Lesson 8 of 11
Why race pace comes last: the pace ladder
Race pace is a destination, not a starting point. The pace ladder is the idea that you build the paces above and below race pace first, so goal pace feels sustainable when you reach it.
The gap in the middle of the ladder
A common pattern is to build an easy aerobic base and then jump to race-pace intervals. What gets skipped is the middle of the pace ladder: the rungs above and below goal pace that make goal pace feel sustainable.
Funnel periodization
Funnel periodization, popularised by the Italian coach Renato Canova, approaches a goal race from two sides at once: the aerobic and endurance side, and the anaerobic and speed side. Training starts general and gets more specific as the paces converge on the goal race pace.
One practical write-up describes it as moving from paces far above and below the target toward paces closer and closer to it, until the last phase is fully race-specific. Earlier work is not dropped. A little of each earlier pace is added back every couple of weeks, because keeping a fitness is easier than rebuilding it.
The half marathon and marathon work differently, because there are not several longer race distances to build above. The write-up above puts the emphasis mainly on threshold work for them.
Why the easy-only base is a problem
Runners who only ever run easy meet a shock when quality arrives. Athlevo's Control zone exists to prevent that: it keeps you regularly exposed to moderate intensity, so Threshold does not feel like a cliff.
What Athlevo takes from it
- Build the whole pace spectrum. Athlevo programs faster-than-target work (Edge) and slower-than-target purposeful work (Control) alongside Threshold through a block.
- Race pace is a destination. Do not run goal-pace intervals until the rungs above and below are stable.
- Training adds, it does not replace. New qualities are layered on, not swapped in.
- Embedded quality in long runs, carefully. For advanced runners in Phase 3, controlled work in the last part of a long run, when you are already tired, is the most race-specific work available. It is used conservatively. Long runs are not turned into workouts by default.
See how this fits into phases in training phases and taper.
Sources
How Athlevo uses the pace ladder across a block is Athlevo's own design. The description of funnel periodization follows the source below.
This lesson is general training education. It is not medical advice. If you are unwell, injured or unsure, talk to a doctor before you train.