Page 147 - Pat O'Keeffe Combat Kick Boxing

The X-Factor

Fartlek
Having put in the base and therefore achieved our basic stamina fitness, we now
need to introduce the body to working anaerobically or without oxygen.
When you jog or run at low speed – eight to ten minutes per mile – your body
is able to use the oxygen you’re breathing to assist energy production. This is
called aerobic (with oxygen) running. At faster speeds and when you are fighting
flat out, your body will be working too fast to be able to use the oxygen and
therefore you are forced to use different energy systems, otherwise you will go
rapidly into oxygen debt, become winded, and will be unable to continue running
or fighting.
In order to fight or run flat out, your training must take you into the anaerobic
phase and to do this you need fartlek.
Fartlek is the Swedish word for ‘speed-play’ and was developed to combat the
boredom and grind of athletes’ running routines. Another name for it is varied
speed running. It requires you to run some sections of your running session at a
jog, some at a run and some at a sprint, hence varied speed or speed-play.

Formula
1) Run or jog half to three quarters of a mile as a warm-up.
2) Now jog for 100 yards, run for 100 yards and sprint for 100 yards, repeating
this rhythm of jog/run/sprint for a mile and a half.
3) Finally, run another half mile at a jog as a warm-down.

This takes you into oxygen debt temporarily during the sprint phase and thus
trains the body to fight or run flat out. If you have never done this type of running
before you will feel it for a couple of days afterwards.
As you get fitter, you can extend the lengths of the varied-pace running, for
example 200 yards jogging, 200 running and 200 sprinting. It is important to run
at your maximum speed during the sprint phase.
Having first achieved the base, substitute two fartlek sessions for a run. This
will also keep your training varied and interesting.
A maintenance schedule for someone who has put in the base now looks like
this:

1) Monday jog 5 miles.
2) Wednesday run 2 ½ miles: ½ mile warm-up; 1 ½ miles fartlek; ½ mile warm-
down.
3) Friday run 2 ½ miles: ½ mile warm-up; 1 ½ miles fartlek; ½ mile warm-down.

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