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RunRace-specific

Canova Special Block (AM)

Two substantial workouts in one day — this is the AM half

Elite session. As written this is for very experienced, high-volume athletes. Most people should start with the scaled version under the steps.
Time
≈2h04
Hard
≈21:39
in zones 4–5
Difficulty
EliteDifficulty 5 of 5 — Elite
Elite · scaled option below
Inspired by
Renato Canova

What we typed

Morning session only. Warm up 15 min easy. 10 km at marathon effort. Then 5 × (1 km slightly faster than marathon effort, 1 km moderate). Cool down 10 min easy.

Fit File Forge built the steps below from these words — the same steps your watch gets.

Describe your own

The session

5 steps

Warm up

Easy

15 minZ2

Run

Marathon effort

10 kmZ3
5×1 km

Rep

Slightly faster than marathon effort

1 kmZ4

Jog

Moderate

1 kmZ1

Cool down

Easy

10 minZ1

Targets

Set by race effort. Your paces follow from your threshold pace — about what you could race for an hour.

Marathon effort
Just faster than marathon effort

Save it and race efforts become your own paces, from your profile or your Garmin training. Without them every rep keeps its effort cue.

Scaled version

Do only the morning session as 6 km at marathon effort, then 3 × 1 km slightly faster with 1 km moderate between.

Build the scaled version in Forge

About this session

The story

Renato Canova's 'special blocks' are days with two workouts — one in the morning, one in the afternoon — with each segment set as a percentage of marathon pace. This page carries a representative morning session. For elite marathoners only.

What it trains

Marathon-specific volume at pace in a fatigued, glycogen-depleted state — a simulation of the last 15 km of the race.

Who it's for

Elite marathoners only, under a coach, a few times per build. Everyone else: the scaled version.

Sources 2
  1. Review and summary of Marathon Training - A Scientific Approach by Renato Canova — Running Writings, 2023
  2. Renato Canova's "Special Block" Explained — Sweat Elite

I've been using the AI Training Coach from day 1 for marathon prep and have found it to be a huge step up from ChatGPT/Gemini — I couldn't be happier.

Dave F.Marathon athlete

Related workouts

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Garmin and Garmin Connect are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. Zwift is a trademark of Zwift, Inc.; Fit File Forge isn't affiliated with Zwift. Athletes and coaches named here don't endorse Fit File Forge.