weekend's Dublin race 😬) threw in a couple of fartlek runs, which you had to make up yourself. Hint from experience, do them on a shorter looped course, so you're never too far from home, as they will be a shock to the system, if you've never done them before, but as Sarah said, they are really worth it.
"you'll be in a heap"? more like "speed game" , or "speed fun"
I did not know
Just finished a book I borrowed and fartlek was a big recommendation for any distance training. I'll be giving this workout a go.
My favourite workout is 5x1k with jogging in between.
Fartlek is great for windy days. 😉
First time I had heard of fartlek was when it was a question on the chase
I knew what it is but I have never tried it
The term is not only a Swedish term, but also a Norwegian
Oh really? Thanks for letting us know!
I knew, but I favor more simple work outs... I might be lazy haha
Whatever works best for you!
Always thought Farklek was less structured than that
Fart-lek is also where u can fart without worry as its natural n thats only time when this nature is accepted.. I suck at jokes but everytime I hear it I'm like.. farts 😅
This is best way to run faster. I run this every other day. Except repeat until I hit one hour You will need a shower after the run. Enjoy.
Love running them, but do not do them too often
Why not? 😊
@@runningchannel too hard :D
My kids still laugh when I use the word “Fartlek”
So do we 😂