2024 RunBlogRun Spring Training Program, May 16, 2024, Week 10, Day 4, You have the need for Speed!

This is Thursday, May 16, 2024.

This is Week 10, Day 4.

This is Fartlek Day.

Gosta Holmer, a Swedish Olympian who competed against Jim Thorpe, invented this interval program for running on trails and in parks.

Mr. Holmer developed it for the Swedish cross-country team in the 1930s, which did poorly in European competitions, and Gosta wanted to motivate them.

The Olympic decathlete and pentathlete developed a beautiful approach to training that allows athletes to personalize their training in many ways.

This is your workout:

Warm up today,

60 minute fartlek,

5 minutes hard, 5 minutes easy, one time

3 minutes hard, 3 minutes easy, 3 times,

2 minutes hard, 2 minutes easy, 3 times,

1 minute hard, 1 minute easy, 10 times

20-minute cooldown,

6 x 150m stride-outs,

Cooldown,

hydrate

get out of your wet clothes,

recover;

Larry’s Deep Thoughts: Fartlek is for the newbie runner and elite. It provides challenging work at whatever your level. 

Last winter, at the 2024 World Indoor Champs, just four races into her return, Ellie St. Pierre won the gold medal in the 3,000 meters, outkicking Gudaf Tsegay in an exciting three-thousand-meter race!

Watch Ellie this outdoor season as she prepares for the Olympic Trials and Paris 2024 Olympics!