Canova Base Phase

small, but a few differences are also Canova starts with tempos and increases the length as time goes on, same with his long run. In this way Canova starts with intensity and adds volume. Lydiard is similar but starts with volume and then says to increase intensity aka get the miles in and once you can, then you can increase the pace and throw in those "time trials" or tempos. Canova also has uphill sprints. Canova also has more defined fartleks so your interpretation of Lydiard fartlek may or may not have a difference.

I'm guessing you read something from Nate Jenkins, a Lydiard to Canova fella. Neither way is right or wrong, but Canova actually has a successful marathon system whereas Lydiard has a successful middle distance to 5k system. If you want to run a good marathon it doesn't take much (the more volume the better, Lydiard), but if you want to run a great marathon you need specificity and accuracy which is Canova. Lydiard created the fundamentals and Canova adapted Lydiard to the modern aspects of racing despite him trying to avoid saying that out right.

This is good, but don't forget that Canova gets a recency and "still alive" bias to throw the new fangled concept of intensity at modern athletes. Lydiard broke the mould with volume, but never settled/progressed on the other variables. I would argue he suffered from a time before the super human recovery expectations that we see today. Canova benefits from that. heck, in the Cairess video he is interviewed in recently he's testifying to the fact that in this modern era he's throwing intensity at high volume runners to see what sticks.

That's just a 30,000 ft observation though, it's much more nuanced as you pointed out.

Thank you; this is very useful.

I've done some quite defined fartlek training under a Lydiard approach, but I guess one big difference in their fartlek approaches is Canova' keeping a decent pace between efforts, whereas Lydiard's tended to be jogged.

And yes, Nate Jenkins is the guy I read about.

So in summary, start the intensity from the off, even if it's only a few minutes of LT and hillsprints, with some smaller fartleks where the recovery pace is kept honest, and build from there?

It would be good if anybody has sample blocks for this phase as to how it tends to be put together?

Canova fundamenal phase:
monday - AM 60min moderate (gradually adding +10min till 90min as your body adapts)

PM Hill circuit 4-6x (200-300m fast,10x squat jump,60m sprint,20m skip,200m moderate,20m heel to buttock,300m fast,20x scissor jump,200m moderate,30x hops with blocked knee,500m fast 85% flat terrain this last one)

tue - AM 30min easy, 5 x 4min about current 5K pace recovery 3min @5K pace+1min
(adding +1min to 4min as you can handle ti 5x 7min,recovery remain)
PM - 40min easy (as you can handle progress til 60min easy)

wed - AM 30min easy + drills (5x 30meter fast skips, 5x30m heel-to-buttock,5x50m high heels,5x30m bounding) add to drills +1 rep as you can handle til 8x
PM 50min regenerative (progress til 60min)

thu - AM 30min easy + 4K continous hill run mderate effort (add as you can handle +1km til 7K)
PM - 60min speed fartlek -> 30-45sec @mile effort + float 2-2.5min @easy

fri - AM 80min easy-moderate (as you can handle progress it to moderate)

PM - as wed AM (easy + drills)

sat - AM 30min easy + 12K fast progressive tempo (starting about marathon pace every 4K progressing faster till about HM-15K pace)

PM - 40min regenerative (as you can handle prolong til 60min)

sun - 90-120min long run easy pace (easy pace is about 5Kpace+1min )

Weekly km about 170-190km

Special phase for longer distances (HM-M) intervals are longer,tempos longer,

Specific phase - race pace specific long tempos,110%-90% shorter or longer 105-95% under-over race pace runs, specific block days (double hard day intervals + hard tempo) about 160km weeks

In Lydiard language

mon moderate => 1/2 effort

tue intervals => 7/8 effort (this would not be part of classic Lyd base phase build)

wed easy => 1/4 effort...regenerative => jog

tue hills 1/2 effort

fri 1/4-1/2 effort (this one is tricky as sat is harder effort,one should be careful with this one)

sat - similar to "out and back" about 1/2-3/4 effort

sun - long steady run

Norve - that's great, particularly equating to Lydiard, but isn't the General Phase Canova's base phase, or do you think he was referring to the fundamental and the general is almost like a pre-base?

If my memory serves it was Preparatory phase in Canova terms then Fundamental. That preparatory is just a washed up/easier Fundamental. Like 2-3x hill circuits instead of 4-6x etc. Where prep finishes there start fundamental,it is a continuum. He has hills,hill circuits,fast fartlek even in preparatory as His metodology is "never lose what you has gained previously" so never leave speed,never neglect strenght (hills,hill circuits,drills).

Peter Snell once said that when asked what would he changed in Lydiard training,and he mentioned that touching speed in marathon phase (eg. a few 400m fast).