We are on a mission to help our community and everyday runners improve their running. Adding variety to your running training is crucial to your development and it also keeps things interesting. However, its not always easy to find the right session and support. That’s why we launched our Weekly Training Challenge email that provides you with a specific training session for a range of distances. We recently shared one of our favourites which is the Mona Fartlek.

The Mona Fartlek

Fartlek, which means "speed play" in Swedish, can be defined as periods of fast running intermixed with periods of slower running. This short session is beneficial to all levels and a perfect building block for those chasing a 5k/10k PB.

Session breakdown:

10-minute warm-up

• 2 x 90s (80-90% top speed)

• 4 x 60s (80-90% top speed)

• 4 x 30s (80-90% top speed)

• 4 x 15s (80-90% top speed)

Rest = Rest/walk for the time of previous set (e.g. 90 secs rest/walk after 90-second effort)

10 min cool-down

Total time: 35-40mins

Session recap with Harry:

Coopah member Harry took on the Mona Fartlek. Here’s what he had to say:

What did you love about the session?

I absolutely loved this session as I got to do a great workout in a short space of time. The main bulk of the session only lasts 20 minutes. The quick change in speed/intensity also felt good and it was easy to monitor my progress.

What tips would you give to make the most of it?

Getting in a good warm-up and making sure you are energised before the session is important. Give it your all during the sprints and mentally prepare for some fast sprints at the end of the session. You want the sprint sections to be high quality so make sure to take it easy during the rest sections. Next time I might do this with a friend to push me on further.

What’s the hardest point and how do you make sure you don’t give in?

When it got to the 30s efforts, fatigue started to set in, but I knew I was close to the end. I had to remind myself that each metre gained gets me closer to a PB. The “4x15 second” efforts are intense but very short. Remember you always have 40% more to give!

Were there any points you could have gone harder?

No, I feel like I left it all out there. Next time I will try to increase my speed during the sprints. I’ll definitely be making this a regular session.