Treadmill Fartlek Workout

Running buzzwords I don't really understand: speedwork, fartlek, tempo, and interval training. Yes, I know I do speedwork, but that's with a group and I'm under the supervision of someone telling me what to do. With that being said, I've been doing a little research in hopes these words will make more sense to me. In the process, I found some killer (I mean that in a good way) treadmill workouts. I saved two of them: fartlek and interval programs.

After Dallas White Rock, I started running in the mornings again. Typically, I run four to five miles. I start off at a 10 min pace/6 mph and gradually work my way up to about 6.5 - 6.7 mph and then high tail it at the end, but for the most part my treadmill runs have been mindless and boring. I try to distract myself by watching TV or listening to music. Even so, the time passes by oh-so-slowly. So, when I came across some treadmill interval workouts it got me excited and for the first time in a long time I was thrilled about running on the mill. This morning I did a fartlek workout.

What in the Fartlek?
What in the world is a fartlek? It is interval/speedwork, that keeps a treadmill workout interesting. This workout can also be done outdoors, but I like how I can easily track my numbers and manually adjust my speed on the treadmill. It takes the guess work out of the equation.

If you are a treadmill runner, like myself, print this workout and give it a go. Feel free to change the numbers to suit your level of experience.

1. Warm up 5 minutes walk/slow jog at 4.5 MPH, at a 7% incline (& feel the burn)
2. One mile -- Run at 6.5 MPH, at a 1% incline
3. Rest Set -- Slow it down to 5.0 MPH and run for 3 minutes
4. Work Set -- Speed up to 7.2 MPH for 30 seconds
5. Rest Set -- Go back to 6.8 MPH for 3 minutes
6. Rest/Work Sets -- Keep repeating the 3 min/30 sec intervals until the clock reaches 25 min
7. One mile  -- Run at 6.5 MPH for another mile
8. Cool down -- Slowly jog for 5 minutes at 4.0 MPH at a slight incline (5% to 7%)

During this workout, I covered about 4 miles in 40 minutes. It felt like I had been running for 20 minutes, not 40. I felt so good I decided to run an extra mile at my normal pace.

As you can see, the treadmill is still in the living room. I thought I would hate it, but it's been so convenient. Next month, I'm hosting a party, so I'm thinking about rolling it back into the guest room.

I printed the fartlek program and taped it to the monitor.