Combining shorter more intense sections within a workout with longer more sustained sections can provide your body with a unique training stimulus from which to develop. This workout will enable you to develop these traits whether for distances up to half marathons or within triathlons of varying distances.
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 is often used by runners and it means speed-play. See a previous post about training intensity (levels) to know how hard to work.
The inspiration for this post came from an article in the October 2012 Runner’s World magazine and is designed to build speed and endurance.
Short-Long-Short
- 10min WU Level II;
- 5x 200m Level V, 200m RI;
- 6x 1km Level V, 400m RI;
- 3km Level II RI;
- 2x 400m Level V, 200m RI;
- 200m Level V;
- 10min CD Level II;
- 10min Stretching
Start the workout with a Warm Up (WU) of ten minutes of easy jogging at Level II.
The Main Set involves a number of different hard sets.
Start off with a set of five, 200m reps. Run these hard at Level V, aim for a pace that is 19 seconds per kilometre under your 5k pace (see the chart at the end for target times). Jog for 200m between reps at Level II for your Rest Interval (RI).
Before the next set jog a lap of the track (400m) at Level II.
Next up is a set of six, 1,000 metre reps at a 5k pace (Level V), with a 400m jog at Level II for your Rest Interval (RI).
Before the next set, jog at Level II for three kilometres.
Finish with a set of two 400s and a 200 at whatever maximum pace you’ve got left (Level V effort). Take a 200m jog at Level II between reps 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.
Target times for the opening set of 200s based on your 5km time:
| 5km Time | 200m time |
| 18:00 | 00:39 |
| 19:00 | 00:42 |
| 20:00 | 00:44 |
| 21:00 | 00:47 |
| 22:00 | 00:49 |
| 23:00 | 00:51 |
| 24:00 | 00:54 |
| 25:00 | 00:56 |
| 26:00 | 00:59 |
| 27:00 | 01:01 |
| 28:00 | 01:03 |
| 29:00 | 01:06 |
| 30:00 | 01:08 |
| 31:00 | 01:11 |
| 32:00 | 01:13 |
If you would like further advice feel free to contact me.
I am the Head Coach & Director of Qwik Kiwi – Endurance Sports Consultant.
I specialise in assisting first-timers and recreational athletes to achieve their sporting goals. I can be contacted at coachray@coachray.nz and 021 348 729.
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