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A common workout applied to distance runners is the fartlek. Due to their nature, they may be elusive and confusing to some. This week on the A to Z Running Podcast we discuss the ins and outs of fartleks to help you better understand them so you can better execute them in your training.
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MAIN TOPIC: UNDERSTANDING FARTLEKS
A common workout applied to distance runners is the fartlek. Due to their nature, they may be elusive and confusing to some. This week on the A to Z Running Podcast we discuss the ins and outs of fartleks to help you better understand them so you can better execute them in your training.
What are fartleks?
A fartlek is speed play. You’ve likely heard someone note that it’s a direct translation from Swedish. That’s because it was apparently first developed by Swedish coach Gösta Holmér (according to Wikipedia, at least…).
Does speed play sound vague? It’s supposed to be. Within certain parameters, fartleks are designed to be less structured than other workouts. Generally they involve varying speeds and durations during continuous running.
What others have to say about fartleks
- In his book Run Faster from the 5k to the Marathon, coach Brad Hudson describes fartleks in a manner that we see commonly used today, as “20- to 60-second efforts at 1,500-meter to 10k pace. The precise duration and pace do not matter particularly.” (Chapter 4)
- In Healthy Intelligent Training, Dr. Keith Livingstone, writing about Arthur Lydiard’s training methods, describes fartleks as “[involving] a number of short sharp sprints and inclines interspersed with ample aerobic recovery.” (from “Part 3: The Lydiard System”)
- Perhaps the most direct explanation can be found in Daniels’ Running Formula, by Jack Daniels, where he notes, “A single session can also involve a mixture of different intensities and durations of running, along with varying bouts of recovery, something that is typically referred to as fartlek training.” (Chapter 4)
- However, when we asked Barry MaGee to provide more clear direction on this workout, he instead said, “Just have fun; it’s playtime striding!”
Why run fartleks
In the last year and a half and under Barry’s guidance, I have tried to refine both the spirit and intent of fartlek workouts.
Our goal is to become an intuitive runner. In other words, to be better at running.
When we do fartleks, we work through a range of efforts and challenge our bodies to change rhythm. Because we are running faster and breaking habitual pace patterns, we have the opportunity to engage neuromuscularly differently by providing new and various inputs. Yes, running is running, but different efforts can help fire muscles more effectively.
How to run fartleks
Guidelines for fartlek runs include:
- Full recovery in between hard intervals.
- Varying the duration and effort of the hard running.
- Stopping before going anaerobic (but even this can be vague)
When to run fartleks
Fartleks can be used at any time during training. Our athlete Bill asked us a great question and that was, “Does the purpose of the fartlek change during a cycle?” Yes, it may!
Why run fartleks
- Our goal is to become an intuitive runner.
- Neuromuscular activation.
- Counterweight to a current training focus.
WORLD OF RUNNING
First of all, congrats to AtoZrunner, Chelsea, on her 4 minute PR at CIM.
In the episode, we mention interviews with some of those mentioned in this week’s World of Running. If you would like to hear insight from these athletes, check out these episodes.
#1. USATF Half Marathon Champs
(As reported by Letsrun)
- Men’s race: Conner Mantz won his pro debut (after taking NCAA XC only weeks ago)
- Race was a battle! Ultimately came down to a final kick, with Mantz holding of Sam Chelanga
- Mantz’s 1:00:55 half marathon debut is also tied with #8 on the USA all-time list
- Women’s race: Keira D’Amato won her first USA title in rock star fashion
- Hard from the gun and dropped the field before halfway
- Won by over 90 seconds
- 1:07:55 for a championships record and tied #4 in the USA all-time
- Tied with Jordan Hassay
- Only 30sec behind Molly Huddle’s record
- The runner-up position was a battle. Natosha Rogers ended up claiming the silver over Dakotah Lindwurm in a PR time and earning a place on Team USA for the World Half Marathon Championships in China.
- Recent podcast guests Makena Morely, Erika Kemp, and Allie Kieffer were 5th, 6th, and 7th respectively.
- Shawanna White (previous guest) also hit records in the 10m and 20k within the race for age group and SC residents.
- Being the final road champs of 2021, this also marked the crowning event for the circuit title
- For the men: Biya Simbassa took the men’s title over Sam Chelanga and Clayton Young
- For the women: Erika Kemp took the title over Makena Morley and Emily Durgin
#2. New US Olympic Marathon Trials standards
(as reported by Letsrun)
- Change in standards
- Men: from 2:19:00 in 2020 to 2:18:00 for 2024
- Women: from 2:45:00 in 2020 to 2:37:00
- There is a half marathon option that also got stiffer
- Men: from 1:04 to 1:03
- Women: from 1:13 to 1:12
- What does this mean for the numbers?
- If you were paying attention at the time, you recall that a record nearly 800 athletes qualified for the 2020 US trials (about 250 men and about 500 women)
- Based off the new times,
- 150 of those men would have qualified with the marathon time
- But only 83 of 501 women qualified with a marathon performance would have hit the new mark
- Why the change?
- USA actually tried to have stiffer standards in the past but is not permitted to make a qualifying standard more challenging than the Olympic standard
- That changed when the Olympic standards dramatically lowered
- The short answer is that USATF never wanted to have that many athletes qualify in the first place, clearly preferring field sizes of around 100 athletes for the trials race
- Our take? After that many in 2020, it makes sense to tighten it a little… but this much for the women? Nah. That was too deep a cut. But it certainly didn’t hurt the sport having that many…
#3. That Newbury Park boys team is sick!
(As reported by Letsrun)
- First, a quick look back: they recently won the California state meet with 16 points… in cross country, 15 points is a clean sweep one through five, so 16 is like
- Most recently, at the RunningLane Nationals (took the place of Nike Cross Nationals which was cancelled), they not only won with 28 points (a boys team record at this level), they also finished their top 4 runners in 1, 2, 3, 6 positions.
- Their 1, 2, 3 sweep all ran faster than Dathan Ritzenhein’s national cross country record of 14:10
- There’s a lot to be said about course difference here, though
- For starters, Dathan ran that time on a slow Michigan course where the second fastest time is only 14:49 (and that same guy, Riley Hough, ran 14:10 at this meet (note the comparison)
- Newbury Park’s top three finishers were Colin Sahlman in 14:03 and twin brothers Leo Young and Lex Young in 14:05.
- Recall that the Youngs have an older brother at NAU (Nico Young) who has been trouncing records himself (in fact, one of those will be mentioned momentarily!)
Notable mention…
Fast times on the indoor track scene, especially by On Athletics Club!
- Olli Hoare reset Australia’s indoor 5,000m record in 13:09
- Geordie Beamish broke New Zealand’s indoor 5,000m record in 13:12
- Nico Young (Northern Arizona University) ran a new USA U20 record in 13:22
- Barry Keane (Butler) ran a new Irish record in 13:25
- George Kusche (Northern Arizona University) ran a new South African record in 13:28
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