Do you fartlek?
Don't laugh, because if you do, you know it's a great tool for boosting your fitness level and performance.
"It's an unfortunate name, because it is without a doubt the perfect thing for people at any level to do and the easiest way to introduce some variety into your running," said Dagny Scott Barrios, author of the "Runner's World Complete Book of Women's Running."
"A lot of elite runners know about it, but if a beginner had to incorporate anything into a running routine, it shouldn't be a track workout or hills, it should be fartlek."
Fartlek, which means "speed play" in Swedish, is a form of interval training that involves integrating bursts of speed or intensity into your regular workout.
Whether used by runners or walkers, fartlek can freshen up a training routine that's gone stale. If you think you've memorized every rock and shrub along the MKT Trail because it's where you train every day, then you know the feeling.
"Most of the time, people run or walk at the same pace, the same route all the time," said Amy Livesay, owner of The Starting Block, a multisport store in Columbia. "It's hard to improve, and it gets boring."
Unlike track intervals, fartlek doesn't require you to set a specific distance and you don't need a watch. Although some people do time their fartlek, this rather defeats the purpose of its inherently unstructured, boredom-fighting rationale (the "lek" in fartlek does mean "fun" after all.)
So, how do you fartlek?On your next walk or run, head out at your desired pace and when you feel you have warmed up, pick a landmark in the distance such as a tree or a mailbox and speed up until you reach it. Resume your original pace when you reach that spot, and when you feel you've recovered, pick another spot up ahead and speed up again."Vary those distances as you go along. Some can be quite short, and then some can be a little longer," Scott Barrios said. "Your regular pace should be a very comfortable jog or walk. Then, when you do pick up the pace, it is not an all-out sprint. You only need take it up one notch. Otherwise you'll push too hard and you won't be able to recover."By varying the speed and intensity of your pace, you challenge your cardiovascular system, boosting your heart rate and improving your aerobic capacity."If you're stuck in a rut where you feel like you can't run faster, do" fartlek "for a few months. You will be able to increase your pace," Scott Barrios said. "When you're running that 5K, you will feel like you can shift gears and maybe have a kick at the end or run a little faster than your training pace."I do fartlek training about once a week, switching between brisk walking and jogging. I've found it helps me run faster and for longer distances without bothering my arthritic knees. And it takes the edge off of the tediousness that can creep into my training.So, the next time you head out for a run or a walk, consider having a little fun with fartlek. Saying it might make you laugh, but doing can help you get fit.Originally published by PAULA HUNT Special to the Tribune.(c) 2008 Columbia Daily Tribune. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.
