Friday Fartlek Run – 3 sets 5x 30-20-10

This workout came from some research published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. The research showed that experienced runners improved their 5km time by 4% over 7 weeks. This session is great for runners from 5km to 10km, especially triathletes.

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.

This workout has come from an article in Runners World about some research about running intervals to improve your 5km time. You can read the article here.

3 sets 5x 30-20-10

• 10min WU Level II;
• 5x 30sec Level II, 20sec Level IV, 10sec Level V;
• 2min Level II RI;
• 5x 30sec Level II, 20sec Level IV, 10sec Level V;
• 2min Level II RI;
• 5x 30sec Level II, 20sec Level IV, 10sec Level V;
• 10min CD Level II;
• 10min Stretching

Start the workout with a Warm Up (WU) for a minimum of ten minutes of easy jogging at Level II.

The main set is made up of reps that are a minute long. Start with 30 seconds at Level II, then increase to Level IV for 20 seconds, before a ten-second sprint at Level V. Each set includes five reps.

Between each set jog at Level II for two minutes. Complete a total of three sets.

The Cool Down (CD) is at a low intensity, jogging (Level II) for a minimum of ten minutes. See the chart below for recommended warm-up durations for various total durations.

Finish with 10 minutes of stretching to assist with the recovery.

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.

Share this post so your friends can benefit as well.

Download the Garmin (.FIT) and Zwift (.ZWO) files for this workout for FREE

Get my Faster 5km 6 Week Challenge with 25% off

6 weeks of training is all you need to do to smash your current 5km time significantly. On the average following, in this programme runners improve by 2 minutes and 51 seconds (7.5%) in the first month.

Some people have improved by more than 5 minutes following this programme!!!

Designed for Runners of ALL abilities who are wanting to run a 5km qwiker, the primary goal of this training plan is to make you FASTER. Chose the programme based on your ability. This programme is for runners that are comfortable running for greater than 60 minutes and want two run sessions per week.

Crafted by myself, Ray Boardman PGDipSportsMed, PGDipRehab, PGCertSc (Exercise Science), BSc (Anatomy), and DipSportsStudies this plan encapsulates my passion for the sport, my experience from competing and coaching in many running events over the last 28 years.

Lasting 6 weeks long this programme can start anytime. Each week includes 3 runs and a stretching session. Although not essential, I recommend using a heart rate monitor in conjunction with a GPS watch (such as a Garmin).

When purchasing use the discount code “web25” to claim your 25% discount.

Prior to using this plan, you should be able to run for greater than 60 minutes.

Purchase of this plan gives you access to my fortnightly coaching calls where you can ask me any training or racing-related questions.

When purchasing use the discount code “web25” to claim your 25% discount.