Running just above or just below your threshold pace will develop your ability to run at a Threshold pace. This session has you running at your threshold pace and then recovering just below your threshold, meaning you don’t get much recovery within the workout. This is a great session for all runners and triathletes especially those running events between 5km & half marathon.
Each week I will be posting the Friday Fartlek Run Sessions that you can do to enhance your running. Fartlek is a Swedish term that is often used by runners and it means speed-play. See a previous post about training intensity (levels) to know how hard to work.
The inspiration for this post came from an article in the Canadian Triathlon Magazine written by Kirsten Sweetland, click here to read about it. Her coach Jon Brown used to prescribe this session for her.
Jon Brown’s Sweet Spot
- 15-20min WU Level II;
- 6x 1km Level IV, 1km Level IV-15sec RI;
- 10min CD Level II;
- 10min Stretching
Start the workout with a Warm Up (WU) of ten minutes of easy jogging at Level II.
The Main Set involves running six reps that are two kilometres in total. The first kilometre is at Level IV pace and the second kilometre is only slightly slower – about 15 seconds per kilometre slower. Although this is the “Rest Interval” (RI) it is not much slower than the effort and this set will cover 12km without much true recovery. See the table below for paces to maintain.
The Cool Down (CD) is at a low intensity, jogging (Level II) for a minimum of ten minutes.
Finish with 10 minutes of stretching to assist with the recovery.
Use this chart to set some paces to target for this run based on Kirsten Sweetland’s recommendations.
| 10km Time | Level IV | Level IV minus 15 sec/km |
| 0:32:30 | 0:03:15 | 0:03:30 |
| 0:35:00 | 0:03:30 | 0:03:45 |
| 0:37:30 | 0:03:45 | 0:04:00 |
| 0:40:00 | 0:04:00 | 0:04:15 |
| 0:42:30 | 0:04:15 | 0:04:30 |
| 0:45:00 | 0:04:30 | 0:04:45 |
| 0:47:30 | 0:04:45 | 0:05:00 |
| 0:50:00 | 0:05:00 | 0:05:15 |
| 0:52:30 | 0:05:15 | 0:05:30 |
| 0:55:00 | 0:05:30 | 0:05:45 |
| 0:57:30 | 0:05:45 | 0:06:00 |
| 1:00:00 | 0:06:00 | 0:06:15 |
| 1:02:30 | 0:06:15 | 0:06:30 |
| 1:05:00 | 0:06:30 | 0:06:45 |
| 1:07:30 | 0:06:45 | 0:07:00 |
| 1:10:00 | 0:07:00 | 0:07:15 |
I am the Head Coach & Director of Qwik Kiwi – Endurance Sports Consultant.
I specialise in assisting first-timers and recreational athletes to achieve their sporting goals. I can be contacted at coachray@coachray.nz and 021 348 729.
Share this post so your friends can benefit as well.
Download the Garmin (.FIT) files for this workout for FREE
If you enjoyed this workout, here is a similar session I published.
Get my great e-Book that is packed full of my most popular 20-run sessions for only $7 (save $20), normally this is $27.
This eBook is a veritable gold mine of workouts that you can include in your training.
At the special price of only $7, you will save yourself $20.
