Running tips #52, 53, and 54
If you have to leave your home training routine for work or vacation, try these three simple workouts that I say “travel well:”
1.) The M fartlek
First of all … what is a fartlek? The term comes from a Swedish word for “speed-play,” invented by Gösta Holmér – a 1912 Olympic bronze medalist in the decathlon who went on to coach Sweden’s cross-country team in the 1930’s.
I call my travel fartlek the “M” because it is shaped like an M.
After warming up with a 10-minute jog, run 1,2,3,2,1,2,3,2,1 minutes hard with 1:00 recovery between each, like so: On the bottom line of the ruled paper, you run hard for 1:00, then jog a minute (in the white space between lines); then on the dotted red line you run hard for 2:00, jog a minute recovery; then on the top line run hard for 3:00, jog a minute recovery … back down to 2:00 on the dotted red line, etc. until you get through writing your “M” for a total of 25 minutes of fartlek.
Cool down 10 minutes jog.
Forty-five efficient minutes.