I fartleked by accident!

[Ucandothis]

My physio suggested fartlek - I would have asked what it was but she wrote it down and I didn't read it until after the following...

After 5 weeks out I went on my second return outing today. I do a parkrun circuit as my house is actually on the path that the parkrun covers. It's a hilly course and I divided it into sections and alternated run/walk like this - round the field, run; up the slope, walk [it just worked out that way, honest!]; up the hill, run [stagger!]; along the top, walk; etc. So I did 5k and was out for 45 minutes - at the end I had a niggle in my knee and other ankle.

I then did my exercise routine from the physio and read the 'fartlek' word again. Ignored it - it was obviously something too advanced for me or something I was already doing. Or even her bad handwriting...

Just looked it up now - am working from home so any excuse to slack off is welcome - only to find I have been fartleking by accident! Am well chuffed! And ankle/knee both fine - just a bit of backache!

Here's to fartleking!

[dddd4 Graduate]

I love the word and think I will have to do it soon just so I can say it to people. I'm fartleking! Such a ring to it 😃

[McFitty Graduate]

Another Swedish delicacy but even more healthy than meatballs and constructing flat-pack furniture. Enjoy

[marco83]

It is a great way of getting through the boring runs, the ones you cannot bother to finish... and it does sound exciting.

Ah the Swedish, something to add to Ikea, Ericson, Electrolux, H&M, Skypee and of course Nobel Prize and meetballs!!! enjoy your new tool

[Cianalas]

Heehee, well done. I've been ignoring the word too, thinking it sounds too advanced for me. You've encouraged me to look it up!

[davelinks Graduate]

I know people who do fartleking by accident and some on purpose, which I do sometimes!😂

[melly4012 Graduate]

Haha I did giggle at the title. Apparently Well done for being an accidental... what's the noun... fartleker?

[AncientMum Graduate]

Gotta love a bit of fartleking

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

Over the past 12 months, I have completed two half marathons - by fartlekking them the whole way. I look ahead and pick an object, tree, fencepost, shadow on the ground, etc about 200 metres or so depending on how I am feeling or what the terrain ahead is - run to it - and then walk for 60 paces (which equates to around 30 seconds and is enough for my HR to come down at least 10 beats per minute ) then I do it all over again until the finish line looms into sight I also did a similar thing a few weeks ago for a 10K race- set my HR monitor to around 90% of my max HR, ran until it got to that number and then walked until it fell back 10 beats per minute - and repeated it all over again. Managed to PR both the 10K and the last HM doing this

[runswithdogs Graduate]

Fartleks are my favourite

[BoltonGnome Graduate]

Just looked up the word. Had never heard of it but it sounds very sensible. Thanks ucandothis for intro to something new and making me smile!