The Effort-Based Approach (Recommended)
Rule: Maintain the intended effort domain across distances.
Result: Shorter intervals will naturally be faster.
Example at 5K effort:
Distance Approximate Pace
200m 3K pace
400m 3K-5K pace
600m 5K pace
800m 5K pace
1000m 5K-10K pace
1200m 10K pace
Intermediate Ascending Ladder
Workout: 400-600-800-1000-1200 at 5K-10K effort
Recovery: 2 minutes between all intervals
Total volume: 4,000m (2.5 miles)
Focus: Building through longer intervals, patience