RunningAHEAD - Topic: Strides, Fartleks

KathrynM

posted: 3/12/2008 at 4:48 PM

Hi all - could somebody tell me what a stride is? It seems like I'm seeing this term more and more, but I don't understand what it means. If I understand correctly it's a short burst of speed - so how is that any different from a fartlek? Thanks oh wise RAers! kathryn

"A man must love a thing very much if he not only practices it without any hope of fame and money, but even practices it without any hope of doing it well." - G. K. Chesterton

Mr Inertia

Suspect Zero

posted: 3/12/2008 at 4:58 PM

Strides are a steady increase in pace that brings you up to about a 95% effort, hold there for about 100 yards and deccellrate to normal training pace. Fartlek is Swedish for "speedplay" and only has the structure you give it. Feel like doing 3/4 mile at tempo? That's cool. If you want to run hard for 9 light poles, that's fine, too. Whatever you want, just run a bit faster here and there and call it a fartlek.

jEfFgObLuE

I've got a fever...

posted: 3/12/2008 at 6:05 PM

Good explanations. Strides are also called striders or pickups. It's common to throw 5~6x100m strides into an otherwise easy run. They are meant to help your body get used to running fast and controlled, but are not meant to be taxing.

On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office. But you will wish that you'd spent more time running. Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.

Mr Inertia

Suspect Zero

posted: 3/12/2008 at 7:16 PM

I just started doing them about 8 weeks ago and they're great! I feel like they energize what some consider to be a mundane run. A 6 miler and a 6 miler with 6-8 strides has a totally different feel to it. With the strides added in, I feel less tired (all other things being equal).

Figbash

posted: 3/12/2008 at 7:52 PM

I do a few fartlek's on all my runs. It helps break up the run and allows you to sneak in a little light speed work here and there, just remember to keep the intensity in line with your conditioning. Tom

KathrynM

posted: 3/12/2008 at 8:39 PM

Thanks guys! I'm still not sure I understand the difference Blush

but that's ok, I try not to get too caught up in the terminology. I'm thinking of adding a few miles of speedwork a week - something I've never really done before. I think I'll just run faster for a bit and call it what it is - a slightly faster plod Big grin

kathryn

"A man must love a thing very much if he not only practices it without any hope of fame and money, but even practices it without any hope of doing it well." - G. K. Chesterton

egge0080

Arrogant Bastard....Ale

posted: 3/12/2008 at 10:00 PM
modified: 3/12/2008 at 10:05 PM

A fartlek is a little more involved than some previous posts imply, at least IMO. While it is what you make of it, it generally has a number of variations of speed throughout the workout. These variations in speed vary from walking all the way through strides/sprinting. Such as 10 mins at 10 mm pace, 5 mins 8 mm pace, 2 mins walk, 30 secs - 1:00 hard sprint. Maybe repeated a couple times. Mainly it is one of many ways to incorporate some speed work into a workout even up to anaerobic, while still working to build up aerobic base. Fartleks are great for other sports besides running and for running shorter races too (100 m to 1 mile). I used them all the time in football and basketball in high school.

autumns_child

posted: 3/13/2008 at 8:21 AM
modified: 3/13/2008 at 8:22 AM

I wasn't sure myself, so I'm glad you asked this! I read this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fartlek) for it, and I guess with that, and these posts i have a better understanding of a Fartlek, but I'm still a little confused. Undecided

"Some people create with words or with music or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, 'I've never seen anyone run like that before.' It's more than just a race, it's a style. It's doing something better than anyone else. It's being creative." - prefontaine

dnephin

posted: 3/13/2008 at 9:55 AM

Fartleks can be recognized by their distinctive aroma. Wink

DWARP
Marathon Madness Mob

Mississippi

posted: 3/13/2008 at 9:57 AM

Quote from dnephin on 3/13/2008 at 9:55 AM:

Fartleks can be recognized by their distinctive aroma.

Oh you didn't just say that did you?!?! Clowning around

Michelle

Bonkin

posted: 3/13/2008 at 10:23 AM

Quote from dnephin on 3/13/2008 at 9:55 AM:

Fartleks can be recognized by their distinctive aroma.

The smeller's the feller.

When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?

dnice

posted: 3/14/2008 at 2:02 PM

g strides into easy runs too, and I completely agree with you. They definitely make an otherwise typical easy run much more enjoyable. And as with your experience, I feel a more invigorated after an easy/stride run. Perhaps some of the confusion might be related to trying to figure out what the difference between a stride workout and a fartlek. A fartlek is a very broad category. I personally think of it as any easy run that has some periods of faster than easy pace runs in it. Given that broad definition, an easy run with striders could be considered, at least by me, a fartlek. While a fartlek run can include a lot of different variables, striders do not. Yesterday I ran the following fartlek: 2.5 mile warm up + 6x5mins at a moderately hard pace w/ 3mins recover + 2.5 mile cool down. However, next week my fartlek run will have more reps over a shorter time and be slightly faster. Conversely, striders are, at least for me, always 100 meters building up to fast running, 95% of max sounds about right. Instead of getting hung up in the terminology, it helpful to think about what you're trying to accomplish. Striders are not meant to tax your cv system or build aerobic capacity. Instead, they help develop fast twitch muscle fibers and increase leg turnover speed. Fartleks, on the other hand, work your cv system.

jEfFgObLuE

I've got a fever...

posted: 3/14/2008 at 2:09 PM

Quote from dnice on 3/14/2008 at 2:02 PM:

Perhaps some of the confusion might be related to trying to figure out what the difference between a stride workout and a fartlek. A fartlek is a very broad category. I personally think of it as any easy run that has some periods of faster than easy pace runs in it. Given that broad definition, an easy run with striders could be considered, at least by me, a fartlek.

Yeah, the definition of fartlek and speed play depends on the runner. For me, strides are always short fast bursts in an otherwise very easy run (never longer than 30s fast) . If I'm calling it a fartlek, for me it usually qualifies as a hard workout -- basically an unstructured interval workout, with some of the fast stuff being up to several minutes long. I've often done the "running the telephone poles" thing, and lately, I run fartleks on long rolling hills where I blast the uphills. I feel refreshed after a run with strides, and whooped after a fartlek.

On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office. But you will wish that you'd spent more time running. Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.

Strides, Fartleks - confused (Read 1395 times)