Fart = speed
Lek = play
Fartlek (speed play) can provide an excellent endurance and strength session, as well as help improve your speed and race awareness.
News To Me :)
Up until yesterday I had no clue what this term of running was. Since I have chosen a Matt Fitzgerald training plan to take me to a half iron and full iron for next year I have committed myself to sticking with the plan and last night was the beginning of what I am sure is more to come.
The workout of was as follows:
8 x 30 seconds bursts followed by a brief intensity recovery run for a total of 35 minutes.
I warmed up with close to a mile of running and then off I went with my first “burst” and basically did an all out sprint for a solid 30 seconds. Instant sweat so I must be on track. At one point I lost count of my “bursts” so I added one for good measure. Some of my "bursts" had hills and some where on flats. The time flew by and the workout was over before I knew it! Strangely I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. As Scott and I road home I was pleased with the workout and really felt that I left everything I had out there on the road.
This week has been good. Training has called for some intense (to me) cycle workouts. Add in some yoga, and several Ab lab sessions and I am pleased with progress. I have also returned some focus to making sure I am eating the right foods to fuel my body. Seems that I have not been hitting the water marks lately so I am back to counting bottles. Drink…drink…drink. I am also not indulging in the beers as I was. Limiting those helps me feel sharper throughout the week. Still a nice cold one lands in my hand once or twice a week.
This weekend I have an adventure picked for my cycle ride. Since the workout calls for a 2 ½ hour ride I have schemed up a very scenic, hilly ride traveling towards the mountains where my father lives. This is new territory for me on my bike. Scott will follow behind me in case I run into trouble. Likely will not but I am not up for a 65-70 mile round trip ride to and from my dad’s house just yet.
Merry Christmas to all,
Robin
21 comments:
I can't believe you haven't heard of Fartleks before? That's one of the funniest terms in running there is... Well, I can think of a few INAPPROPRIATE ones :-)
but I don't think you are supposed to go all out on the fartlek. I could be wrong. I never really did any of those until Liz gave me some in a workout, but I think those were more like strides.
Anywho, good stuff! Have a fun bike ride. I rode today for the firs time since Nov 1st! Woot!!!
Yeah, fartlek was a relatively new term to me a few years back and I used had trouble saying it without giggling :-)
Great to hear you have a training plan picked out and you're on your way!
hahaha, trust Wes!!
Enjoy them along with hill training and you're good to go!!
oh, yes, well, there will be other things like swimming & biking too!
Merry Christmas!
Oh I love a new bike adventure. Good luck and have fun!
Great job on the fartlek run. :)
Glad you met fartlek and enjoyed it. It is fun.
I'll take beer over fartlek, hmm that's fartlekey funny.
Enjoy the pain, hill repeats for me tonight, Uwharrie Mtn Run in Feb 09, joy, joy.
mike
Congrats on your first fartleks! It's something I have never 'officially' tried, but hope to incorporate, preferably when the ground is dry so I don't risk an ugly wipe out!
Have a great ride to the mountains. You should bring a camera!
have a great ride! I need to add some fartleks too, but like Marlene, waiting till it's clear dry pavement :) Enjoy!
The great thing about Fartleks is that you can just drop one whenever you like....what, what's funny about that!?
Next to LSD, these are my next favorite running drug of choice.
It's so fun to be running along a trail, and just shoot of with a burst of energy and let the trees fly by.
I'm spying a box right now with a lot of restraint......It's talking to me......
Nice job with the Fartleks! I think it is awesome that Scott will be riding behind just in case. You guys are so cute.
I like fartleks soooo much more than the structured 400, 800, 100, etc . . . I guess maybe because it seems like a more relaxed way of running hard (if that even makes sense?!?LOL)
I've never done those either. I mean I've done sprints in a run, but nothing organized. Sounds cool that it went by for you pretty quick.
Hope your bike ride went well (or is going well)!
Nice job on the fartleks and the rest of your training regimen. Merry Christmas!
Fartleks rule! They are usually my favourite workouts.... have fun!
"Fartlek" still makes me giggle. But I'm glad they treated you well! Happy holidays!!
ahhh another exercise that I need to add to my monthly workouts...thanks for the reminder ...where is my list?
Merry X-Mas!
fartlek, i know, you can't say it without laughing, if bathroom humor makes you laugh.
the track makes me feel like that too.
How did the ride go to your dad's?
Hugs,
S
Sounds like your right on track. I love fartlek training as well. I always feel faster when I start running at my regular pace. Merry Christmas.
Maybe you do do not remember.....I spoke of using fartlek methods about 8 months ago. Can use in all sorts of ways - pool, bike or running. But not necessarily always absolutely "flat out" eg run combined with walk is fartlek. But need to keep moving. Useful in the pool - do one lap steady, next fast and repeat.
Flat out work followed by slow, until heart rate slows is really a bit different - allows quicker cardio development in less time than a long endurance run/swim/ride. It can be tough.
The new livery on the blog is a bit of a blast!
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