Improve your speed and endurance with fartlek training

Fartlek, or ‘speed play’ as it translates from Swedish, is a form of interval training consisting of intermittent hard efforts of varying length in a session combined with easier efforts that usually lasts more than 45 minutes. Its purpose is to stress both the aerobic and anaerobic systems to varying degrees. Fartlek training is generally associated with running, but can include almost any kind of exercise.

When training, it is important to develop all aspects of our physiology, particularly our capacity to deal with lactate (the lactate threshold is the point that marks the beginning and the end of high-intensity performance in a session). How much we focus on specific types of training depends on our weaknesses, short-term goals and the type of racing we do.

The benefit of fartlek training is that while its duration is such that aerobic benefits take place, the bouts of effort produce lactate which your body will either tolerate (clear and partially recycle as fuel) or accumulate, depending on how hard the effort is,. The amount and intensity of recovery between efforts will also dictate whether your body manages to clear any accumulated lactate.

A structured fartlek run session might be 10 minutes warm up followed by 2 x [4 mins effort, 1 min easy, 3 mins effort, 2 mins easy, 2 mins effort, 3 mins easy, 1 min effort, 4 mins easy] with 10 mins cool down. To start you should walk on the easy parts.

An athlete will be able to gradually improve their fartlek sessions over time by increasing any of the variables (distance, either of the paces, or the length of harder effort).