Gordon Bennett Fartlek training is hard

[dingleRAF]

just started to include fartlek training into my training programme to up the pace a little bit (really hard haha)
just wondering with this inclusion of the fartlek training how drastically would my fitness come on?
cheers.

[Tartan_Terrier]

Fartlek training can be very hard indeed, but it does help improve your times. Just don't do it more than once or perhaps twice a week.

What is your current fitness like, i.e. your 1.5 mile time?

Regards
T_T


P.S. Please remember to start sentences with capital letters in future!!!

[dingleRAF]

My 1.5 mile at its best was 9mins 45, have since been injured though so a slight dip in form these past few weeks currently at 10mins 15.
Once or twice a week doing Fartlek training? Was thinking of doing it 3 times or is that too much
Cheers for the quick reply

[Tartan_Terrier]

I'd say that three times a week is too much, but it's up to you......after all it's your body.

What are you going for, and when do you start training?

[dingleRAF]

Oh right well I'll take your advice on that cheers.
I'm waiting for a date for my fitness test for the RAF.
Going in as an MT Driver if every thing goes well!!
Cheers

[Stokey_14]

Instead of doing it 3 times a week why not try something along the lines of,

1 fartlek session
1 moderate pace distance run (3-5-7 miles)
1 hill sprint session
1 recovery run

or something like that... mix it up plenty maybe do some interval training or Tabata sprints, track work etc

There’s so much great stuff you can do running wise, you'd be daft to tie you're self down to one method of running.

Stokey

[dingleRAF]

Thanks a lot lads.
Stokey, great advice mate, just looked up Tabata sprints there lethal haha going to give it all a go though. How long should I spend doing my hill sprint session? Oh and what do you mean by recovery run (1.5mile steady pace or something?)
Cheers

[Stokey_14]

Recovery run can be a number of thing, usually a very slow medium/ short distance (to you) run followed by plenty of loosening off.

Hill sprints again should be varied, short and step, long and sloping, medium length etc

When I’m not out of action I try finding the steepest and longest hill and run up and walk down it as many times as possible for me and my slightly killer hill at the end of my road hill sprints are my worse enemy they wreck me there for I always make sure there on a day before a rest/ lower intensity day.

Have fun though that’s the main thing, training really shouldn't be a chore, I feel at my best (in a strange way when I’m out and about exercising)

Stokey

[dingleRAF]

Cheers for all the advice lads, always helps when you get advice off people who have been in your shoes and done it.
Thanks a lot and great forum by the way!

[Stokey_14]

Cheers for all the advice lads, always helps when you get advice off people who have been in your shoes and done it.
Thanks a lot and great forum by the way!

Far from been there and done it mate... still only 15 with no previous military experience (obviously) much better people for giving advice around mate... just like to think I know a thing or two when it comes to training

Stokey