Fartlek - it's not what you think!

Okay, quiz time. Fartlek is:

a. something embarassing that happens while playing tennis

b. a South American herb found near the Orinoco River known for it's antioxidant and edurance producing properties

c. a type of running; Swedish for "speed play"

Okay, it's C, though I tried to fake you out with B.

Yesterday I spoke to the tennis coach that replaced me and asked her what she had planned for her first week of practice. "Conditioning, running on the track", came her swift reply. I said "great", and I meant it. Later I started thinking about the type of running that is required in tennis. In singles, at the highest levels, there is the need for raw speed, power, and endurance. In doubles, running tends to vary more depending on the level, age and style of your opponents.

Regardless of the type of tennis, we can all agree at any level or game (singles or doubles) that running in tennis is not a regular, static jog. The type of running varies a lot, and thus a type of running or training called fartlek is perfect for tennis.

Here's how it works, at least for me. I find a loop (high school track, pond, around the block, etc.) and I run for 7 - 10 minutes a slow to moderate warm-up, then I begin. I'll pick out something in the distance, maybe a telephone pole and if it's 40 yards away, I might go from my 9 minute mile to a 6 minute pace for that 40 yards. Then I will slow to my 9 minute pace again for 20-30 seconds, find something else in the distance (maybe 200 yards away) to run to and then run at maybe 8:00 pace effort, and so on. I will keep this up for 20-40 minutes, always varying the pace and then a brief warm down and stretching before calling it quits.

Here is a link that probably explains it better: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fartlek

Fartlek training is excellent for tennis because it approximates the way tennis is played - overall aerobic conditioning interspersed with high intensity anaerobic sprinting. Another benefit that this type of running provides it's light years more interesting and enjoyable than the standard same paced running that we usually do. I mean, c'mon, nothing is more boring than running like a gerbil on a treadmil or around a track, that's why God invented MP3 players. However, I can honestly say that for me, fartlek running is (almost) as good as listening to your favorite podcast or band while you run, and the running is more purposeful too - at least for tennis.

Try it, what do you have to lose?