How to Run Fartleks

Fartleks are flexible speed workouts that are easily incorporated into a regular run. Swedish for "speed play," fartleks should be an enjoyable workout where you choose how fast and how long you run depending on fitness level and how you feel for the day. They can be incorporated into any run but are most effective when used in longer efforts on dirt paths and rolling hills.

Fartleks are a great introduction to speedwork for beginners, runners coming off of a break, or those who need a change in training. They can be a fun way to build strength and speed as well as decrease your risk of injury or overtraining when running fast. Fartlek training allows you to add some exciting variations to your run with a mix of jogging, sprinting, and speed work. Since you won't be keeping the same pace, fartlek sessions also forces you to stay engaged and make active decisions about your running pace as you switch it up.

When running fartleks, you should focus on time instead of distance. If your goal race is 5K, the fartlek potion of the workout should be no longer than 15 to 20 minutes; if you're an experienced runner with a half marathon or marathon on your schedule, 60 to 75 minutes is an appropriate amount of time. Keep in mind that fartlek workouts shouldn't leave you feeling spent. It's called "speed play" for a reason; you should finish your run feeling refreshed.

After you've warmed up, choose a spot or an amount of time to run to at a faster pace. It can be a tree, telephone pole, the ugly purple house at the end of the block — anything, really. Run fast to that spot, how fast is up to you, then jog easily to the place you've picked as the next goal. Don't worry about maintaining an even pace during the faster portions of the workouts, play around with speeding up then slowing down.