This is the perfect session to include after a base-building phase of training when you are starting to include speed work. Speed work is an important training session for all runners, as well as triathletes, to make you faster.
Each week I will be posting the Friday Fartlek Run Sessions that you can do to enhance your running. Fartlek is a Swedish term that runners often use and it means speed-play. See a previous post about training intensity (levels) to know how hard to work.
Mona Fartlek
- 10min Level II WU;
- 2x 90sec FAST Level V, 90sec Float Level II RI;
- 4x 60sec FAST Level V, 60sec Float Level II RI;
- 4x 30sec FAST Level V, 30sec Float Level II RI;
- 4x 15sec FAST Level V, 15sec Float Level II RI;
- 10min Level II CD;
- 10min Stretching
The warm-up (WU) should be done at an intensity that is steady but not overconsuming at Level II for ten minutes.
The main sets are made up of a number of short reps with a light float in between of the same duration.
The first one is made up of two reps of 90 seconds duration at Level V, with a 90-second float at Level II for your Rest Interval (RI).
The second set is made up of four 60-second repeats at Level V, with a 60-second float at Level II for your Rest Interval (RI).
The third set is made up of four 30 seconds repeats at Level V, with a 30-second float at Level II for your Rest Interval (RI).
The final set is made up of four 15-second repeats at Level V, with a 15-second float at Level II for your Rest Interval (RI).
The Cool Down (CD) is at a low-intensity jogging (Level II) for a minimum of ten minutes.
Finish with 10 minutes of stretching to assist with the recovery.
Here is a Heart Rate (HR) (red line) and Pace (green line) from one of my clients completing this session.
This session is credited to Steve Moneghetti, an Australian runner, who won medals at the Commonwealth Games in 1986, 1990, 1994, and 1998. His first marathon was at the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games where he won the bronze medal. He is still the record holder for Sydney’s City to Surf run which he set 25 years ago.
He holds PBs of:
- 5,000m – 13:25.77
- 10,000m – 27:47.69
- Half Marathon – 1:00:27
- Marathon – 2:08:16
Here is a Strava link for when I’ve done this session:
