Watson Fartlek 8 x 4 min
A long-rep fartlek of eight 4 minute hard efforts with 1 minute jog recoveries, a long-standing session for 5k, 10k and cross country runners.
- Duration
- 1 h
- Distance
- 11.9 kmestimated
- Effort
- 81
- Level
- Intermediate
- Focus zone
- Threshold
Your values
Targets relative to your threshold values. Enter your values to see absolute numbers.
100% is your threshold pace. Higher values are faster, lower values are slower.
| # | Step | Length | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warm-upEndurance Easy 10 min | 10 min | 78-88% threshold pace68-78% HRmax72-82% FTP |
| 8 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 2.1 | IntervalThreshold 4 min strong and even | 4 min | 98-102% threshold pace88-92% HRmax95-101% FTP |
| 2.2 | RecoveryRecovery 1 min jog | 1 min | 70-78% threshold pace55-68% HRmax60-72% FTP |
| 3 | Cool-downRecovery Easy jog | 10 min | 70-78% threshold pace55-68% HRmax60-72% FTP |
About this workout
The Watson fartlek has been around for decades and appears in many coaching and exercise physiology texts, although its exact origin is unclear. Eight efforts of four minutes with only one minute of jogging between them add up to 32 minutes of hard running. The short recoveries keep the heart rate high throughout.
Warm up with ten minutes of easy running. Then run eight times four minutes at a strong, even effort around threshold, close to the pace you could hold in a race of about an hour. Jog one minute after each. Cool down for ten minutes. Start the first rep conservatively. If you are slowing down after the fifth rep, the opening pace was too fast.
This suits intermediate and advanced runners training for 5k to 10k, cross country and the half marathon. Start with five or six reps if 32 minutes of hard running is new to you.
Tips
- Keep the one minute jog moving, even if it is slow.
- Aim for the same distance in every four minute rep.
- Run it on rolling ground by effort in cross country season.
Origin
A widely used fartlek of unclear origin that appears in many coaching and exercise physiology texts.
Good for5k10kHalf marathon
Season phaseBuild