• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Snacking in Sneakers
  • Home
  • About + Contact
    • About
    • Contact
    • Disclosure and Privacy Policy
  • Recipes
  • Running + Triathlon
    • Free Training Plans
    • Running
    • Triathlon
    • Race Reviews
    • Fitness Tips & Workouts
  • Wellness + Travel
    • Nutrition
    • Health + Wellness Tips
    • Travel
  • Shop
    • Journey to Healthy Eating: 28 Day Nutrition Challenge
    • Sports Nutrition Book for Runners and Triathletes
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Chrissy
  • Recipe Box
  • Wellness + Travel
  • Fitness, Run & Tri
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    9 Fartlek Workouts to Help You Run Faster

    February 14, 2018 by Chrissy Carroll 17 Comments

    Fartlek training can be a helpful way of increasing your speed during workouts, contributing to a better overall pace come race day.  Essentially, fartlek training is a more unstructured form of interval training.  In my last post about this topic, I covered some of the advantages and disadvantages of fartlek training.  In this post, I want to share some practical workouts for you to include!

    Below are 9 different examples of fartlek training sessions that can be incorporated in any runner’s routine.  Use your current fitness level to guide your pace.  Running fast/hard might mean a 6 minute mile pace for some people and a 13 minute mile pace for others.  Go by your own body and fitness level and don’t push yourself too hard.

    Also, it’s important to remember to start all of your workouts with a minimum of a 10-minute warm up.  This may be a slow-paced run, jog, or power walk depending on your current fitness level.  Similarly, be sure to do a 5-10 minute cool down at the end of your workout as well.

    9 Fartlek Workouts to Help You Run Faster

    1. Landmark Fartlek Workout

    This is probably the most traditional example of a fartlek training session.  Plan to run along a sidewalk where there are a decent number of mailboxes or signs along the street.  After your warm up, run fast to the next mailbox (or a few, depending on how close they are to each other).  Slow down and recover for a few mailboxes/signs, then repeat.  Continue for about 20 minutes, then cool down.

    2. Friend or Foe Fartlek Workout

    This is one of my very favorite fartleks for the treadmill.  It’s especially for you social media fans out there.  While warming up, post a status on Facebook that you’re on the treadmill and want some variety.  Provide a range of speeds and inclines (for example, “anything between 3mph-7mph and 0-3 incline”) and ask people to give you their combination.  You do that speed and incline until the next person comments with something new.  If you have an active social feed, it’s a really fun way to get complete variety – and find out who is a friend vs. foe! 😉

    3. Pyramid Fartlek with Strides

    You can do a pyramid fartlek in a few different ways.  One of the easiest is to run a fast pace for 10 strides (counting on one leg), then slow down for 10 strides.  Repeat with 20, 30, 40…increasing in 10’s until you hit 100.  Then work your way back down.

    4. Pyramid Fartlek with Time

    You can also do a pyramid fartlek with time.  Run at a fast pace for 4 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute – then back up to 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes.  Between each one of these, include a 1-2 minute recovery jog/walk.  In other words, the start of this workout (after your warm up) would look like a 4 minute fast run, 1-2 minute jog, 3 minute fast run, 1-2 minute jog…and so on.

    5. Roll the Dice

    Go to a track and leave a pair of dice at a starting point.  After your warm up, roll the dice.  The first one represents your speed on a scale of 1 (very easy) to 6 (hard).  The second one represents the distance.  Depending on your fitness level and what you’re training for, it could be meters – i.e. 100 meters to 600 meters – or it could be laps – i.e 1 to 6 laps.  Repeat several times to piece together a fun, unexpected workout!

    6. Music Fartlek Workout

    Alternate your running pace based on the music you’re listening to.  For shorter course (5K/10K) athletes, you might change up your pace every time the song reaches the chorus.  For longer course (half/full marathon) athletes, you might change up the pace each time you get to a new song.

    7. Field Farlek Training Sessoin

    Go to a soccer field.  After your warm up, start in one corner of the field.  Run 1 length hard, and 3 lengths easy (each length makes up the rectangle of the field).  Then 2 hard/2 easy, 3 hard/1 easy, 4 hard, 3 hard/1 easy, 2 hard/2 easy, 1 hard/3 easy.  Jog comfortably for a lap or two and repeat as desired.

    8. Partner Fartlek

    Grab a partner who runs around the same pace as you and has a similar endurance level.  After your warm up, partner 1 decides the fartlek interval (to a landmark, a time, a distance, etc).  Partner 2 then decides the amount of active recovery, as well as the next fartlek interval.  Alternate back and forth!

