Why do instagram runners call structured interval workouts “fartlek”

I happen to agree with you. The problem is very few people know what a fartlek is.

A lot of coaches use the term interchangeably.

some of my fondest hs memories were solo fartleks that I could just run whatever intervals on. Sometimes I’d run to a telephone pole, other times I’d surge until the car coming my way passed me, maybe I’d just go hard till I got bored. It was fun, and it was pure running.

I don't know enough about this stuff to say for sure, but I'd think it probably helps the algorithm to use running-specific terms. 'interval' or 'workout' can refer to a lot of different types of exercise, but 'fartlek' is pretty much exclusive to running so it's probably more likely to reach your target demographic if you use something more specific along with more general/popular key words.

That, and the cynic in me thinks that it's a good way to make it look like you were running 'easier' than you were- sort of like racing in training and calling it a tempo, you can say 'oh it wasn't really a hard workout, just messing around and having fun" since most people don't run their fartleks as fast/hard as a set of structured intervals.

One fartlek workout we did depended on the number on our team. Coach randomly passes out numbered cards to teammates. During the run each teammate surges, takes the lead, and sets the pace based on their number.

You can give your team a range for interval/rest (example 1 min- 3 max). It will be random because each person decides how much rest and interval length and pace. Try to drop your teammates.

Why does calling a workout a "speed game" suggest that the workout can't be structured?

Why do Instagram runners all record themselves doing the warm up where it looks like they are scooping up dog crap with their hands. Who started that one??

It's Swedish for "speed play" not "speed game".

And to answer your question; because the person who coined the phrase was referring a specific type of workout in which there were no structured intervals - because that would simply be interval training.

The term has been bastardised by people who should know better. Here in Australia we have a staple workout called the "Mona Fartlek", named after Steve Moneghetti, which really should be called "Mona Intervals. So, it's not surprising that people who've been in running for less than a few years are confused.

Terminology evolves in every area of human endeavor and in any training plan you can call any workout by any name as long as you define what it is. A lot of people only call a workout 'intervals' if it's done on a track. If an interval workout is done someplace like a road or trail lots of people call it fartlek, especially if it is based on time rather than distance. This has been happening for at least 40 years that I specifically know about. Not sure if too many people are doing traditional fartlek, perhaps because it isn't that effective.

yes terminology evolves and is can be a bit different for different groups.. With my teams "interval" is when I give them a certin distance to run and time to hit.. IE 5 x 1000 @ 5k pace with X amount of recovery. Fartlek is something like 1-2-3-3-2-1 .. thats minutes "hard" with equal time recovery... Its just how we differentiate each workout.

It's not an evolution though, it's a devolution.

The purpose of language is to clarify meaning, not to confuse it further.

By moving away from its original meaning, you've added a word - for which there was already a perfectly good word (intervals), and taken a word away from a concept, for which no other word exists.

Guessing this is off the back of the 'Run It Three Ways Podcast' where Youtuber 'Ben Is Running' was referring to intervals as Fartleks and got called out by his co-host(?)

Answer is simple. Most social media personalities get into running for the look, the clicks, the inspirational content and because the low barrier to entry makes it super easy to appear inspiring to non-runners. They completely neglect to listen to, follow or learn very much about the sport (in this example demonstrated by Ben Is Running consistently knowing very little about the athletics meets/races/results/athletes they discuss). They don't train in a group or attend their local club, never take a coach's advice, and as a result only ever retain very surface level understanding of the sport

- Ben Is Running - trains solo, knows little of the sport, no coach, just whacks on more mileage
- Ben Parkes - trains solo, avoids his club, no coach, barely does proper sessions, knows little beyond famous marathoners
- Welsh Runner - trains solo, avoids his club, no coach, repeats the same advice and gets inconsistent results
- Seth James Demoor - exclusively solo, no logical training plan or understanding of the athletics world, obv no coach
- Athlete Special - trains mainly solo, wont join a club, bounces around 'coaches' and 'training philosophies' since graduation
- Nick Bester - trains solo, no coach, calls road intervals "track", 0 T&F knowledge only marathoning
- Zach Levet - trained sporadically, no coach, no regime, gave up
- Tyler Speers - trains sporadically, no coach, no regime

there are some exceptions though conscious most of these are Pro's: Adam Wood (ex-BYU), Cole Running (Tonbridge), TheDistanceProject (Cambridge/GB), Charles Hicks (Bowerman/GB), Stephen Scullion (IRE), Adam Fogg (UA)

As a general rule I don't trust runfluencers that isn't on Strava.

fartlek funny word. fartlek get people to click

No they don’t. And to take your lead, I’m doing double thresholds 3 times a week. They’re just days I run twice at easy pace 3 miles. But I made it up so I call it double thresh hold. My tempo run is also a what I call a shuttle run but in grass.

There are other running terms/phrases that have been changed over the years. In another thread we talked about intervals.

Originally, interval was the rest between reps and you would decrease the interval as you approached your "target" race.

I've seen Progression Run used, mostly by true hobby joggers, as any run where you run faster as you go. But, even a recovery run can get progressively faster as you warm up. It's not truly a progression run, which I see as more of a structured progression.

Fartlek, as you point out, is very misused. Originally, it was the Swedes, during WWII, who would go out and "speed play" in the woods- no structure at all.

You're right, but it's still a misuse of the original meaning of the term. I'm not the grammar police, so to speak, when people talk this way. If the situation calls for it, we'll discuss and clarify. I might tell them the origin but I won't be arrogant about it.

Things DO change.

If I'm running a measured distance I call it intervals, if I'm doing time based reps with a jog between it's a fartlek