Try this 4/3/2/1 interval workout when you’re time-crunched

Some days, you find yourself with only 30 minutes to squeeze in a run, and you want to make your time count. If you’re looking for more than just an easy jog, it can be challenging to come up with a workout that gives you what you’re looking for in a such a small window. Time-crunched runners will find value in this “countdown” style interval run that breaks up the harder efforts in descending, manageable blocks.

The workout is simple and effort-based rather than data-based, meaning you don’t need to worry about pace, heart rate or any other metric. It gives you a chance to explore the upper-end of hard running by feel, as you’ll work progressively harder on each of the short intervals of four, three, two minutes and one minute, with rest between intervals.

The workout:

• 10 minutes easy warmup (conversational pace)
• 4 minutes tempo pace, 2 minutes easy
• 3 minutes harder than temp0, 90 seconds easy
• 2 minutes harder, 1 minute easy
• 1 minute all-out
• Remainder easy

With 10 minutes of quality, hard efforts in this workout, you’re working your anaerobic system. Getting faster on each interval means you’re running harder on tired legs, which helps you learn to finish strong in a race.

The four-minute tempo interval in this workout sets the tone for the rest of the set, so you’ll need to pick your effort appropriately here. It should feel like you’re working, but have some gas in the tank left for the remaining six minutes of work, where the intervals get progressively faster. This should feel like an effort around your 5K pace.

With half of the previous interval’s length as your rest time, you give the body a chance to recover between these fartlek-style efforts while not allowing your heart rate to drop too much in between.

This workout is great prep for your next 5K race. For runners who like the descending structure but have more time available for a workout, simply repeats the 4/3/2/1 ladder twice or three times, depending on the time available and your workout goals.