Fartlek is a Swedish term that means 'speed play' or playing with speed. It is a very natural way of running that can be closely associated with children running around during playtime. The athlete runs for lengths of time rather than distances at various pacing according to the way he feels. Some efforts will be run hard, some at a moderate pace, and others at an easy pace. There are no set distances to run in fartlek running, the pace varies from all out sprints to fast strides and easy jogging with no predetermined recovery times. When done properly fartlek is an effective and satisfying form of training. A good distance runner needs to have strength, endurance, speed and racing tactics. Fartlek training can contain all these qualities in the same workout. Combining other methods of training with fartlek usually provides effective results and fewer injuries compared to running just interval or just repetition running.

Wooded areas, trails, parks and golf courses are ideal places for fartlek running, especially if they have rolling terrain and some good hills. The athlete should run as he feels or pleases, however, he should make sure that there is plenty of variety in the running at different speeds and distances. In a typical workout, the athlete picks a landmark such as a post or bush and runs at a predetermined pace to it, then jogs until he's recovered. The runner then picks another landmark, a shorter or longer distance away, and runs to it again at a predetermined pace - faster or slower. This type of running continues for the duration of the session. The distances, pacing and time of the workout is entirely up to the athlete in accordance to how he feels. The purpose and most important part of this type of workout are to listen to your body and the continued constant change of pace. Fartlek can be the most difficult or the easiest workout of the week. As the runner improves so should the quality and quantity of the session with less easy jogging. With time and a few fartlek sessions under the belt the athlete should be his own best judge of the proper severity of the session.

At the end of a fartlek workout the athlete should feel a sense of satisfaction and the feeling that he has more to offer. At no time after the workout should the athlete feel fatigued or completely worn out. Fartlek running is less stressful than other type of workouts because of its free spirited form of running. With other types of running, the time or distance, or both are measured, while fartlek running measures neither. As a result, the athlete's efforts cannot be measured or judged. The feeling of satisfaction from the workout however, often builds an athletes confidence and is a motivational booster. I recommend at least half an hour of this type of session to the 800m runner and up to an hour and a half to the longer distance runner.