“Fartlek”—it’s a quirky word that might even earn you some snickers from the class. But don’t let the name fool you; fartleks bring power-packed fun to your profiles. The term, which means “speed play” in Swedish, is all about unstructured intervals—short bursts where you ramp up the energy on the go. Think of it as your personal challenge to keep things unpredictable!
Back in the day, I did fartleks during high school cross-country. Our coach would say, “See that tree up there? Go for it!” And suddenly, we’d pick up the pace. These intervals are spontaneous and unpredictable, and give a taste of competition with just enough adrenaline to keep it exciting. Fartleks are a perfect mix-up for your rides, letting you build strength, speed, and endurance without strict timing.
Let’s bring some of that spontaneity into our ride today. Think of these surges as mini-challenges rather than full sprints; the goal is to add just enough intensity to feel the difference without going breathless. Keep the pace manageable so you’re able to handle each interval with energy left for the next. Here are a few creative ways to structure these fartlek intervals, along with visualization cues to keep everyone in the moment. Just be sure to respect the need for recovery between bursts, allowing your riders to recharge before diving into the next challenge.
Five Fartlek Cueing Options to Bring the Ride to Life
Love the challenge and the irregularIty
Yes! I’ve used several variations of this. Had my riders visualize our class out for a group ride and approaching & passing other groups of cyclists.
Since I regularly have 2-3 triathletes in class I’ve used the comparison of being on the bike leg in a tri and increasing our effort to pass a rider quickly/within the 15 second passing zone USAT rule.
I’ve also described us riding in a paceline and our “fartlek” is while we’re at the front pulling, back off the effort for a bit as we move to the rear of the line, then get back into a “working” effort and then pick it up again once we’re at the front. The “paceline drill” is at more regular intervals than a true fartlek but similar enough.