Yes, a strange title for the post this time. On Wednesday, the day following the famed hill workout, I went out for a 40 minute easy run, and I actually took it easy for once. I probably didn't run much more than 8 minute mile pace, and at some points slower than that. That was good, since my legs felt better after running than they did beforehand. In any case, about ten minutes into the run, I saw a flash of red in front of me. A fox had just run across the path in front of me. 20 seconds further on, another flash, and another fox. At about the halfway point, I saw some people stopped and looking up at the side of the foothills, which were looming as ever to the west. Stopping to see what they were looking at, I saw a huge herd of deer. By my count, there were 13: 12 does and fauns and one very successful buck. I'd not seen a herd of that size within Boulder before. Deer are a common sight here, but that many in one group impressed me. On they way back, I saw two hawks circling far above, and the two foxes once again crossed my path. It dawned on me how much I love this place.

Yesterday, which would be Friday, I woke up to slushy snow falling outside my window. Since I didn't have class till one, I opted to run in the morning. It was a fartlek workout. Fartlek means "speedplay" roughly in Swedish. I included a description below, courtesy of Ian Kemp. It is possibly my favorite type of workout. All the reasons I love it are included below. In any case, 5 minutes into the warmup, I realized, running through the falling snow with my shoes squelching each step, that there was nowhere I'd rather be and nothing I'd rather be doing at that time. That is a wonderful feeling, and I don't think most people experience it often enough. I count myself rich because I experience that regularly on my runs.

As I promised: the definition of a Fartlek. Of course, I prefer the Trail Running magazine definition: going for a run after eating beans.

What is Fartlek?

by: Ian Kemp

Fartlek is a form of road running or cross country running in which the runner, usually solo, varies the pace significantly during the run. It is usually regarded as an advanced training technique, for the experienced runner who has been using interval training to develop speed and to raise the anaerobic threshold. However, the 'average' runner can also benefit from a simplified form of Fartlek training, to develop self-awareness and to introduce variety into the training program.

For the advanced runner, the aim in Fartlek can be best decribed by relating it to interval training. The purpose of interval training is to develop speed by running for short distances at a speed significantly higher than the normal strong race pace, with these short runs separated by intervals of easy running or jogging. Intervals are normally run over predetermined distances, and usually on the track.

Fartlek is similar to interval training in that short fast runs alternate with slow running or jogging recovery intervals. However, in Fartlek the running is done on the road or on parkland or bush tracks. There is no predetermined schedule to follow, but instead the athlete will set her/his own interval lengths and pace in response to their own feeling of the workload. An advantage of Fartlek is that the athlete can concentrate on feeling the pace and their physical response to it, thereby developing self awareness and pace judgement skills. Also the athlete is free to experiment with pace and endurance, and to experience changes of pace.

It is primarily a technique for advanced runners because it requires 'honesty' to put in a demanding workload, and also 'maturity' to not overdo the pace or length of the intervals. With these qualities, Fartlek makes for an excellent component of a distance runners training programme.

A 'mild' form of Fartlek can also be of benefit for the 'average runner'. Here I am thinking of the road runner who normally trains over a variety of distance, at a fairly constant pace, and who may have done no or little specific speed training.

The technique here is to introduce into your normal runs some short periods of slightly higher pace. Maintain these for a short period, say 200-400m (aim for a bend in the road, power pole or some other landmark up ahead). Then drop your pace back below your normal running pace, or slow to a jog, until you have fully recovered and your breathing has returned to normal. Then return to running at your normal pace, and put in another slightly fast interval later in the run. In this way you are putting a slight extra stress on your system which will, in time, lead to an improvement in your speed and in your anaerobic threshold.

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 laboured? After slowing down, how long before your breathing & other responses return to normal? What happens to your stride length as you increase speed?

Give it a try next time you run, and if you enjoy it, then you have discovered the true meaning of Fartlek, without resorting to a dictionary..!

Ian Kemp, Cool Running Australia, 22.06.97