Ladder Workouts

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What is a ladder workout? A ladder workout for runners is an interval workout where the interval distance starts out short and gets longer as you go “up the ladder,” then after the midway point, the ladder goes back down to short intervals.

What are the benefits? First and foremost, ladder workouts spice up your training. This is especially true if you’re running on a treadmill— changing your interval lengths and playing around with your speed keep you engaged. Some more benefits: speedy intervals make you a speedier runner, you get more familiar with how different paces feel, and it can be a quick, efficient workout.

What are the variations? You can base your intervals on time (1 minute, then 2 minutes, then 3 minutes, and so on) or on distance (400m, 800m, 1200m, and so on).

Ready to try a ladder workout? Here’s one designed by Coach Worm…

Run 0.25 miles at 5K pace, 0.50 miles at 10K pace, 0.75 miles at half-marathon pace, 1 mile at marathon pace, 0.75 miles at half-marathon pace, 0.50 miles at 10Kpace, and 0.25 miles at 5K pace with 1:30 rest between each repetition.

Start on mile 17 of the Big Sur course on the RunBetter App.

It’s always nice to have a workout that ends with shorter intervals, wouldn’t you agree?

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