Friday Fartlek Run: Meb’s 10km Session #2

Meb Keflezighi is a legendary runner. On top of his marathon success, Meb has a 10,000m PB of 27:13.98. This workout has a variety of speeds to build not only speed but also endurance, teaching the body to build pace throughout the workout and then repeat it after a short break. This session is great for runners up to a half marathon, as well as triathletes.

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 runners often use and it means speed-play. See a previous post about training intensity (levels) to know how hard to work.

This workout has come from Meb Keflezighi & Scott Douglas’ book Meb For Mortals: How to Run, Think, and Eat like a Champion Marathoner.

Meb’s 10km Session #1

• 10min WU Level II;
• 2x 1mile Level III, 4min RI;
• 2x 1mile Level IV, 4min RI;
• 2x 1mile Level V, 4min RI;
• 10min CD Level II;
• 10min Stretching

Start the workout with a Warm Up (WU) for a minimum of ten minutes of easy jogging at Level II.

The main set is made up of a total of six, one-mile reps, with four minutes between for a Rest Interval (RI).

The first two reps are done at Level III (or marathon pace). The next two reps are at Level IV (or slightly slower than 10km pace) and the final two reps are done at Level V (5km pace).

The Cool Down (CD) is at a low intensity, jogging (Level I-II) for a minimum of ten minutes.

Finish with 10 minutes of stretching to assist with the recovery.

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.

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Download the Garmin (.FIT) files for this workout for FREE

Get my 8 Weeks to a Faster 10km Training Plan with 25% off

This 8-week programme will take you through challenging sessions that will build your fitness and speed in order to run 10km faster at the end of the programme.

Designed for an intermediate runner aiming to run their 10km in the range of 35 – 50min. The primary goal of this training plan is to prepare you to RUN FASTER. 

8 weeks long this programme can start anytime, this plan progresses through phases to build you to your peak performance. Each week includes 4 runs as well as a flexibility session. This programme includes a 10km time trial in the 9th week so you can see how much you have improved. Although not necessary, I recommend using a heart rate monitor in conjunction with a GPS watch (such as a Garmin).

When purchasing, use the discount code “web25” to claim your 25% discount.

Prior to using this plan, you should be able to run comfortably for 90 minutes.

Purchase of this plan gives you access to my fortnightly coaching calls where you can ask me any training or racing-related questions.

When purchasing, use the discount code “web25” to claim your 25% discount.

Trains like Olympic marathoner and 2014 Boston Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi

With his historic win at the 2014 Boston Marathon, Meb Keflezighi cemented his legacy as one of the great champions of long-distance running. Runners everywhere wanted to know how someone two weeks away from his 39th birthday, who had only the 15th best time going into the race, could defeat the best field in Boston Marathon history and become the first American man to win the race in 31 years.

Meb For Mortals describes in unprecedented detail how three-time Olympian Keflezighi prepares to take on the best runners in the world. More importantly, the book shows everyday runners how to implement the training, nutritional, and mental principles that have guided them throughout their long career, which in addition to the 2014 Boston win includes an Olympic silver medal and the 2009 New York City Marathon title.