Brad Hudson, the elite coach who took Dathan Ritzenhein to ninth in the 2008 Beijing Olympic marathon, says there might be a better model. Based on his own experiences as a runner and his observations of other runners who struggled with aspects of the Lydiard pyramid, Hudson began to move away from the strict phases of that system.
While Lydiard's plan is symbolized as a base of strength with levels of speed layered on top, Hudson's model tips the pyramid on its side to form an arrow. Training begins both faster than and slower than goal race pace, with the two lines gradually meeting like the tip of an arrow at the goal race. Because the program works toward goal pace from two different directions, no phase of training focuses on any single type of conditioning.
"We start bringing workouts in a little sooner [than Lydiard]," says Hudson. "We start threshold work very soon, and we do short hill sprints right away." By introducing speed earlier in the program, Hudson aims for more balance in the cycle.
Mike Sayenko, a three-time Olympic trials qualifier in the marathon and 10,000m who trains under Hudson, says this balance is key to Hudson's system. "It allows you to become an overall strong athlete throughout the training cycle," says Sayenko. "And it really works on your weaknesses."
Developing speed, strength and endurance at the same time was new for Addie Bracy, an Olympic trials qualifier in the marathon and 10,000m who is also coached by Hudson. "[We] incorporate relatively high-volume workouts, really focusing on strength," says Bracy, noting that they never neglect speed work. For example, Hudson could have Bracy doing a morning workout of 4 or 5 × 2K cut-down repeats with 3 miles warm-up and 2 miles cool-down, then come back in the evening for 10 × 200m in 33 down to 31.5 seconds with the same warm-up and cool-down. Another day could have an 8K climb in the morning with the 200s later in the day.
Emphasizing balance also means that Hudson focuses on aerobic endurance throughout the training cycle, not just during the early stages. "We're constantly trying to build our base," says Hudson. "We use threshold training in place of some anaerobic work even in the last phase of training, to help build our athletes' endurance."
This balance keeps the final weeks of a program from consisting almost exclusively of fast running, which can lead to overtraining and burnout. "Especially at altitude, I saw a lot of athletes who couldn't really work specific endurance two to three times a week without overdoing it," Hudson says.

Hudson describes his system as "never getting too far from anything," a belief that he shares with Scott Simmons, who is the lead coach for the American Distance Project, based in Colorado Springs, Colo. Simmons has worked with 14 U.S. national team qualifiers and 16 Olympic trials qualifiers. But in Simmons' training model the pyramid is turned upside down. The point at the bottom represents a runner's current fitness. From there, lines representing different elements of training -- speed, endurance, strength, stamina -- expand outward simultaneously to form what Simmons refers to as a diamond.
"Anything that's important to racing success needs to be included all the time, to the right degree," says