The Ladder Workout

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Today’s newsletter is written by Letty from Marathon Media. Letty hosts both, the Marathon Running Podcast and LettyRuns YouTube Channel.

This week, let’s add a new tool to our training toolbox that’s both simple and incredibly effective for building speed and endurance without the pressure of a traditional interval workout: The Ladder Workout. This dynamic training style is a fantastic way to introduce your legs to faster paces and your mind to a new kind of focus, providing a structured yet scalable challenge that you can tailor to your own fitness level and goals.

In the steady routine of our mileage, it’s easy to settle into a single comfortable pace, but a Ladder workout is designed to gracefully pull us out of that rhythm. It’s a progression of effort that feels intuitive and builds confidence with every rung you climb. The concept is beautifully straightforward: you alternate between short segments of faster running and easy, restorative recovery periods. With each repetition, you simply increase the duration of the faster segment, creating a "ladder" of effort that pushes your limits in a controlled and rewarding way. This isn't about running at your maximum speed; it's about exploring what a "comfortably hard" pace feels like and learning how to sustain it for longer periods.

Think about the mental game of a ladder workout. You know that with each increasing interval, the recovery period remains your anchor, a guaranteed chance to reset and prepare for the next challenge. This predictability is a powerful psychological tool, allowing you to focus on the task at hand without the looming anxiety of an endlessly hard effort. You'll build the mental fortitude to push through discomfort and the physical strength to hold a faster pace, all while learning to listen to your body and manage your effort levels. By the time you've finished, you'll have accumulated a significant amount of time at a higher intensity, leaving you with a deep sense of accomplishment and a renewed appreciation for your body's capabilities.

Why Add a Ladder Workout to Your Routine?

• Boosts Anaerobic Fitness and Speed: By incorporating short bursts of effort at a pace faster than your usual long run, you improve your body’s ability to use oxygen more efficiently, which translates to a higher lactate threshold and better overall race performance.

• Enhances Mental Fortitude: The progressive nature of the ladder workout trains your mind to push through increasing levels of discomfort, building the kind of mental toughness that is crucial for the final miles of a marathon. It’s a confidence builder that proves you can handle more than you think.

• Improves Pacing and Effort Management: The workout forces you to consciously change gears and tune into what different effort levels feel like. This helps you develop a better internal sense of pacing, a skill that is invaluable on race day when you need to run by feel, not just by your watch.

• Prevents Overtraining and Burnout: Because the intervals are broken up by recovery periods, you can safely push your limits without the sustained stress of a long, hard tempo run. The progressive nature prevents you from jumping into too much intensity too soon, making it a sustainable tool for adding speed.

• Simple, Accessible, and Versatile: A ladder workout requires no specific gear or specialized locations. You can perform it on a track, a quiet road, or even a local park loop, making it a universally accessible and easy-to-implement workout.

How to Intentionally Incorporate a Ladder Workout into Your Next Run:

• Warm Up Thoroughly: Start with at least 10-15 minutes of easy running to get your body ready. A few dynamic stretches or strides are a great idea as well.

• Choose a Simple Ladder: A classic ladder is 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute. Or, for a longer workout, you could do a 1-2-3-4-3-2-1 progression.

• Set Your Pace: The faster intervals should be at a "comfortably hard" effort level. You should be able to say just a word or two, but not a full sentence. The recovery periods should be very easy jogging or even brisk walking.

• Stay Focused, Not Obsessed: Don't get caught up in exact paces. Focus on the feeling of the effort and the rhythm of your breathing. The goal is to feel the change, not to hit a precise number on your watch.

• Cool Down and Reflect: Finish your workout with 10-15 minutes of easy jogging or walking. Take a moment to reflect on what you accomplished. How did it feel to push through that longest interval? That's a feeling you can carry with you.

This week, I encourage you to try a ladder workout as a way to challenge your body and your mind. By intentionally climbing this "ladder" of effort, you can build not just speed, but a deep sense of confidence that will carry you to new heights in your running journey.

Happy (and faster) running!