    9.  10-20-30 Training

    OK, OK – this is really considered more of a structured interval workout than a true Fartlek, but it’s one of my favorites for improving 5K training speed.  After your warm up, go 30 seconds at a comfortable pace, 20 seconds at race pace, and 10 seconds at an all our sprint.  Repeat 5x, then recover for 2 minutes with a jog or walk.  You can then repeat for 2-4 more sets.  You can find more details about this workout in my 10-20-30 training post.

    Share with me:  Do you incorporate fartlek workouts into your training routine?  Which of these examples of a fartlek training session would you like to try?

    • Author
    • Recent Posts
    Chrissy Carroll
    Chrissy Carroll
    Chrissy Carroll is a Registered Dietitian and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach. She specializes in sharing nutrition and fitness tips, as well as recipes, for runners, triathletes, and active women.Chrissy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition, a Masters Degree in Public Health, and is also an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer.
    Chrissy Carroll
    Latest posts by Chrissy Carroll (see all)
    • Air Fryer Feta Stuffed Lamb Burgers - May 16, 2022
    • 15 Healthy Post Workout Smoothie Recipes! - May 13, 2022
    • Easy Cheesesteak Salad - May 2, 2022
    3005 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Filed Under: Fitness, Run & Tri, Running, Triathlon Tagged With: fartlek, fitness, running, triathlon

    Let’s connect!

    Instagram
    Facebook
    Pinterest
    Twitter

    Looking for something?

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Deborah @ Confessions of mother runner

      February 14, 2018 at 9:47 am

      We do a lot of your #1 running faster to stop signs or ends of streets. These are all great creative ideas on how to mix things up

      Reply
      • Chrissy Carroll

        February 15, 2018 at 7:44 pm

        That one is great because you can incorporate it on pretty much any run on the roads!

        Reply
    2. Rebecca

      February 14, 2018 at 12:41 pm

      ohhh these look like such fun workouts! the friend or foe workout is fantastic!

      Reply
      • Chrissy Carroll

        February 15, 2018 at 7:43 pm

        It’s SO fun!! I’ve done it a couple of times now and it’s always a good challenge.

        Reply
    3. Emily @Sinful Nutrition

      February 14, 2018 at 12:53 pm

      I love to hate fartleks, haha! They do make a difference in my training though!

      Reply
      • Chrissy Carroll

        February 15, 2018 at 7:43 pm

        Haha – “love to hate” – I know a lot of runners that would agree with you there.

        Reply
    4. Abbey Sharp

      February 14, 2018 at 3:53 pm

      Very cool tips to spice things up! Awesome post

      Reply
      • Chrissy Carroll

        February 15, 2018 at 7:43 pm

        Thanks Abbey! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Rachel

      February 14, 2018 at 5:12 pm

      I love fartlek running! These are great workouts!!

      Reply
    6. Kelly

      February 14, 2018 at 7:44 pm

      I’ve never heard of this training but like the diversity. Always good to mix it up.

      Reply
      • Chrissy Carroll

        February 15, 2018 at 7:42 pm

        Yes, definitely good to get some variety in there.

        Reply
    7. Jessica Levinson

      February 14, 2018 at 10:02 pm

      Love the many options for fartlek workouts! #6 Music Fartlek Work sounds like a fun idea!

      Reply
      • Chrissy Carroll

        February 15, 2018 at 7:42 pm

        I’m definitely someone that runs best when I have good music on, so I agree – that’s a great option.

        Reply
    8. Mikki

      February 15, 2018 at 11:09 am

      I’ve never heard of this before. Sounds like a great way to change up your training.

      Reply
      • Chrissy Carroll

        February 15, 2018 at 7:41 pm

        Totally! Fun ways to mix it up.

        Reply
    9. Natalie

      February 15, 2018 at 3:27 pm

      Oh I’m so saving this for spring when I start to run again. Great tips and easy to follow plan.

      Reply
      • Chrissy Carroll

        February 15, 2018 at 7:41 pm

        Awesome! Hope you find them helpful as you get back into running 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Snacking in Sneakers! That's me, Chrissy, and I'm here to share all my favorite fitness, food, & wellness stories & tips. I'm a dietitian, personal trainer, runner, triathlon coach, foodie, not-so-extreme couponer, and all around fun lovin' gal.

    More about me →

    Latest

    • Air Fryer Feta Stuffed Lamb Burgers
    • 15 Healthy Post Workout Smoothie Recipes!
    • Easy Cheesesteak Salad
    • Skillet Baked Apple Oatmeal Pancake

    Let’s Connect!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Disclosure and Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work With Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Snacking in Sneakers

    3005 shares
    • 9