FOD Runner's Descending Ladder

Workout - FOD Runner's Descending Ladder

• 10min @ 6'30''/km
• 4 lots of:
  • 400m @ 4'30''/km
  • 400m @ 5'00''/km
  • 300m @ 4'30''/km
  • 300m @ 5'00''/km
  • 200m @ 4'30''/km
  • 200m @ 5'00''/km
  • 100m @ 4'00''/km
  • 100m @ 5'00''/km
  • 2min 30s rest
• 5min @ 6'30''/km

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Intro

The FOD Runner’s INJURY SCARE – 15 Weeks Until London Marathon 2024 walks through training adjustments after a mid-back injury. The full video is worth your time. This summary covers the essentials and adds a workout to run this week.

Key points

• Managing back pain: a ladder accident triggered mid-back spasms. The shift was to measured strength, targeted hip mobility, and focused core drills while protecting the lower back.
• Training approach: dial back total mileage, stay consistent with what you can do, and respond to what your body signals. Add rest days without guilt.
• Workout shift: the standard Tuesday session gave way to descending-distance repeats on trails, with tempo-pace floats and no recovery jogging between hard efforts.
• Movement quality: hip-hinge mechanics when lifting protect the spine. Regular glute and hamstring release maintains mobility. Brief core activation post-run anchors stability.

Workout example

Friday trail repeats (all distances in meters):

1. Start with 15 minutes of easy running as a warmup.
2. 3-5 rounds of this descending ladder. Rest briefly and repeat:
   • 400 m at hard effort (roughly 10K race pace) → 400 m tempo float (just above lactate threshold).
   • 300 m hard → 300 m tempo float.
   • 200 m hard → 200 m tempo float.
   • 100 m hard → 100 m tempo float.
   • Finish with 100 m hard → 100 m float before returning to the top.

The hard segments should feel strong but controlled, not an all-out sprint. Tempo floats sit slightly slower than the hard effort and faster than an easy jog.

Closing note

Try this ladder. Adjust rounds and effort to your current state. Log splits in the Pacing app to track progress.

References

• INJURY SCARE - 15 Weeks Until London Marathon 2024 - YouTube (YouTube Video)