Friday Fartlek Run – Paul Huddle & Roch Frey’s Secret Ironman Run Workout for World Domination

Your VO₂ max is a measure of the maximum amount of oxygen your body can utilise during exercise. If you increase your VO₂ max, any run below that level is therefore easier (in theory). Spending time training at VO₂ Max intensity will generate performance enhancements for runners of all distances but this session is claimed by Paul Huddle and Roch Frey as a cutting edge workout used by a athletes that have led to multiple wins at Kona.

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.

The inspiration for today’s workout comes from a Dear Coach article by Paul Huddle & Roch Frey in the September 2007 issue of Triathlete Magazine.

Paul Huddle & Roch Frey’s Secret Ironman Run Workout for World Domination

• 10min WU Level II;
• 8x 400m Level V, 200m Level II RI;
• 10min CD Level II;
• 10min Stretching

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

Complete a set of eight, 400m reps running at Level V, with a 200m Rest Interval (RI) at Level II after each rep.

The Cool Down (CD) is at a low intensity, jogging (Level II) for 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

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