Playful Running, the Nordic Way
Exploring the Swedish Approach of Speed Play aka Fartlek
When I started running half marathons in my thirties, I was attracted by non conventional training approaches. I became intrigued by the strange sounding Nordic word Fartlek. Following my curiosity, I ended up running in Sweden.
Loppet, anyone?
Loppet, another funny sounding Nordic word, simply means a race. I really enjoyed the easy-going atmosphere of Swedish running races. Some of my favourite experiences were the St Eriksloppet, the Half Marathon at the center of the beautiful Stockholm; and the Broloppet, the Half Marathon race on the Øresund bridge between Copenhagen in Denmark and Malmö in Sweden. I also did a self-organized trail trip in the Åland islands, an archipelago of tiny rocky islands between Sweden and Finland, running loops on forest trails around the city of Mariehamn.
What does mean Fartlek?
Fartlek means, in Sweden, “speed play” — “Fart” translates to “Speed” and “Lek” to “Play”. My interpretation of fartlek is a playful run, ideally taking place on forest trails. The play comes from changing pace randomly depending on the terrain, natural elements and the runner’s sensations. There are no strict rules on how you should modulate your running pace. It is different from classic interval running, there is no need for a chronometer nor to track each segment of your run.
After the initial warm-up, simply keep switching gears from fast to moderate depending on the hills, trees and the way you feel that day. The meaning of Fartlek reminds you to keep your runs playful!
Running is a voluntary activity that can bring positive energy to your day especially if you experience it playfully without putting unnecessary pressures on yourself. Running Fartleks is especially well adapted for master runners (aged 40+ YO).
Playing in the forest instead of running intervals on a track
I really enjoy the intuitive aspect of this unstructured alternative to interval training. I never ran on track in a stadium. As I picked-up running late, I don’t have any background in cross country, which may explain my reluctance to run strict intervals. As a master, running intervals represent a risk of injuries.
I cultivate a playful approach of running over the quest for performance. I prefer running on trails for the experience and the better post-run recovery. I don’t mind the challenge of running on steep uphills. I am more engaged and focused while running on a chaotic rocky trail. Icing on the cake, the view at the top of a climb alleviates the burning feeling in the legs.
Altitude Trail Running in Colorado, exploring the front range
In Colorado, there is a wide range of uphill trails close to the city center of Denver. Like the popular Castle Trail in Mount Falcon park, from Morrison to Indian Hills. Mount Sanitas in Boulder. The Incline and the Barr trail in Manitou Springs. Miller Rock in Raymond, Allenspark.
The trails around Denver are ideal for altitude acclimatization and mountain trail running. Some of my favourite trail-running spots include: Bear Creek trail in O’Fallon park — Kittredge, Beaver Creek Trail between Windy Saddle in Golden and the Genesee Park, Castle trail in Mt Falcon Park, Mt Evergreen and Threes Sisters park, Eagle view in Reynolds park — Conifer.
La Palma Trails, volcanic trail running on vertical slopes
La Palma is a tiny Spanish volcanic island, lost somewhere on the coast of Africa. Every trail is a “Vertical”, meaning a very steep route. There is only 17 kilometers, about 10 miles, on the main trail GR 131 from the sea level to the peak of the island, Roques Los Muchachos, at 2500 meters (8000 feet).
Few trails worth exploring: El Time, Paris Chiquitito / Tazacorte, Poris Candelaria / Tijarafe, Poris de Puntagorda, El Reventón and La Hilera / El Paso, Ruta de los Volcanes, Forest trail from Jedey to Fuencaliente. Most scenic trails of La Palma are documented on lapalmatrails.com
Back to playful running
Fartlek is not a new idea. This training method was developed in the 1930s by a Swedish coach Gösta Holmér to improve aerobic and anaerobic fitness. The idea is to run continuously while changing pace based on how you feel and the terrain. The flow gets intuitive while running on trails in a forest. It feels like being back in childhood to have a playful and dynamic run by using hills, trees or other natural elements as markers to switch gears. At the end of the run, the variety in pace and terrain helps to build up stamina and strength while connecting with nature.
Maybe it’s time to stop running in circles on a track, Escape to explore forest trails, And enjoy some playful running.
