What are fartleks and why are they important to physical fitness?

From Wikipedia - Fartlek, which means "speed play" in Swedish, is a form of conditioning which puts stress mainly on the aerobic energy system due to the continuous nature of this exercise. The difference between this type of training and continuous training is that the intensity or speed of the exercise varies, meaning that aerobic and anaerobic systems can be put under stress. Most Fartlek sessions last a minimum of 45 minutes and can vary from aerobic walking to anaerobic sprinting. Fartlek training is generally associated with running, but can include almost any kind of exercise including cycling, rowing or swimming.

While we haven't truly arrived at the Fartlek as it was intended, the class is well on its way. Fartleks are very important to increasing endurance and for including your maximum heart rate (MHR). Unlike continuous training, fartlek training increases both anerobic and aerobic fitness.

You can use this approach to develop more self-awareness, by concentrating on what you are feeling while running at the different paces. How fast a pace can you attain before your regular, easy breathing begins to be labored? After slowing down, how long before your breathing & other responses return to normal? What happens to your stride length as you increase speed?

Our favorite Fartlek Challenge consists of a 2 mile run. Our course is a square, 100M on a side which results in 8 laps for 2 miles. Our members run 100m at a sprint, then jog 100m, then sprint, then jog on each leg of the square. It's brutal, but does a tremendous job of improving breathing patterns and stride.

Chief Ev