- Today's Word
Fartlek
[FAHRT-lek]
Definition
- (noun) A training technique used by runners and other endurance athletes that involves alternating between fast and slow paces during a continuous workout. The term comes from the Swedish word meaning “speed play,” reflecting the playful and unstructured nature of this type of training.
Example
To improve her speed and endurance, the marathoner incorporated fartlek runs into her training schedule, alternating between sprints and slow jogs along the scenic trail.
Fun Fact
The fartlek training method was developed in the 1930s by Swedish coach Gösta Holmér. Holmér was tasked with improving the performance of the Swedish cross-country running team, and he believed that traditional interval training methods were too rigid and structured. Instead, he encouraged his athletes to incorporate periods of fast running into their longer, slower runs, allowing them to vary their pace based on how they felt. This more intuitive and flexible approach to training became known as “fartlek,” and it quickly gained popularity among runners and coaches around the world.
(adjective) Having an obstinately uncooperative attitude toward authority or discipline; stubbornly resistant to control
The recalcitrant student refused to put away his phone despite three separate warnings from the teacher.
Recalcitrant comes from the Latin recalcitrare — from re- (“back”) + calcitrare (“to kick”) — itself derived from calx (“heel”). The original image is vividly literal: a horse or mule kicking back against its rider or handler. It entered English in the 19th century, retaining that core sense of stubborn, physical resistance before broadening to describe any obstinate defiance of authority.