How Fast Can I Climb 5,000 FT?? Making the best of what you have - Ryan Clayton

Aug 13, 2025

Quick Summary

This is a quick summary of “How Fast Can I Climb 5,000 FT?? Making the best of what you have” from Ryan Clayton. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the climb‑focused workout today. Be sure to watch the full video for all the details.

Key Points

Vertical‑focused training: Ryan targets a specific amount of elevation (vert) rather than just distance, aiming for 5,000 ft of climb in a single run.
Flexible volume: When feeling sick or dealing with headaches, he reduces overall mileage but keeps the vertical effort high.
Gear and fuel: New Hoka Torrent 2 shoes (lightweight, grippy) and regular gel/water intake every 45‑60 min help maintain energy.
Simple metrics: Track miles, total vertical gain, and time to gauge progress (e.g., 8.2 mi / 4,000 ft in 2 h 40 min).
Adaptable pacing: No specific pace given—run at a comfortable, sustainable effort (e.g., Zone 2/ conversational) while focusing on climbs.

Workout Example

Warm‑up – 5‑10 min easy jog on flat terrain.
Main set – Run a total of 10 miles aiming to accumulate 5,000 ft of vertical gain. Choose a route with repeated climbs (e.g., repeated hill loops or a trail with sustained ascents).
Pacing – Keep a comfortable, steady effort (conversational, Zone 2). Focus on maintaining consistent effort on climbs and easy recovery on descents.
Fueling – Take a gel and water every 45‑60 min (or ~1 hour) to stay fueled.
Cool‑down – 5‑10 min easy jog or walk, stretch, and hydrate.

Feel free to adjust the mileage or vertical target to match your own fitness level—just keep the total vertical gain as the main metric.

Closing Note

Give this vertical‑gain workout a try and tweak the distance or elevation to suit your own paces in the Pacing app. Happy climbing, and enjoy the climb! 🚀