The benefits of fartlek are this: the workout is as simple as you need and as difficult as you need, all at the same time. I recall doing a workout at DeSmet High School as a sophomore. As the sophomore team did a workout, ran around the soccer pitch. The idea was to run for 50 meters, sprint 50 meters, jog 50 meters. This was done as Coach blew a whistle, one time we run, two whistle blows we sprint, three whistle blows, we jog. We did this for 4 laps, and we were exhausted. As we stood off to the side of the field, our top senior did the same drill not only much faster, but he did 8 laps on the pitch. The idea was to change gears. The better shape one is in, the higher the level of activity and the more difficult the level of intensity that will be presented to the athlete.
As you get fitter, the harder you will run the one-minute speed runs, and the quicker you will recover in the easy minute.
Mo Ahmed, Grant Fisher, Sound Running, The Ten, photo by Wendy City Video
Your workout for today: March 10, 2022, Thursday: warm-up, 55-minute fartlek, 10 minutes running, then 16 x 1 minute hard, 1 minute easy, 13 minutes running, then cooldown
2022 RunBlogRun Spring Middle Distance Daily Track Training (800m-5000m), Week 9, Day 4
Monday: warm-up, 40-50 minutes moderate running, 6 x 100m stride outs, cooldown
Tuesday: Warm-up, 55 minutes running on trails, 15 minutes easy running, then, 8 times 2 minutes hard, 3 minutes easy, with 15 minutes easy running, and cooldown, (hard running at 1500m pace)
Wednesday: warm-up, 40-50 minutes, moderate running, 6 x 100m stride outs, cooldown
Thursday: warm-up, 55-minute fartlek, 10 minutes running, then 16 x 1 minute hard, 1 minute easy, 13 minutes running, then cooldown
Friday: warm-up, 40-50 minutes moderate running, 6 x100m stride outs, cooldown
Saturday: warm-up, Racing on the relay, 4x400m, plus a 1000m, or an 800m, cool down
Sunday: 65-70 minutes moderate pace, on trails
