LIBRARY OF FARTLEK WORKOUTS

What’s your favorite fartlek workout? Fartleks have been a staple of my training for many years, for several reasons. I find them to be more mentally sustainable than having to “answer to the stopwatch” and hitting the track for all speedwork. This keeps me under control and reading by body’s messages rather than being a slave to time and pace. Fartleks are also outstanding for developing feel and self-awareness, two skills in running that are so often neglected these days with the advances in wrist and handheld technology for tracking data.
 
I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite fartlek workouts that I use both for myself and for my athletes. With so many races on hold until next year, this is a great time to use fartlek training to continue establishing that foundation not only of fitness but of healthy running for the long term. When you get ready to prep for specific events in the coming months, you’ll be in a much better position to start getting serious about hitting strict times in training. Always remember, we can’t be in peak form 12 months of the year!
 
Give these a shot and let me know how it goes! If you need a little motivation, here’s some footage of one of the famous Kenyan massive group fartlek sessions

Preparatory Speed
8-10 x [0:10 quick + 0:50 easy]
8-10 x [0:15 quick + 0:45 easy]
8-10 x [0:20 quick + 0:40 easy]
10-12 x [30-45 left footstrikes quick + 1:30 easy]
8-10 x 0:07 hill surges. Walk down between reps
 
Speed
15-20 x [0:45 at 3k effort/1:15 easy]
12-16 x [0:30 at 3k effort/1:00 easy]
10 x [0:30 hill at 5k effort/walk down rest]
 
Speed Endurance
“Minutes” 12-16 x [1:00 at 5k effort/1:00 easy]
12-16 x [0:30 at 3-5k effort/0:30 easy]
“VO2 builder” – 12-16 x [1:00 at 5k effort/0:30 easy]
Three rounds of 4 x [1:00 at 5k effort/0:30 easy, 0:30 at 5k effort/1:00 easy]
 
Critical velocity
8-10 x [2:00 at 8-10k effort/1:00 easy] + [4 x 0:30 at 3k effort/0:30 easy]
5-7 x [3:00 at 8-10k effort/1:00 easy] + [8 x 0:20 at 3k effort/0:40 easy]
4-5 x [4:00 at 8-10k effort/1:00 easy] + [8 x 0:10 at mile to 800m effort/0:50 easy]
 
Tempo
5 x [4:00 at 15k effort – 1:00 easy] + [8 x 0:10 fast/0:50 easy]
4 x [5:00 at half marathon effort – 1:00 easy] + [8 x 0:20 fast/0:40 easy]
3 x [8:00 between half marathon and marathon effort – 2:00 easy] + [8 x 0:20 fast/0:40 easy]
2-3 x [10:00 slightly faster than marathon effort – 2:00 easy] + [4 x 0:30 at 3k effort/1:00 easy]
 
Combo

• 10 minute moderate effort – at least 5:00 rest – [8 x 7 seconds hills] - at least 5:00 rest – [8 x 7 seconds sprint]
• 4 x [2:00 at 15k effort – 1:00 easy – 1:00 at 10k effort – 1:00 easy – 0:30 at 5k effort – 1:00 easy]
• 3 x [3:00 at 8-10k effort – 1:00 easy] – 3 x [1:00 at 5k effort – 1:00 easy] – [3 x 0:30 at 3k effort – 1:00 easy]
• 3-4 x [1:00 fast – 1:00 easy – 0:45 fast – 0:45 easy – 0:30 fast – 0:30 easy - 0:15 fast – 0:15 easy]
• 1 x [10:00 faster than marathon effort – 8:00 slightly faster – 6:00 half marathon effort – 4:00 slightly faster – 2:00 10k effort] 2:00 between each individual segment
• Hill fartlek – on a hilly route, whenever you encounter a hill, pick up the pace as you ascend the hill
• Original fartlek –Pick up the pace however you want, whenever you want. Improvise like the original fartleks!

 
Long

• “Thirds” – first third of run easy – second third moderate – final third tempo
• 4-5 x [5:00 marathon effort – 5:00 easy]
• 4-6 x [3:00 half marathon effort – 12:00 easy]
• “Hot” – Divide any easy/moderate normal run into intervals. For instance a 90 minute run could be done as 6 rounds of 15 minutes with planned two minute cooling and hydration breaks. Intervals don’t have to mean all-out all the time!
• “Speedy”10-12 x [1:00 5k effort-4:00 easy]