The Soggy Sock: Speed Play

Written by Dr. Christina Schultz

We’re all guilty of taking running too seriously, too stringent on the numbers (pace, distance, time) in an attempt to make it make sense.

Don’t get me wrong, the numbers are important for injury prevention, tracking progress, and ensuring full race prep. However, a lot of running and racing is not predictable or controllable, and too many numbers can also be mentally fatiguing and leave you unfocused at peak points in your season.

This is why I am a big proponent of fartleks.

Fartlek is a Swedish term meaning “speed play.” These are usually performed off the track, and ideally are relaxed, casual pick-ups throughout a typical run.

Our western training style leads us to make these workouts more structured, adding in paces, but I encourage my athletes, at least early in the cycle or season, to just pick up the pace, work hard, and enjoy it.

Spending time not focused on hitting numbers, and just enjoying the work, allows athletes a mental break and helps them stay sharp at key points in the season. As the season progresses, I begin adding more guidelines to these workouts, with effort levels and eventually pace goals. This makes for a good transition later on to track workouts, when we’re truly focused on time and pace for a distance at the peak of the season or building toward a race.

Fartleks are versatile and moldable to suit each athlete’s needs throughout the year.

An example I might start with earlier on is a 40-minute run of 3 minutes on, 5 minutes off. This could progress to 1 minute on, 3 minutes off (shorter “on” periods are typically more intense), or 10 minutes on, 5 minutes off for more sustained effort, depending on the runner’s goals.

As the athlete’s season continues, this might become more time- or effort-based. One of my favorite workouts in this phase is “Moose Fartleks”: 3 minutes at 10k effort, 1-minute jog, 1 minute at 5k effort, 1-minute jog, and repeat 5 times.

The change in terrain and path of fartleks helps an athlete develop tolerance to changes in conditions, but as training peaks approach, the focus shifts to speed, pace, and learning to sustain effort. That’s when we shift to track-based sessions, and in the post-season or next preseason, we start all over again with casual fartleks.

About the author: Dr. Christina Schultz

Dr. Christina Schultz graduated with a degree in exercise science from Florida Atlantic University, where she was a captain for the cross country and track teams. She went on to earn a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of St. Augustine, where she also served as a head high school cross country coach and distance track coach. During this time, she became a certified strength and conditioning specialist to enhance her ability to treat athletes and improve their performance.

Christina moved from Jacksonville, FL to Greer, SC with her dog Rosie to help keep the community active. She continues to run in her spare time and enjoys exploring the city and hiking.