I fartleked by accident!: My physio suggested... - Couch to 5K

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I fartleked by accident!

Ucandothis profile image
UcandothisGraduate
10 Replies

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!

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Ucandothis profile image
Ucandothis
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10 Replies
dddd4 profile image
dddd4Graduate

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 profile image
McFittyGraduate

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

marco83 profile image
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 profile image
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 profile image
davelinksGraduate

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

melly4012 profile image
melly4012Graduate

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

AncientMum profile image
AncientMumGraduate

Gotta love a bit of fartleking :) :)

Bazza1234 profile image
Bazza1234Graduate

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 profile image
runswithdogsGraduate

Fartleks are my favourite

BoltonGnome profile image
BoltonGnomeGraduate

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!

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