Fartlek is a Swedish word that means “speed play.” Many endurance athletes are familiar with this word and have incorporated it into their workouts for decades. While runners and cyclists might think they’re the only ones that use this term; rest assured, swimmers do too.
The ability to play with bursts of speed and change your intensity within a specific yardage or distance is crucial for all endurance athletes. Also, tapping into different speeds while training will condition the body to be faster over longer distances. Not only does a fartlek workout keep you focused, but training at various speeds can be beneficial when you’re trying to break away from the pack or a field of swimmers in a triathlon (utilizing the “breakaway” isn’t just for cyclists anymore!).
While fartlek is a common training method, it possesses a unique quality: it’s free from the constraints of competition. This is liberating, and allows fartlek workouts to adapt to your capabilities, meeting you at your current fitness level. If you’re new to swimming, use it as a cross-training method. If swimming is the weakest leg in your triathlon; don’t worry, this fartlek workout is attainable for most swimming levels.
There are also variations to this workout. Choose only the swim sets, or if you’re feeling strong, incorporate both the swim and kick sets. This workout reflects a short-course meter pool, but can also be done in a short-course yard pool.
Workout of the Week: Fartlek Swim | 1,600m
Warm-up
Choice of stroke and kick.
400m as 100 swim/100 kick/100 swim/100 kick
Main set
Fartlek Swim Endurance
300m as 50 easy/50 fast/100 easy/100 fast/150 easy/150 fast
2 min. to 4 min. set rest.
Fartlek Kick Endurance
300m as 50 easy/50 fast/100 easy/100 fast/150 easy/150 fast
2 min. to 4 min. set rest.
Fartlek Swim Sprints
4 × 50m as 25 easy/25 fast, freestyle
30 sec. rest between each 50m.
Fartlek Kick Sprints
4 × 50m as 25 easy/25 fast, flutter kick
30 sec. rest between each 50m.
Cooldown
200m easy as 100 swim/100 kick
